In Freud's theory, what term refers to the internalized norms and values of our social groups?

In Freud's theory of personality, the term that refers to the internalized norms and values of our social groups is the superego. The superego serves as an ethical component, representing moral standards and ideals that we acquire from our family and society. It acts as a guide for making judgments about right and wrong, often leading to feelings of guilt when we fail to conform to these societal expectations. This moral conscience is crucial in regulating behavior and ensuring that an individual adheres to the moral codes ingrained during the socialization process.

The ego, in contrast, is the rational part of the personality that mediates between the desires of the id (which is focused on primal instincts and needs) and the constraints of the superego. The id represents the unconscious source of basic impulses and drives. Drive, while a relevant term in Freud’s theory, refers to the physical needs and desires (such as hunger or sexual desire) rather than the social and moral frameworks we internalize. Thus, the superego is distinctly characterized as the component that holds our internalized societal norms and values.