An anal retentive person is a person who pays such attention to detail that it becomes an obsession and may be an annoyance to others. The term derives from Freudian psychoanalysis.

Origins

In Freudian psychology, the anal stage is said to follow the oral stage of

infant An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...

or early-childhood development. This is a time when an infant's attention moves from oral stimulation to anal stimulation (usually the bowels but occasionally the bladder), usually synchronous with learning to control its excretory functions—in other words, any form of child training and not specifically linked to toilet training. Freud posited that children who experience conflicts, in which libido energy is under-indulged during this period of time, and the child is perhaps too strongly chastised for toilet-training accidents, may develop "anal retentive" fixations or personality traits. These traits are associated with a child's efforts at excretory control: orderliness, stubbornness, and compulsions for control. Conversely, those who are overindulged during this period may develop "

anal-expulsive Anal expulsiveness is the state of a person who exhibits cruelty, emotional outbursts, disorganization, self-confidence, artistic ability, generosity, rebelliousness and general carelessness. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis theory claims the ana ...

" personality types.

Influence and refutation

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'' (DSM-II) introduced obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), with a definition based on Freud's description of anal-retentive personality. But the association between OCPD and toilet training is largely regarded as unsupported "

pop-psychology Popular psychology (sometimes shortened as pop psychology or pop psych) is the concepts and theories about human mental life and behavior that are purportedly based on psychology and that find credence among and pass muster with the populace. The ...

" and therefore discredited by the majority of

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...

s of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. There is no conclusive research linking anal stage conflicts with "anal" personality types.

References

Freudian psychology Psychoanalytic terminology Toilet training {{psychology-stub de:Fixierung_(Psychoanalyse)#Fixierung_der_analen_Phase

Origins

Influence and refutation

See also

References