Sigmund Freud’s Stages of Psychosexual Development

The Basis of Freud’s Theory Freud believed that all Children are born with powerful sexual urges . In learning to control these urges they learn right from wrong and acquire socialization skills.

Freud believed that in each stage the child learned to overcome the conflict of getting what they want or being denied and thus learned socialization.

Freud believed that most people would successfully meet the challenge of each stage and move to the next. He also believed that some people did not successfully meet the challenges of a stage and became fixated or obsessed with that stage and thus their developmen was hindered.

Stage One- The Oral Stage Birth- 18 months Freud believed that People in this stages satisfied their sexual urges through sucking, biting and swallowing. Being weaned from breast feeding was the first challenge they would face in which they did not get what they wanted.

The Oral Stage Freud believed how you dealt with this challenge would influence your personality. Those who dealt with this stage successfully would move into stage 2.

Those who did not deal with this challenge successfully would retain an oral fixation.

They would exhibit one of the following personalities: Oral Receptive- Pre-occupied with eating, drinking, smoking, biting nails. Oral receptive people are generally passive. Oral Aggressive- These people are hostile and verbally abusive to others.

Stage Two- The Anal Stage 18 months to three years According to Freud A child in the Anal Stage satisfies its sexual desires through its toileting habits. When the child is free to use the bathroom when and how it wants it is most satisfied. The conflict in this stage is the restriction on its toliet habit presented by toilet training.

Consequences of the Anal Stage A child who accepts the challenge of toilet training learns an important socialization skill and moves to the next stage. A child which does not deal with the conflict present by toilet training will develop one of the following personalities:

Anal Retentive – Anal retentive people will always seek order and tidiness. These people are perfectionists. Anal Expulsive- Anal expulsive people are messy, and careless. They usually do not show a great deal of self-control.

Stage Three-The Phallic Stage 3 to 5 years old According to Freud children in this stage discover their genitals. They are taught that it is not socially acceptable to expose yourself. This is the conflict of this Phallic Stage.

The Phallic Stage During the Phallic stage boys will identify with the values of their Father and girls will do the same with their mother. Children in the Phallic stage will become aware of the differences between the genders.

The Phallic Stage Children in this stage will begin to see their same sex parent as a rival for the affections of their opposite sex parent. For Boys this phenomenon is known as the Oedipus Complex for girls it is known as the Electra Complex.

Stage 4 The Latency Stage Age 6 to Puberty In the Latent Stage Freud says that children put aside their sexual desires to pursue learning. This setting aside of sexual desires is known as sublimination. There is no conflict and no socialization task in this stage.

Stage 5 The Genital Stage Puberty- Adulthood During the Genital stage we become mature and receive as much satisfaction from providing pleasure as we do from receiving. Freud says that we all reach this stage by adolescence.