Assumption 1- Influences of childhood experiences

Question 1

What did Freud believe about childhood experiences?

Answer 1

-Events in our childhood have influence on our adult
lives. Traumatic events that occur in childhood can
remain in the unconscious and cause problems as
adults.
-Relationship between a parents and child is important as
we use childhood relationships as a template for adult
relationships. For example, a poor relationship with your
mother may lead to problems getting on with women
later on in life

Question 2

What are the five psychosexual stages and what ages do they occur?

Answer 2

Oral stage      0-1 year
Anal stage      1-3 years
Phalic stage    3-5 years
Latency            5-12 years
Genital stage   12 years +

Question 3

What is the erogenous area and the healthy resolution of the stage in the oral stage?

Answer 3

Erogenous area- Mouth: Satisfaction gained from putting things in the mouth so feeding is very important

Healthy resolution- Trusting, able to give and receive affection from healthy relationships

Question 4

What is the erogenous area and the healthy resolution of the stage in the anal stage?

Answer 4

Erogenous area- Anus: Pleasure gained from going to the toilet. conflict arises when parent demands child learns to use the potty

Healthy resolution- Can deal with authority figures appropriately

Question 5

What is the erogenous area and the healthy resolution of the stage in the Phallic stage?

Answer 5

Erogenous area- Genitals: Child has unconscious sexual desires for the opposite-sex parent and fears punishment from the same-sex parent for their desires. This causes psychological conflict

Healthy resolution- The values and behaviour of the same-sex parent are internalised to resolve the conflict, leading to the development of morals and gender identity

Question 6

What is the erogenous area and the healthy resolution of the stage during latency?

Answer 6

Erogenous area- This is a period of consolidation and rest. Sexuality lies dormant and the child is busy learning gender roles, social rules and developing self-confidence

Healthy resolution- The individual becomes a well-adjusted adult

Question 7

What is the erogenous area and the healthy resolution of the stage in the genital stage?

Answer 7

Erogenous area- Genitals: The individual becomes interested in the opposite sex

Healthy resolution- The individual becomes a well-adjusted adult

Question 8

What happens during the Oedipus complex?

Answer 8

1. Boy starts to desire his mother and wants to have sex
   with her
2. Boy sees father as a rival for his mother’s attention and
   wishes to kill him
3. He fears that if his father finds out about his feelings
   for his mother he will castrate him
4. The boy is in state of conflict. He resolves it by
   internalising and identifying with his father
5. This leads to the development of the superego. The
   boy substitutes his desire for his mother into the
   desire for other women

Question 9

What happens during the electra complex?

Answer 9

1. The girl begins to develop penis envy. She blames her
   mother for removing her penis
2. She starts to sexually desire her father who has a
   penis
3. To resolve this, the girl identifies with her mother so
   that she can have her father
4. The superego develops, as does gender identity. She
   replaces penis envy with desire for a baby
5. The girl sees her mother as a sexual rival for her father

According to Freud penis envy is not as fearful as castration anxiety and so has a weaker superego. Females also never fully resolve their Electra complex, and so are not as moral as boys