Introduce:

Good morning everyone, I am Lyka Jasmine R. Pandacan. So to continue the discussion I am going to
discuss the summary of the psychosexual stages according to Freud.

Freud's Psychosexual Stages of Development

How does personality develop? According to the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, children
go through a series of psychosexual stages that lead to the development of the adult personality.  His
theory described how personality developed over the course of childhood.

Freud proposed that personality development in childhood takes place during five
psychosexual stages, which are the oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages. During each stage
sexual energy called (libido) is expressed in different ways and through different parts of the body.

These are called psychosexual stages because each stage represents the fixation of
libido (roughly translated as sexual drives or instincts) on a different area of the body. As a person
grows physically certain areas of their body become important as sources of potential frustration
(erogenous zones), pleasure or both.

While Freud's theory of personality development is well-known in psychology, it has always

been quite controversial, both during Freud's time and in modern psychology.

One important thing to note is that contemporary psychoanalytic theories of personality

development have incorporated and emphasized ideas about internalized relationships and interactions
and the complex ways in which we maintain our sense of self into the models that began with Freud.

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So here is the overview of the Psychosexual Stages

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 Freud believed that personality developed through a series of childhood stages in which the
pleasure-seeking energies of the id become focused on certain erogenous areas. An erogenous zone is
characterized as an area of the body that is particularly sensitive to stimulation.

During the five psychosexual stages, which are the oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital
stages, the erogenous zone associated with each stage serves as a source of pleasure. The
psychosexual energy, or libido, was described as the driving force behind behavior.

Moreover, Psychoanalytic theory suggested that personality is mostly established by the age

of five. Early experiences play a large role in personality development and continue to influence
behavior later in life.

Each stage of development is marked by conflicts that can help build growth or stifle
development, depending upon how they are resolved. If these psychosexual stages are completed
successfully, a healthy personality is the result.

However, if certain issues are not resolved at the appropriate stage, fixations can occur. A
fixation is a persistent focus on an earlier psychosexual stage. Until this conflict is resolved, the
individual will remain "stuck" in this stage. A person who is fixated at the oral stage, for example, may be
over-dependent on others and may seek oral stimulation through smoking, drinking, or eating.

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So now I am going to discuss further the different psychosexual stages according to Freud.

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages

Psychosexual Stage Age Description

Oral Birth to 1 year Infants find pleasure in doing oral activities like sucking,
chewing, and biting; hence, feeding activities are vital. In
effect, infants weaned too early or abruptly may later crave
close contact and become over dependent on a spouse.
Anal 1-3 years Gratification is primarily caused by voluntary urination and
defecation. Thus, toilet-training produces major conflicts
between children and parents. The emotional climate that
parents create can have lasting effects. For example,
children who are punished for toileting accidents may be
messy, topsy-turvy, or wasteful.
Phallic 3-6 years Genital stimulation causes gratification at this stage.
Children develop an incestuous desire for the opposite-sex
parent (Oedipus complex for boys and Electra complex for
girls). Anxiety stemming from this conflict causes children to
internalize the sex-role characteristics and moral standards
of their same-sex parental rival.
Latency 6-11 years Traumas of the phallic stage cause sexual conflicts to be
 repressed and sexual urges to be rechanneled into school
work and vigorous play. The ego and superego continue to
develop as the child gains more problem-solving abilities at
school and internalizes societal values.
Genital 12 years Puberty triggers a reawakening of sexual urges. Adolescents
onward must now learn how to express these urges in socially
acceptable ways. If development has been healthy, the
mature sex instinct is satisfied by marriage and raising
children.

The Oral Stage

Erogenous Zone: Mouth

So in the oral stage the erogenous zone is the mouth. Since infants’ primary way of  interacting
with the world is through their mouth, Freud thought this is where the libido is focused. The infant's
primary source of interaction occurs through the mouth, so the rooting and sucking reflex is especially
important. The mouth is vital for eating, and the infant derives pleasure from oral stimulation through
gratifying activities such as breastfeeding, biting, tasting different foods, and sucking. The oral stage is
about satisfying the id’s needs through the mouth.

Moreover, because the infant is entirely dependent upon their caretakers (who are responsible
for feeding the child), the child also develops a sense of trust and comfort through this oral stimulation.

However, the primary conflict at this stage is the weaning process in which the child must
become less dependent upon caretakers. If fixation occurs at this stage, Freud believed the individual
would have issues with dependency or aggression. Oral fixation can result in problems with drinking,
eating, smoking, or nail-biting.

The Anal Stage

Age Range: 1 to 3 years

Erogenous Zone: Bowel and Bladder Control

During the anal stage, Freud believed that the primary focus of the libido was on controlling
bladder and bowel movements. The major conflict at this stage is toilet training—the child has to learn
to control their bodily needs. Developing this control leads to a sense of accomplishment and
independence.

According to Freud, success at this stage is dependent upon the way in which parents approach
toilet training. Parents who utilize praise and rewards for using the toilet at the appropriate time
encourage positive outcomes and help children feel capable and productive.

Freud believed that positive experiences during the toilet training stage serve as the basis for
people to become competent, productive, and creative adults.
 However, not all parents provide the support and encouragement that children need during this
stage. Some parents punish, ridicule, or shame a child for accidents.

According to Freud, inappropriate parental responses can result in negative outcomes. If parents
take an approach that is too lenient, Freud suggested that an anal-expulsive personality could develop in
which the individual has a messy, wasteful, or destructive personality.

If parents are too strict or begin toilet training too early, Freud believed that an anal-retentive
personality develops in which the individual is stringent, orderly, rigid, and obsessive.

The Phallic Stage

Age Range: 3 to 6 Years

Erogenous Zone: Genitals

Freud suggested that during the phallic stage, the primary focus of the libido is on the genitals.
At this age, children also begin to discover the differences between males and females.

Freud also believed that boys begin to view their fathers as a rival for the mother’s
affections. The Oedipus complex describes these feelings of wanting to possess the mother and the
desire to replace the father. However, the child also fears that he will be punished by the father for
these feelings, a fear Freud termed castration anxiety.

On the other hand, the term Electra complex has been used to describe a similar set of feelings
experienced by young girls. Freud, however, believed that girls instead experience penis envy. Penis
envy is a stage theorized by Sigmund Freud regarding female psychosexual development, in which
young girls experience anxiety upon realization that they do not have a penis. Freud considered this
realization a defining moment in a series of transitions toward a mature female sexuality. However,
Freud also believed that penis envy was never fully resolved and that all women remain somewhat
fixated on this stage.

On the other hand, Psychologists such as Karen Horney disputed this theory, calling it both
inaccurate and demeaning to women. Instead, Horney proposed that men experience feelings of
inferiority because they cannot give birth to children, a concept she referred to as womb envy.

The Latent Period

Age Range: 6 to Puberty

Erogenous Zone: Sexual Feelings Are Inactive

During this stage, the superego continues to develop while the id's energies are suppressed. Children
develop social skills, values and relationships with peers and adults outside of the family.
The development of the ego and superego contribute to this period of calm. The stage begins around
the time that children enter into school and become more concerned with peer relationships, hobbies,
and other interests.

The latent period is a time of exploration in which the sexual energy repressed or dormant. This energy
is still present, but it is sublimated into other areas such as intellectual pursuits and social interactions.
This stage is important in the development of social and communication skills and self-confidence.

As with the other psychosexual stages, Freud believed that it was possible for children to become
fixated or "stuck" in this phase. Fixation at this stage can result in immaturity and an inability to form
fulfilling relationships as an adult.

The Genital Stage

Age Range: Puberty to Death

Erogenous Zone: Maturing Sexual Interests

In Freud’s fifth and final psychosexual stage, he believed that the genital stage starts at the onset of
puberty and continues on into adulthood.

The onset of puberty causes the libido to become active once again. During the final stage of
psychosexual development, the individual develops a strong sexual interest in the opposite sex. This
stage begins during puberty but last throughout the rest of a person's life.

Where in earlier stages the focus was solely on individual needs, interest in the welfare of others grows
during this stage. The goal of this stage is to establish a balance between the various life areas.

If the other stages have been completed successfully, the individual should now be well-balanced,
warm, and caring.

Unlike the many of the earlier stages of development, Freud believed that the ego and superego were
fully formed and functioning at this point. Younger children are ruled by the  id, which demands
immediate satisfaction of the most basic needs and wants.

Teens in the genital stage of development are able to balance their most basic urges against the need to
conform to the demands of reality and social norms.

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The lesson in a capsule

- Sigmund Freud ‘s theory of psychosexual development is based on the idea that parents play a crucial
role in managing their children’s sexual and aggressive drives during the first few years of life to foster
their proper development.

- Erikson also expanded upon Freud’s stages by discussing the cultural implications of development;
certain cultures may need to resolve the stages in different ways based upon their cultural and survival
needs.

So just like Freud, Erikson recognized the importance of the unconscious on development. He also
believed that personality develops in a series of predetermined stages. Unlike Freud’s theory of
psychosexual stages, Erikson’s theory describes the impact of social experience across the whole
lifespan.

- Each stage of psychosexual development must be met successfully for proper development; if we lack
proper nurturing and parenting during a stage, we may become stuck in, or fixated on, that stage.

As discussed earlier, some people do not seem to be able to leave one stage and proceed on to
the next.  One reason for this may be that the needs of the developing individual at any particular stage
may not have been adequately met in which case there is frustration. Or possibly the person's needs
may have been so well satisfied that he/she is reluctant to leave the psychological benefits of a
particular stage in which there is overindulgence. So to prevent being stuck or fixated on a stage it is
important for us to avoid frustration and overindulgence.

Conclusion

While some of the specifics of his psychosexual theory are not supported, Freud’s psychosexual
stages theory has left a profound impact on the study of human development. He understood that
trauma and the way it can be repressed can have a significant impact on individuals in adulthood. His
understanding of how the unconscious functions in our daily lives is perhaps his most enduring legacy.
While his timeline of stages and each stage’s importance are disputed, experts agree that early
childhood experiences play an enduring and crucial role in lifelong personal and social development.

Also, Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual theory is the emphasis on early experiences in the
development of personality and as an influence on later behavior. The relationships that children
cultivate, their views about themselves and others, and their level of adjustment and well-being as
adults are all influenced by the quality of experiences that they have had in each psychosexual stage.
 Overall, Sigmund Freud’s Theory of Psychosexual Development is one of the most complex and
controversial theories of child development. Although his theory has been the subject of much criticism,
we cannot discount the important ideas that Freud has contributed to the field of psychology and
human development.

References:

McLeod, S. A. (2019, July 18).  Psychosexual stages. Simply Psychology.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/psychosexual.html

Fisher, S. & Greenberg, R. P. (1996). Freud scientifically reappraised: Testing the theories and
therapy. New York: Wiley.

Freud, S. (1905). Three essays on the theory of sexuality. Standard Edition 7: 123- 246.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/psychosexual.html

http://journalpsyche.org/tag/stages-of-psychosexual-development/