The psychoanalytic perspective on mental development is discussed in terms of its significance for formal education. Rather than using psychoanalytic concepts as the basis for preventative mental health programs, these concepts are used in order to highlight the important function of education in the child's development of promoting a more successful adaptation to reality. The development of reality testing is discussed in terms of the psychological processes which are involved such as memory, judgment, anticipation, and postponement. Observations at a psychiatric school are used to illustrate the role of the classroom, including both the teacher and the curriculum, in supporting the development of reality testing.
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