FREUD’S PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES OF

DEVELOPMENT

*Psychological development in childhood takes place in a series

of fix psychosexual stages.
*Each stage represent the fixation of libido on a different area of
the body.
*Each stage is associated with a particular conflict that must be
resolved before the individual can successfully advance to the
next stage.
Oral stage (0-18 months)
 Focus: pleasure centres on the mouth sucking, biting, chewing, swallowing.

 Primary conflict: wearing

Anal stage (18-36 months)

 Focus: pleasure focuses on bowl

and bladder elimination coping
with demands for control
 Primary conflict: toilet training

Development of the ego.

Phallic Stage (3-6 years)

 Focus: pleasure zone is the

genitals development of the
superego.
 Primary conflict: coping
with incestuous sexual
feelings.
 Oedipus complex
 Boys begin to have unconscious sexual desire for their mother.

 They want to get rid of the father who is seen as a rival.

 They fear their father knows their plan and develop constration anxiety.

 Eventually they brepree these feelings and identify with their father.

 They will go on to find a women who can satisfy their needs later in life.
 Electra complex
 Girl desire her father.

 Realizes she does not have a penis and develop penis envy.

 Blames mother for her castrated state.

 Eventually she represses these feelings and identifies with her

mother.

 She will go on to find a man who can satisfy her needs later in
life.
Latency stage (6 years- puberty)

 Focus: dormant sexual

feelings
 Sexual energy is
sublimated towards other
interests
Genital Stage (puberty-death)

Focus: maturation of sexual

interest
 Healthy heterosexual

relationships
 FIXATION
• Frustration- needs of the
individual weren’t adequately met
a particular stage.
• Overindulgence- needs were too
well satisfied, causing individual to
be reluctant to leave a particular
stage
• Fixation- persistent focus on an
earlier psychosexual stage due to
unresolved conflict in that stage.
 Oral Forceful feeding ORAL PASSIVE- trusting, dependency
Underfed ORAL AGGRESSIVE- aggressive, dominating
Overfed
Anal Toilet training ANAL RELENTIVE- tidiness, obsessiveness, mean,
stubborn
Too Harsh ANAL EXPULSIVE- Untidiness, generosity
Too lax
Phallic Abnormal family set-up leading anxiety Vanity, self obsession, to
unusual relationship with mother/father. inadequacy, inferiority, envy

Genital Settling down in a loving one to Well adjusted, mature, able to love
one relationship with one another. and be loved.