Psychosexual Theory

PSYCHOSEXUAL THEORY
Development of the personality

through stages.
Rejeneil F. Dela Cruz
Psycho-Sexual Theory
Dr. Sigmund Freud

Freud Psycho-Sexual Theory
Freud proposed that there were 5 stages of

development. Freud believed that few
people successfully completed all 5 of the
stages. Instead, he felt that most people
tied up their libido at one of the stages,
which prevented them from using that
energy at a later stage.
Psychosexual Development
 Five stages
 Each stage focuses on a part of the body
for experiencing pleasure.
 How conflicts between sources of pleasure
are resolved determines adult personality.
The Five Stages of Psychosexual
Development
 The Oral Stage (Birth to 18 months)

 The Anal Stage (18 months to 3 years)
 The Phallic Stage (3 to 6 years)
 The Latent Stage (6 years to puberty)
 The Genital Stage (Puberty on)
Oral Stage (0 - 1 1/2 years)
 Pleasure centers around the mouth.

 Chewing, sucking, biting are sources of
pleasure.
Oral Stage (0 - 1 1/2 years)
 Weaned too early or late will

develop personality problems.
 Dependency or rejection of others
 Fixation: smoking, eating,
chewing, talking.
Anal Stage (2 - 3-year-old)
 Pleasure centers around the

anus.
 Eliminative functions are sources
of pleasure.
Anal Stage (2 - 3-year-old)
 Issue is control through Toilet training.

 Child view = Giving the gift
 Dirty vs. Lavish Praise
 Stingy or Overly Generous
 Rigid rules or Irresponsible & Rebellious
Fixation
 Leniency leads to: Anal-expulsive

personality-- messy, wasteful, or
destructive.
 Strictness leads to: Anal-retentive
personality: stringent, orderly, rigid, and
obsessive.
Phallic Stage (3rd to 5th year)
 Pleasure focuses on the genitals.

 Self-manipulation is a source of pleasure.
 Oedipus Complex appears.
Phallic Stage (3rd to 5th year)
 Focus is on the genital areas

 (Boys vs. Girls)
 Oedipal Complex: Parents seen as threats.
 Wide range of psychological disorders
through failure to resolve this conflict,
(unreasonable anxiety, phobias, &
depression)
Definition of the Oedipus Complex
The Oedipus Complex is Freud’s term for the young

child’s development of an intense desire to replace the
same-sex parent and enjoy the affections of the
opposite-sex parent.
Oedipus Complex
 the boy begins to have sexual desires for his mother
 sees his father as a rival for her affections.
 begins to fear that his father is suspicious of his longing
for his mother
 father will punish him for his desires.
 The punishment, the boy fears, will be castration,
which brings us to the second critical
episode for this stage.
Castration anxiety.
 fear of castration make the boy anxious
 leads to the boy thinking that the father hates him
eventually becomes unbearable
 boy renounces his sexual feelings for his mother
and chooses instead to identify with his father
 hopes to someday have a relationship with a
woman (though not his mother) just like dear old
dad has with his mother.
Resolution of the Oedipus Complex
 Children recognize that their same-sex

parent might punish them for their
incestuous wishes.
 To reduce this conflict, the child identifies
with the same-sex parent, striving to be
like him or her.
Electra Complex
 Feelings go round and round for awhile until the point
when the girls renounce their feelings for their fathers
 Identify with their mothers.
 focus changes, for girls, from the mother to the
father, when the girls realize that they don't have
penises, so they develop penis envy.
 coupled with the knowledge that her mother doesn't
have a penis leads to her thinking her mother
unworthy, and becoming attracted to her father, as he
does have a penis.
FIXATION
 If a man finds himself fixated because he

fails to join forces with dad, he’s been
successfully emasculated. He becomes
a failure at life, unable to strive for
achievement because of his disabling guilt
generated from competing with his father
for his mother’s attention.
FIXATION
 With successful resolution of the Electra
complex, a girl finds herself equipped to
deal with her adult sexual and intimate
relationships. She turns her penis envy into
a healthy search for a “fatherly” husband.
 But if she fails, she becomes fixated and
may be overly seductive and flirtatious.
Latency Stage (5th to Puberty)
 Sexual Desires pushed into background.

Latency Stage (5th to Puberty)
 The child represses all interest in sexuality.

 The child develops social and intellectual skills.
 Energy is channeled into emotionally safe
areas.
 The child forgets the highly stressful conflicts
of the phallic stage.
Genital Stage (Puberty +)
 This is a time of sexual reawakening.

 The source of sexual pleasure comes from
someone outside the family.
Genital Stage (Puberty +)
 Libidinal energy returns to the sexual

organs.
 Seek marriage partner, prepare for adult
life.
Fixation
 Due to a parent smothering a child with

too much attention, as an adult the
individual has difficulty in romantic
relationships due to being extremely
“needy.”
FIXATION
 Oral - Due to a parent weaning too early, as an adult the
individual seeks out oral gratification through smoking,
drinking, gum chewing.
 Anal - Due to a parent being too strict with potty training, as
an adult the individual is excessively neat and orderly (known
as “Anal Retentive”).
 Phallic - Due to a parent punishing the child for
masturbating, as an adult the individual seeks out
pornography.
 Genital - Due to a parent smothering a child with too much
attention, as an adult the individual has difficulty in romantic
relationships due to being extremely “needy.”

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What are the 5 stages of psychosexual development according to Freud?

What are the 5 stages of psychosexual development according to Freud?

What conflicts might arise in each stage of development?

What conflicts might arise in each stage of development?

PSYCHOSEXUAL THEORY

Development of the personality

Dr. Sigmund Freud

Freud proposed that there were 5 stages of

 The Oral Stage (Birth to 18 months)

 Pleasure centers around the mouth.

 Weaned too early or late will

 Pleasure centers around the

 Issue is control through Toilet training.

 Leniency leads to: Anal-expulsive

 Pleasure focuses on the genitals.

 Focus is on the genital areas

The Oedipus Complex is Freud’s term for the young

 Children recognize that their same-sex

 If a man finds himself fixated because he

 Sexual Desires pushed into background.

 The child represses all interest in sexuality.

 This is a time of sexual reawakening.

 Libidinal energy returns to the sexual

 Due to a parent smothering a child with

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