How Does the Superego Develop?

The superego develops during the first five years of life in response to parental punishment and approval. This development occurs as a result of the child's internalization of his parents' moral standards, a process greatly aided by a tendency to identify with the parents.

How does the superego develop its morals and ideals?

The superego is developed through a process called identification. ... Through identification, parents' values become the ideals and aspirations of their children. In this way, the moral standards of society are transmitted from one generation to the next.

Does the superego develop last?

In Freud's theory of psychosexual development, the superego is the last component of personality to develop. ... The ego begins to develop during the first three years of a child's life. Finally, the superego starts to emerge around age five.