AP Psychology Practice Test 2026 - Free AP Psychology Practice Questions and Study Guide

The correct answer is based on Freud's concept of identification, which is a key process in the development of a child's personality. According to Freud, identification occurs when children internalize the values, beliefs, and behaviors of their parents or primary caregivers. This process is crucial for forming a sense of self and establishing gender identity, as children adopt characteristics of their parents to navigate their social world.

Freud suggested that this identification often happens during the phallic stage of development, where children begin to align themselves with the parent of the same sex. This alignment helps them to develop the superego, which represents the internalized societal and parental standards and moral values. Through identification, children learn what is acceptable and what is not, shaping their future behavior and attitudes.

While the other choices reflect important psychological concepts, they do not pertain directly to the process through which children adopt their parents' values. Fixation refers to an unresolved conflict in earlier psychosexual stages, defense mechanisms are coping strategies used by the ego to protect against anxiety, and repression involves pushing threatening thoughts out of conscious awareness, none of which specifically describes the incorporation of parental values.