Internalization: Breaking Down the Complexities of The Human Psyche

We live in dynamic environments. Our worlds surround us and seep into our being, influencing how we think, feel, and act. In psychology, we refer to this process of merging with our environment as internalization. We make some of our external world (concepts, beliefs, attitudes, etc.) part of ourselves.

The term Internalization is often thrown around in psychology, but what does it truly imply? Internalization is a psychological process that outlines how individuals subconsciously adopt attitudes, values, norms, and ideas prevalent in their environment. It’s a way of processing external information and making it a part of personal understanding and behaviour.

Mechanism of Internalization

Internalization works through repeated exposure to external models, behaviors, or practices. Think about a child learning societal norms from their parents, or employees adapting to their workplace culture. With constant exposure, humans can internalize ideas and behaviors to the point that they become an automatic response or a deeply embedded part of our personality.

The classic study of psychologist Jean Piaget, for example, revealed how children internalize physical actions as mental actions during their cognitive development. Piaget explains that intuitive images act as internalized models for actions (Piaget, 1971, p. 24). Basically, the child learns from the environment, internalizing images, then transforming those images into physical action.

Internalization of environments largely refers to absorbing and adopting the views, norms, and beliefs as our own. It isn’t necessarily a conscious effort on our part, but a natural phenomenon that occurs during development. We have heard that “to the worm, the whole world is an apple.” The apple in which the worm lives is all it knows. Consequently, the worm perceives the whole world as the apple, theoretically.

We are much like that simple worm. As children our environment is confined and limited. Our family life becomes our whole world. We internalize the model and project it as the model for the entire world. These internalized images of the world become primal beliefs or basic assumptions. Because we have internalized these images, we see them as reality. they become the filter from which we see and interpret the the rest of the world.

Maladaptive Internalized Norms

Internalizing helps stabilize our world. The world is too wide and dynamic to have an accurate perception of everything. Internalization is a mode of simplifying, creating our own little world. However, the internalized norms tend to favor dominant cultures in our immediate vicinity. Accordingly, we form biases.

Harriet Lerner explains that “societal norms, transmitted through the family, get internalized and become part of us. The dominant culture defines what’s beautiful (or at least acceptable) and what’s not” (Lerner, 2005). Accordingly, we don’t judge other cultural norms as different; we judge them as “wrong.”

Implication in Various Psychological Theories

Internalization is fundamental to several psychological theories.

Ego and Superego

In Psychoanalytic Theory, Sigmund Freud proposed that the superego, or conscience, is formed through the internalization of parental and societal values. Anna Freud wrote about the impact of the family environment on a child. She explains that a child internalizes the qualities and traits of those that bring them up, “making their characteristics and opinions his own… providing material from which the superego may take shape” (Freud, 1937). George Vaillant explains that the ego forms mechanisms of defense from internalized messages, absorbed from “the real world, important people, and the internalized prohibitions provided by our conscience and our culture” (Vaillant, 1998).

Social Roles

Similarly, the Social-Cognitive Theory of Albert Bandura suggests that individual learning happens through the internalization of behaviors modeled by others. We internalize basic structures of societal roles and those we picture filling those roles. These internalized pictures of roles that we may not even attempt to fill roles that we visualize belong to someone outside of our conditioned image. Or if we buck the normalized image, we may experience imposter syndrome, feeling as if we don’t belong.

See Role Theory for more on this topic

Attachment and Internalization

Daniel Siegel explains that, according to John Bowlby’s attachment theory, “the nature of an infant’s attachment to the parent (or other primary caregiver) will become internalized as a working model of attachment” (Siegel, 2020). The early interactions with a caregiver set in motion all our relationships that follow. We internalize emotional interactions, attunements, and rejections.

Lawrence Heller explains that the child internalizes “caregiver failures, experiencing them as their own personal failures. Reacting to their caregivers’ failure to meet their needs, children come to feel various degrees of anger, shame, guilt, and physiological collapse” (Heller & LaPierre, 2012). Accordingly, a child may first protest when a caregiver fails to provide basic physiological and emotional needs. However, over time the lack of providing is internalized, and the deprivation becomes the norm.

We see the child in Ed Tronicks still face experiments react this way. the child first protests to the lack of reaction from their mother. They then amplify the protest. And finally, they disconnect. Perhaps, the internalizing of new norms where the child experiences no control leads to states of learned helplessness.

The predictable pattern of a healthy relationship often creates trust. In these relationships, a partner’s “sense of trust may act as an internalized ‘secure base’” (Mikulincer, 2004).

Internalization of Trauma

Noteworthy events mold our beliefs. Toxic environments destroy. We internalize the messages that suggest we are of little value. These internalized messages destroy self-respect, self-esteem, and competence.

In toxic environments, Heller explains that “living with pressure is an ongoing experience for these individuals. They are in fact so used to pressure that they do not recognize it as such. Having grown up feeling under pressure to live up to their parents’ expectations and demands, they have internalized this pressure and, as adults, put tremendous pressure on themselves to be agreeable, responsible, trustworthy, and to do what is expected of them. Externally oriented, they are extremely sensitive to what they perceive as others’ expectations of them and experience these expectations, in intimate relationships and work situations, as pressures to perform” (Heller, 2012).

Heller continues: “The internalized environmental failure, held as distress in implicit memory, creates strong distortions of the sense of self and leads individuals to feel chronically unloved, unlovable, and without value.”

Freedom and Autonomy

If we cannot see the internalized messages, we lose freedom and autonomy to them. They unconsciously exist, inflicting our lives with the limitations they impose. Joseph Burgo explains that “authenticity necessitates behaving autonomously, for it means being the author of one’s actions—acting in accord with one’s true inner self” (Burgo, 2012). Burgo is referring to being able to consciously integrate experience without blindly internalizing the messages and allowing those messages to dictate our actions.

He explains that “less clear, but perhaps more important, are the common everyday instances in which people have internalized rigid controls from society and respond compliantly to these forces within them. Such behaviors lack the qualities of freedom and flexibility that characterize autonomy and authenticity” (Burgo, 2012, p. 5).

Rollo May expands on this concept. He wrote that “to the extent that an adult person has achieved some freedom and identity as a self, he has a base from which to acquire the wisdom in the past traditions of his society and to make it his. But if this freedom is missing, traditions block rather than enrich. They may become an internalized set of traffic rules, but they will have little or no fructifying influence on one’s inward development as a person” (May, 2009, p. 206).

Perhaps, the message here is that we should understand external expectations without blindly internalizing. In this way, we continue to express freedom and authenticity, willing to resist the normal when the normal does not provide the ethics and virtues we desire to possess.

Internalization vs. Identification

While internalization and identification might seem synonymous, they portray different facets of personality development. Internalization implies thoroughly assimilating behaviors and attitudes until they become an intrinsic part of the self, independent of the external influence. However, identification refers to the adoption of specific qualities from another person, driven by an additional desire to maintain a relationship with that person.

Impacts of Internalization

The process of internalization is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, internalizing positive traits, healthy norms, and beneficial behaviors can profoundly contribute to personal development and societal harmony. Yet, on the other end, internalizing harmful stereotypes, toxic attitudes, or self-deprecating ideas can lead to issues such as low self-esteem, mental health disorders, and impaired social relationships.

Internalized expectations often cause shame. Our internalized rules judge and punish. When we violate these internalized expectations of self, we feel shame. Brené Brown wrote that “the problem arises because, at some point, most of us begin to believe the expectations about who we’re supposed to be, what we’re supposed to look like, what we’re supposed to do, how much we’re supposed to be, and how little we’re supposed to be.”

She explains that “we… develop a fear of rejecting those expectations. We constantly see evidence that if we do reject these expectations, we will experience very painful disconnections and rejection. So, we internalize these expectations, and they become an emotional prison. Shame stands guard” (Brown, 2007).

Associated Concepts

• Perception (A Cognitive Process): This concept refers to the way in which something is understood or interpreted by an individual, often involving the use of the senses and the cognitive processes. It encompasses the way we see, hear, taste, touch, and smell things, as well as the mental interpretation of those sensory experiences.
• Attribution Theory: This theory provides a psychological explanation of how people interpret the causes of events and behaviors. It explores the reasons people give for their own and others’ behavior, whether those reasons are internal (dispositional) or external (situational).
• Psychological Coherence: This psychological state refers to the ability to maintain stability and consistency in one’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. When a person experiences psychological coherence, their beliefs, values, attitudes, and actions are generally aligned and in harmony with each other.
• Internal Working Models: These are psychological concepts where our early experiences, particularly our attachments, become mental models that guide our future relationships.
• Self-Discrepancy Theory: This theory proposed by psychologist E. Tory Higgins, suggests that individuals have three specific representations of the self: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self.
• Kelley’s Covariation Model: This theory explains how people attribute cause to behavior. It suggests that individuals make causal inferences based on three key factors: Consistency, Distinctiveness, and Consensus.
• Correspondent Inference Theory: This theory explains how people make inferences about others’ dispositions based on their observed behaviors. It suggests that people are more likely to attribute a behavior to a person’s stable, internal characteristics (such as personality traits) when the behavior is perceived as intentional, freely chosen, and has distinctive effects.

A Few Words by Psychology Fanatic

Understanding the concept of internalization offers profound insights into the subconscious workings of the human mind, shedding light on how our environments shape us. From childhood experiences to cultural influences, every interaction molds our identities, beliefs, and behaviors in ways we often overlook. The process of internalization acts as a lens through which we view ourselves and the world around us; it delineates our understanding of social norms, moral values, and personal expectations. By recognizing this intricate mechanism at play within each individual, we can better appreciate the complexities behind human behavior and relationships.

Ultimately, acknowledging the role of internalization emphasizes the importance of nurturing positive, healthy environments that foster growth and well-being. When individuals are surrounded by supportive relationships and constructive societal messages, they are more likely to develop resilience against negative influences that may arise from maladaptive internalized norms. This proactive approach not only enhances mental health but also empowers individuals to break free from harmful cycles imposed by their surroundings—leading us toward a society where authenticity thrives over conformity. By actively working towards cultivating such enriching spaces for ourselves and others, we contribute significantly to a collective journey of self-discovery and empowerment in an ever-evolving world.

Last Update: July 24, 2025

References:

Brown, Brené (2007). I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t): Making the Journey from “What Will People Think?” to “I Am Enough.” ‎ Avery; 1st edition. (Return to Article)

Burgo, Joseph (2012). Why Do I Do That?: Psychological Defense Mechanisms and the Hidden Ways They Shape Our Lives. New Rise Press. (Return to Article)

Freud, Anna (1937). The Ego and Mechanisms of Defense. ​Routledge; 1st edition. (Return to Article)

Heller, Lawrence; LaPierre, Aline (2012). Healing Developmental Trauma: How Early Trauma Affects Self-Regulation, Self-Image, and the Capacity for Relationship. North Atlantic Books; 1st edition. (Return to Article)

Lerner, Harriet (2005). The Dance of Fear: Rising Above Anxiety, Fear, and Shame to Be Your Best and Bravest Self. ‎Perennial Currents; Reprint edition. (Return to Article)

May, Rollo (1953/2009). Man’s Search for Himself. W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition. (Return to Article)

Mikulincer, Mario (2004). Attachment Working Models and the Sense of Trust: An Exploration of Interaction Goals and Affect Regulation. Editors Caryl E. Rusbult & Harry T. Reis in Close Relationships: Key Readings (Key Readings in Social Psychology). Psychology Press; 1st edition. (Return to Article)

Piaget, Jean (1971). The child’s conception of movement and speed. Ballantine Books; First edition. (Return to Article)

Siegel, Daniel J. (2020). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. The Guilford Press; 3rd edition. (Return to Article)

Vaillant, George E. (1998) Adaptations to Life. Harvard University Press; Reprint edition. (Return to Article)