False self

in the object relations theory of British psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott (1896–1971), the self that develops as a defense against impingements and in adaptation to the environment. This contrasts with the true self, which develops in an environment that adapts to the infant and allows him or her to discover and express true impulses. source: APA Dictionary

See also:

• Guntrip's concept of the regressed ego in the study of schizoid personality, as "false self build upon a compliance basis"