Anal expulsive

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The term anal expulsive refers to a personality trait present in people fixated in the anal stage of psychosexual development.

In the psychology of Freud, the anal stage is said to follow the oral stage of infant/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 their excretory functions, a time of toilet training. For a child in this stage of development, control of bowel movements is the stage at which the child can express autonomy by withholding, refusing to comply, or soiling himself or herself.[1] Conflicts with parents regarding toilet training can produce a fixation in this stage, which can manifest itself in adulthood by a continuation of erotic pleasure in defecation.[2]

An anal expulsive personality is broadly defined as exhibiting cruelty, emotional outbursts, disorganization, self-confidence, (sometimes) artistic ability, generosity, rebelliousness and general carelessness.[2][3]

The anal stage is the second of five stages of psychosexual development.


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