Psychosocial development Flashcards
Oral stage
birth – 1 year. Most of the world is interacted with by the mouth. Issues can occur
during weaning
Anal stage
1-3 years old. Primary focus is controlling the bladder & bowel movements. 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.
Phallic Stage:
3-6 years old. Child starts to discover the differences between male & 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. 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. Eventually, the child begins to identify with the same-sex parent as a means of vicariously possessing the other parent. For girls, however, Freud believed that penis envy was never fully resolved and that all women remain somewhat fixated on this stage.
Latent period
6-12, the latent period is a time of exploration in which the sexual energy is still
present, but it is directed 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.
Genital: 12+
source of satisfaction: Genitals. Outcome – sexuality become focused in mature,
genital love and adult satisfaction
