Internalization

Internalization (or internalisation) has different definitions depending on the field that the term is used in. Internalization is the opposite of externalization. Generally, internalization is the process of consolidating and embedding one’s own beliefs, attitudes, and values when it comes to moral behavior. The accomplishment of this may involve the deliberate use of psychoanalytical or behavioral methods.

Internalization of norms might take place following religious conversion, or in the process of the more general, moral conversion of the person. Internalization is also often associated with learning (for example, learning ideas or skills) and making use of it from then on. The notion of internalization therefore also finds currency in applications in education, learning, and training, and in business and management thinking.