Anal Character: Definition, History, and Further Reading
Anal character refers to a psychological construct that is believed to have a direct influence on one’s personality. It is a concept derived from psychoanalytic theory which suggests that early childhood experiences and development can play a key role in determining a person’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings. Anal character can be characterized by a person’s attitude towards order, neatness, and cleanliness, and is believed to be related to the child’s experiences with toilet training.
The concept of anal character was first introduced by Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud in the early 20th century, in his book Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality. In this work, Freud hypothesized that the way a child experiences toilet training could lead to the development of either an “anal-retentive” or an “anal-expulsive” personality type. He believed that the way a child was treated during toilet training – either with too much pressure or too little – could lead to either a highly organized, orderly, and precise attitude towards life, or an attitude characterized by disorder and impulsivity.
Since the early days of psychoanalytic theory, the concept of anal character has been studied extensively in the field of psychology. Research has supported the idea that early experiences and development can influence one’s personality traits, and that the way a child is treated during toilet training can play a role in the development of their anal character.
For further reading on the concept of anal character, please see the following articles:
Freud, S. (1905). Three essays on the theory of sexuality. Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, 7, 125-245.
Chodorow, N. (1978). The reproduction of mothering: Psychoanalysis and the sociology of gender. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Winnicott, D. W. (1965). The maturational processes and the facilitating environment. New York, NY: International Universities Press.
Kohut, H. (1971). The analysis of the self. New York, NY: International Universities Press.
Klein, M. (1932). The psychoanalysis of children. London, UK: Hogarth Press.
Bacal, H. (1985). Optimal responsiveness and the therapeutic process. In A. Goldberg (Ed.), Progress in self psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 202-226). New York, NY: Guilford Press.