In psychology, personality traits associated with fixation at the anal stage of psychosexual development, typically including orderliness, parsimony, and emotional rigidity.
From 'anal' (relating to the anus) + '-ity' (state or condition). Coined by Sigmund Freud and later psychoanalysts in the early 20th century to describe behavioral patterns they believed stemmed from conflict during childhood toilet training.
Freud believed that how parents handled toilet training could shape a person's entire personality into adulthood—overly strict training created 'anal-retentive' perfectionists, while too-lenient training produced 'anal-expulsive' messiness. Most modern psychology has moved on, but the colloquial term 'anal-retentive' lives on as a quirky reminder of his influence.
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