Distinguish between the psychosexual stages that occur during childhood, according to Freudian theory. Explain what happens during each stage, when the stage occurs, and behaviors that may occur if a child becomes fixated during that stage.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The oral stage occurs between 0 and 18 months. During this stage, the sexual energy is focused on the mouth, and infants experience pleasure through sucking, eating, and biting. If someone were to become fixated in this stage, they might take on bad habits associated with oral stimulation, like smoking or chewing their nails. The anal stage occurs between 18 and 36 months. Children at this age experience pleasure from learning to hold in and release the bowels-to purposefully control a bodily function. A person fixated at this stage might demonstrate a need to control everything in their environment. The phallic stage occurs between three and six years of age. Children become interested in their own genitals as the principal source of pleasure. They also become interested in the bodies of others in their environment. They are sexually attracted to the opposite-sex parent and, through the process of resolving this conflict, develop their male and female identities. Fixation at this stage may lead to excessive masturbation or a focus on pleasuring oneself. The latency stage occurs from six to twelve years of age. During the latency period, sexual energy is repressed or "on hold" while social interactions take center stage. A fixation at this stage may lead to an overemphasis on having many relationships, with most not being very meaningful. The final stage is the genital stage, and it occurs at age 13 and over. This stage begins in puberty. As adolescents mature, they become more interested in seeking sexual pleasure through interactions with a partner. Fixation at this stage may lead to promiscuity.