Identification and Substitution

The term 'identification' has never been completely defined in psycho-analysis. And, since this word takes on various meanings, it would certainly be an advantage if we were able to discriminate between the different ways in which it is used.

In the first place we must draw the very necessary distinction between identifying oneself with another person (centrifugal) and identifying another person with oneself (centripetal). But it is not this difference that we should like to discuss to-day.

Freud has himself discussed three aspects of this mechanism: 'First, identification is the original form of emotional tie with an object; secondly, in a regressive way it becomes a substitute for a libidinal object tie, as it were by means of the introjection of the object into the ego; and thirdly, it may arise with every new perception of a common quality shared with some other person who is not an object of the sexual instinct.'1 Identification with the father partakes of the three mechanisms quoted above.2

Identification with the father, besides having the motivation noted above also aims at neutralizing aggressiveness. The following passage by Freud seems at any rate to imply this. 'Since the enmity cannot be gratified there develops an identification with the former rival. The study of mild cases of homosexuality confirms the suspicion that in this instance, too, the identification is a substitute for an affectionate object-choice which has succeeded the hostile, aggressive attitude.3

We believe, for reasons we shall go into later on, that it would be better to apply the term 'substitution' to this identification which aims at neutralizing aggressiveness.

Let us first of all study the notion of identification. This may be produced by admiration, by affection or by imitation. It always implies that the relation between the subject and the object with which he identifies himself is one of confidence. An essential element of the process by which it is obtained is imitatio