In psychoanalysis, one of the three components of the psychic apparatus in the freudian structural framework, the other two being the ego and the id. It is an outgrowth of the ego that has identified itself unconsciously with important persons, such as parents, from early life, and which results from incorporating the values and wishes of these persons and subsequently societal norms as part of one's own standards to form the “conscience.”
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su·per·ego .sü-pər-'ē-(.)gōalso 'sü-pər-., -'eg-(.)ō n the one of the three divisions of the psyche in psychoanalytic theory that is only partly conscious, represents internalization of parental conscience and the rules of society, and functions to reward and punish through a system of moral attitudes, conscience, and a sense of guilt compare EGO, ID
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n.
(in psychoanalysis) the part of the mind that functions as a moral conscience or judge. It is also responsible for the formation of ideals for the ego. The superego is the result of the incorporation of parental injunctions into the child's mind.
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su·per·ego (soo″pər-eґgo) [super- + ego] in psychoanalytic theory, the aspect of the personality acting as a monitor and evaluator of ego functioning, comparing it with an ideal standard (see ego ideal, under ideal) and including psychic functions expressed as social attitudes, self-criticism, and a concept of right and wrong (conscience or morality). Cf. ego and id.Medical dictionary. 2011.