A figure from Greek mythology, daughter of Agamemnon; used in psychology (Electra complex) to describe certain unconscious desires, or a name.
From Greek 'Elektra,' possibly meaning 'bright' or 'shining' from 'elektron' (amber), though the mythological connection is to 'amber' and electric properties. Freud borrowed the name for his psychological theory.
Freud created the 'Electra complex' as the female version of the Oedipus complex, naming it after a Greek princess who had unhealthy feelings for her father—so every psychology student learns mythology without realizing it!
Electra complex (Freud's psychoanalytic term) mirrors Oedipal structure but applied to daughters; it pathologized female desire and has been widely critiqued as a projection of male theory onto female psychology.
When referencing psychology, acknowledge Freudian limits; use 'parent-child attachment' or modern relational psychology instead.
["attachment theory","relational psychology"]
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