Anal retentiveness is a personality trait that is characterized by excessive concern with details. The concept originated in Freudian
psychoanalytic
PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: and is a set of theories and techniques of research to discover unconscious processes and their influence on conscious thought, emotion and behaviour. Based on dream interpretation, psychoanalysis is also a talk the ...
theory, where one aspect of the
anal stage
The anal stage is the second stage in Sigmund Freud's theory of psychosexual development, taking place approximately between the ages of 18 months and three years. In this stage, the anal erogenous zone
An erogenous zone (from Greek , ''ér� ...
of psychosexual development is pleasure in the retention of
feces
Feces (also known as faeces American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, or fæces; : faex) are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the ...
. Fixation in this stage can potentially result in a personality marked by frugality, obstinacy and orderliness. Despite its psychoanalytic roots and the literal meaning of the words, in common usage the term generally refers merely to certain kinds of
obsessive behaviour.
Origins
In Freudian psychology, the
anal stage
The anal stage is the second stage in Sigmund Freud's theory of psychosexual development, taking place approximately between the ages of 18 months and three years. In this stage, the anal erogenous zone
An erogenous zone (from Greek , ''ér� ...
is said to follow the
oral stage
In Freudian psychoanalysis, the term oral stage denotes the first psychosexual development stage wherein the mouth of the infant is their primary erogenous zone. Spanning the life period from birth to the age of 18 months, the oral stage is the ...
of
infant
In common terminology, a baby is the very young offspring of adult human beings, while infant (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'baby' or 'child') is a formal or specialised synonym. The terms may also be used to refer to juveniles of ...
or
early-childhood development, and occurs from around the age of 18 months to 3 years old. The infant's attention moves from oral stimulation to anal stimulation, usually synchronous with learning to control its excretory functions. Freud posited that children who experience conflicts during this stage may develop certain fixations or personality traits. If the association of the
libido
In psychology, libido (; ) is psychic drive or energy, usually conceived of as sexual in nature, but sometimes conceived of as including other forms of desire. The term ''libido'' was originally developed by Sigmund Freud, the pioneering origin ...
with the anal erogenous zone and excretory function is not satisfactorily resolved (for example, as a result of the child being too frequently or severely chastised for toilet training accidents), so-called 'anal retentive' character traits, such as excessive orderliness, stubbornness, and compulsions for control, may develop at a later stage. If excretory pleasure is overindulged during this period the individual may develop "
anal-expulsive" personality traits.
Influence
Freud's theories on early childhood have been influential on the psychological community; the phrase ''anal retentive'' and the term ''anal'' survive in common usage. The second edition of the ''
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
The ''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'' (''DSM''; latest edition: ''DSM-5-TR'', published in March 2022) is a publication by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for the classification of mental disorders using a com ...
'' (DSM-II) introduced
obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), with a definition based on Freud's description of anal-retentive personality.
According to Kathleen Berger, writing in the year 2000, there is no conclusive
research
Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...
linking anal stage conflicts with "anal" personality types.
See also
*
Encopresis
Encopresis () is voluntary or involuntary passage of feces outside of toilet-trained contexts (fecal soiling) in children who are four years or older and after an organic cause has been excluded. Children with encopresis often leak stool into ...
*
Psychosexual development
In psychoanalysis, psychosexual development is a central element of the sexual drive theory. According to Freud, personality develops through a series of childhood stages in which pleasure-seeking energies from the child become focused on certa ...
References
{{reflist
Freudian psychology
Psychoanalytic terminology
Toilet training
de:Fixierung_(Psychoanalyse)#Fixierung_der_analen_Phase