Theory of Infantile Sexuality/Theory of Psychosexual Development
According to Freud's theory, sexuality isn't confined to physically mature adults, but is evident from birth. However different parts of the body are particularly sensitive at different times during childhood.
Sample • Little Hans (Herbert Graf ) was five years old at the time of this study. • Historical evidence starting from when Little Hans was three years old is used by Freud to support his theory of psychosexual development and the Oedipus complex
Research method
Longitudinal case study
Gathers detailed data of either a single individual or a very small group of individuals, an institution or an event
Documents developments in Hans' fears from when he was three years old until he was five
1. Hans started to show a lively interest in his 'widdler' and the presence/absence of this organ in others
2. Hans had a tendency to masturbate, bringing threats from his mother to send for Dr A. to cut it off
3. When Hans was three and a half, he gained a baby sister, Hanna, whom he resented and subsequently, subconsciously, wished his mother would drop in the bath so she would drown
4. Hans developed a fear of being bitten by white horses, linked to overhearing a father say "Don't put your finger to the white horse or it will bite you" and seeing a horse that was pulling a carriage fall down and kick about with its legs
5. Hans' fear was then generalised to carts and buses
6. Both before and after the development of the phobias (of the bath and horses), Hans was both anxious his mother would go away and prone to fantasies and daydreams, including the giraffe fantasy, two plumber fantasies, and the parenting fantasy
7. Having received 'help' from his father and Freud, after the parenting fantasy, both the 'illness' and analysis came to an end