Freuds Stages of Psychosexual Development STEVEN SHELBY ADAM

Freud’s Stages of Psychosexual Development STEVEN / SHELBY / ADAM / ABBY 8 TH PERIOD - AP PSYCHOLOGY Freud in 1921

An Overview �The Psychosexual Stages �Define how human personality develops from our birth up to and including early adulthood. �Freud believed that children experience unconscious sexual fixations as they grow older. �These sexual urges change drastically after each stage. �Oral / Anal / Phallic / Latency / Genital �Without a proper resolution following each stage, we may experience faults in our future personalities.

The Oral Stage (0 - 1 and ½) �In this stage, the mouth is the infant’s primary erogenous zone, meaning that the oral cavity is where libidal energy is most focused. �Gains pleasure through sucking and eating; the child ultimately develops a sense of comfort through oral stimulation. �However, the child eventually must become less dependent on caretakers as it grows. �In theory, an infant who is neglected (under-fed) or overprotected (over-fed) may become orally fixated with the onset of adulthood.

The Oral Stage (continued) �Fixation in this stage may result in issues with dependency and aggression. �Moreover, this fixation can lead to issues with eating, drinking, smoking, and even obsessive habits like nail-biting. �If the child is not able to successfully resolve his or her sexual urges in the oral stage, then the child will not be able to move on to the next stage of psychosexual development, the Anal Stage.

The Anal Stage (1 and ½ - 3) �The anal stage begins near the age of one, when the child is just beginning to toilet train. �The erogenous zone shifts from the oral cavity to the anal region with the realization that going to the bathroom is a pleasurable event. �Freud believed that the unconscious mind was going through a conflict during this time. �The “id” of our unconscious represents the part of our being that finds pleasure in expelling feces, while the “ego” and “superego” signify culture’s pressure to resist succumbing to bodily functions.

The Anal Stage (continued) �Reoccurring theme: self-control �Two things can go wrong in this stage- too much control or too little control. Both lead to anal fixation. �If parents exhibit either of these extremes during toilet training, then a child may grow up to be anally expulsive or anally retentive. �“Anally expulsive” – limited levels of self-control, defiance, hostility, are disorganized / scatterbrained �“Anally retentive” – Rigid, obsessively organized, and overly subservient to authority. �After moving past the Anal Stage, the child will transition into the Phallic Stage.

The Phallic Stage (3 -6) � The most intricate of the five stages; Oedipus the King, solving the Riddle of the Sphinx erogenous zone shifts from the anus to the genitals. � Freud developed his theory from the male perspective (thus, “phallic” = “penis”) � Males have the potential to develop an Oedipal Complex, while females can develop an Electra Complex. � Oedipus Complex: Males are sexually intrigued by their mothers and jealous of their father’s intrusion. � Castration anxiety may develop as the boy understands that his mother does not have a penis; the child will repress his love for his mother and attempt to become like his father, thus developing a “superego”.

The Phallic Stage (continued) �Electra Complex: Girls begin to become attracted to their fathers, and fall into a “penis envy” period (in contrast to castration anxiety). �Failure to resolve either of the complexes can lead to fixation in this stage. �Phallic character: recklessness, resoluteness, selfassuredness, and narcissism. �Unresolved incestuous complexes can lead to a difficulty in dealing with authority figures and a tendency to have trouble with loving relationships.

The Phallic Stage (continued) �Some believe that children who develop in single- parent or abusive households never move past the Phallic Stage, leading to “daddy issues”, etc. �Freud also believed that fixation in this stage sometimes resulted in homosexuality due to the child’s inability to identify properly with a rival parent (gender identity problems). �If the Phallic Stage is resolved properly by the ego, the child will then move into the Latency Stage, which is the most peaceful interval in a person’s psychosexual development.

The Latency Stage (8 -13/Puberty) �Not necessarily a stage in psychosexual development; is more of transitioning period between the Phallic and Genital Stages. �Sexual drive is dormant during this time �Children in this stage repress their sexual desires to focus on areas like academics and athletics, etc. �Same-sex friendships develop during this time as well (not to be confused with homosexual relationships) �The Latency Stage is vital to a person’s exploration of academic pursuits and subjects that are not sexually oriented; however, this perspective soon changes radically.

The Genital Stage (From Puberty-? ) � Following the Latency Stage, the child’s sexual urges are aroused once more; this time, the erogenous zone shifts to the genitals. � This stage is inversely related to the other psychosexual stages, meaning that less exposure in the other stages will results in higher levels of sexual expression in the Genital Stage. � For example, if a child were to focus on the Phallic Stage, then he would establish Oedipal defense mechanisms and would not move into the Latency Stage properly (and then on to the Genital Stage). � Improper transitioning into the Genital stage may result in failure to form heterosexual relationships in the future.

Conclusion �According to Freud, proper movement through each of the five psychosexual stages shouldn’t result in any consequences. �However, conflicts in specific psychosexual stages can impact the life of an individual drastically. �Furthermore, the shifting of the erogenous zones from stage to stage represents a child’s maturation and development. �Freud thought that these stages symbolized our desires and conflicts within our unconscious minds. �However, not many psychologists still recognize his work (including these stages) as valid because of a lack of any evidence or proper research.