A young child begins to wait patiently for his favorite food while his father prepares it, rather than crying uncontrollably until he gets what he wants. Freud would say the child has now developed his ____.

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The ego, according to Freud's psychoanalytic theory, is the part of the personality that develops through interactions with the external world and helps to regulate and balance the impulses coming from the id and the demands of the superego. It is responsible for mediating between these two parts of the personality and finding realistic ways to satisfy the instincts and desires of the id within the constraints of the external world. In this scenario, the child's ability to wait patiently demonstrates that he has developed some level of ego control over his impulses and can delay gratification.

A Young Child Begins to Wait Patiently for His Favorite