Freud's Psychosexual Development

Oral stage

Oral stage

• Age: 0-1

• Focus of LIBIDO: Mouth

• Development: Feeding

• Adult fixation (is fixation when young happens/doesn’t properly resolve conflict):

  • smoker

  • biting nails

  • over eats

Anal stage

• Age: 1-3

• Focus of LIBIDO: Anus

• Development: Toilet training

• Adult fixation (is fixation when young happens/doesn’t properly resolve conflict):

  • If anal-retentive (harsh potty training)→hates mess, usually on time, and very respective

  • If anal-expulsive (likes expelling feces)→more messy, disorganized, and careless

Phallic stage

• Age: 3-6

• Focus of LIBIDO: Genitals

• Development: Oedipus (M) or Electra (F)

  • oedipus→son has crush on mother and sees father as a rival, so he imitates father’s masculine behavior

  • electra→daughter has crush on her father and wants a penis (b/c it’s the best sex organ and she thinks mom cut off her penis), shuns mom, then girl goes on to identify with mom’s fears of lack of love and not being able to have children

• Adult fixation (is fixation when young happens/doesn’t properly resolve conflict):

  • sexual dysfunction

Latent stage

• Age: 6-12

• Focus of LIBIDO: N/A

• Development: Relations with peers, Social skills, Learning

• Adult fixation (is fixation when young happens/doesn’t properly resolve conflict): N/A

Genital stage

• Age: 12+

• Focus of LIBIDO: Genitals

• Development: Sexual maturity

• Adult fixation: Mentally healthy

  • strong attraction to opposite sex, less selfish and more caring with others

  • if reached this stage without any fixation in previous stages, the child is healthy/will be healthy

Freud believed life was built around ____ and ____.

tension; pleasure

The buildup of this tension could cause ____.

conflict

The reason tension builds up is due to this concept called ____, which is a natural sexual ____ source that feeds the energy of our ____.

libido; energy; mind

When this libido energy is stuck or ____ it can have a lifelong effect into adulthood.

fixated

Freud’s focus

[Childhood] personality development

Each stage is focused on a concept that needs to be ____ in order for a person to ____ stage.

resolved; successfully

Freud believed that the FIRST __ years of life were crucial for forming one’s ____.

5; adult personality

It is important to understand that ____ and ____ are centered around different stages of growth = psychosexual development!

libido; fixation