Freud proposed that through the defense mechanism of repression, the ego pushes unpleasant, threatening experiences outside of conscious awareness so that they cannot be later accessed from memory. Not only did some people come to accept this psychological misconception as true, but they also began to speak of the ego and the unconscious as if they were actual parts of the mind. This is like the thinking error of _____, which people make when they assume that a psychological disorder such as generalized anxiety disorder is objectively real.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The statement is describing the thinking error of reification, which is the tendency to treat abstract concepts as if they are concrete, tangible objects. This applies to how people began to treat the ego and the unconscious as if they were actual parts of the mind.

Freud Proposed That Through the Defense Mechanism of Repression, the Ego