Psychosexual Theory/Psycho-Analytic Theory

• Sigmund Freud - the most popular psychologist that studies the development of personality, also probably the most controversial.
• Psychosexual Stages - each stages represent the fixation of libido on different area of the body
• Libido - translated as sexual drives or instincts; an obsessive interest

  in or feeling about someone or something.
• Oral Stage (Birth to 18 months) - the child is focused on mouth pleasures (sucking)
• The erogenous zone during the oral stage is the mouth.
• Activities of the baby during oral stage: sucking, biting, and breastfeeding
• Oral personalities as a result to oral stimulation: smokers, nail-biters, finger-chewers, and thumb suckers.
• Types of Oral Stage

  • Oral Receptive - a stronger tendency to smoke, drink alcohol, and overeat
  • Oral Aggressive - the tendency to bite his/her nails or use curse words or even gossip
• Anal Stage (18 months - 3 years old) - the child finds satisfaction in eliminating and retaining feces
• The erogenous zone of the anal stage is the anus.
• Types of Anal Stage

  • Anal Retentive - an obsession with cleanliness, perfection, and control
  • Anal Explusive - the person becomes messy and disorganized
• Phalic Stage (3-6 years old) - the child becomes aware of anatomical sex differences, which sets in motion the conflict between erotic attraction, resentment, rivalry, jealousy, and fear
• The erogenous zone of the phalic stage is the genitals.
• Types of Phalic Stage

  • Oedipus Complex - boys develop unconscious sexual desire for their mother
  • Electra Complex - girls develop unconscious sexual desire for their father
• Latency Stage (Age 6 to Puberty) - children's focus is the acquisition of physical and academic skills
• The erogenous zone of the latency stage is on physical/academic skills.
• Genital Stage (puberty onwards) - the fifth stage of psychosexual development begins at the start of puberty when sexual urges are once again awakened
• Three Components of Personality

  • Id principle
  • Ego principle
  • Superego principle
• Id principle

  - the pleasure principle; immediate gratification; pursue what you feel with no consideration
• Ego principle

  - the reality principle; is aware that others have also needs to be met

  - "balance"
• Superego Principle

  - embodies a person's moral aspect; likened conscience which considers right or wrong
• Topographical Model

  - Unconscious

  - Conscious

  - Subconscious (Preconscious)
• Unconscious - thoughts, feelings and memories, dreams that are hidden from conscious awareness
• Conscious - the part of the mind that is aware of the environment and the self, which comprises a very small part of who we are
• Preconscious - not in the conscious awareness, and are like memories stoed that can be easily access; part of us that we can reach if prompted, but is not in our active conscious