Psychosexual stages

• Freud believed that children are born with a libido - a sexual (pleasure) urge
• There are a number of stages of childhood during which the child seeks pleasure from a different object
• To be psychologically healthy we must successfully complete each stage
• Mental abnormality can occur if a stage is not completed successfully - the person becomes ‘ fixated ‘
• What is the age range for the oral stage of development according to Freud?

  Birth to 18 months
• What is the main focus of pleasure during the oral stage?

  The mouth
• What activities do children enjoy during the oral stage?

  Tasting and sucking
• What demonstrates successful completion of the oral stage?

  Weaning and eating independently
• What could result from failure to complete the oral stage successfully?

  Oral receptive or oral aggressive traits
• What are characteristics of an oral receptive individual?

  Passive, needy, sensitive to rejection, overeats, bites nails
• What are characteristics of an oral aggressive individual?

  Hostile, verbally abusive, and sarcastic
• What is the age range for the anal stage of development according to Freud?

  18 months to 3 years
• What is the main source of pleasure during the anal stage?


  Defecation
• What marks successful completion of the anal stage?

  Potty training
• What could result from failure to complete the anal stage successfully?

  Becoming anally retentive or anally expulsive
• What are characteristics of an anally retentive individual?

  Very tidy, stubborn, likes order and being in control
• What are characteristics of an anally expulsive individual?

  Generous but disorganized, doesn't like to follow rules
• What is the age range for the phallic stage according to Freud?

  Ages 3-5
• What is the main source of pleasure during the phallic stage?

  The child's genitals
• What is the resolution of the Oedipus or Electra complex?

  Successful completion of the phallic stage
• What is the Oedipus complex?


  A boy's desire for his mother and rivalry with his father
• According to Freud, who does a boy identify with to resolve castration anxiety?

  His father
• What does the boy develop as a result of identifying with his father?

  His superego
• What happens when the Oedipus complex is resolved?

  The boy is no longer sexually attracted to his mother
• What is the Electra complex?

  A girl's rivalry with her mother and attraction to her father
• What is "penis envy" in the context of the Electra complex?

  A girl's realization that she does not have a penis like her father
• How does a girl resolve her feelings towards her mother in the Electra complex?

  By identifying with her mother
• What is the latency stage and its age range?

  The latency stage occurs from age 6 to puberty
• What happens to sexual urges during the latency stage?

  They are sublimated into sports and hobbies
• What is the focus of development during the latency stage?

  Developing same-sex friendships
• What is the genital stage and its age range?

  The genital stage occurs from puberty into adulthood
• What is the primary task during the genital stage?

  To develop healthy adult relationships
• What happens if the genital stage has unresolved conflict?

  A person will struggle to form heterosexual relationships