Stages of Psychosexual Development

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 2

Stages of Psychosexual Development

According to Sigmund Freud1, personality develops through a series of stages in which the the
energies of the id are focused on certain erogenous areas. This psychosexual energy, or libido, was
described as the driving force behind behavior. The summary chart below offers a brief overview of
these stages of psychosexual development2, the approximate age levels for each stage and the
primary conflict confronted at each stage.

Stage Age Characteristics

Oral Birth An infant's primary interaction with the world is


Stage3 to 1 through the mouth. The mouth is vital for eating,
year and the infant derives pleasure from oral
stimulation through gratifying activities such as
tasting and sucking. If this need is not met, the
child may develop an oral fixation later in life,
examples of which include thumb-sucking,
smoking, fingernail biting and overeating.

Anal 1 to 3 Freud believed that the primary focus of the libido


Stage4 years was on controlling bladder and bowel movements.
Toilet training is a primary issue with children and
parents. Too much pressure can result in an
excessive need for order or cleanliness later in life,
while too little pressure from parents can lead to
messy or destructive behavior later in life.

Phallic 3 to 6 Freud suggested that the primary focus of the id's


Stage5 years energy is on the genitals. According to Freud,
boy's experience an Oedipal Complex and girl's
experience and Electra Complex, or an attraction
to the opposite sex parent. To cope with this
conflict, children adopt the values and
characteristics of the same-sex parent, thus
forming the superego.

Latent 6 to During this stage, the superego continues to


Stage6 11 develop while the id's energies are suppressed.
years Children develop social skills, values and
relationships with peers and adults outside of the
family.

Genital 11 to The onset of puberty causes the libido to become


Stage7 18 active once again. During this stage, people
years develop a strong interest in the opposite. If
development has been successful to this point, the
individual will continue to develop into a well-
balanced person.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy