Conscience is to ____ as ego-Ideal is to ____.

Conscience is to ____ as ego-Ideal is to ____.

• A. Shame, Punishment
• B. Punishment, Shame
• C. Guilt, Pride
• D. Discipline, Humiliation

Answer: (B)

Conscience acts as the punitive arm of the superego, generating unpleasant self-judgments when we violate moral rules. The typical experience tied to that internal punishment is guilt or shame—feelings that come from being judged by one’s own moral standards. The ego-ideal, on the other hand, represents the ideal self we strive to become; when we measure up to those standards, we feel a sense of self-satisfaction, and when we fall short, the accompanying self-evaluation tends to manifest as shame. So the pairing fits: conscience is linked to punishment, and ego-ideal to shame.

Conscience acts as the punitive arm of the superego, generating unpleasant self-judgments when we violate moral rules. The typical experience tied to that internal punishment is guilt or shame—feelings that come from being judged by one’s own moral standards. The ego-ideal, on the other hand, represents the ideal self we strive to become; when we measure up to those standards, we feel a sense of self-satisfaction, and when we fall short, the accompanying self-evaluation tends to manifest as shame. So the pairing fits: conscience is linked to punishment, and ego-ideal to shame.