Freud's five psychosexual stages of development describe how personality

forms during childhood. According to Freud, experiences at each stage shape

adult personality, and unresolved conflicts can influence behavior later in life.

Each stage centers on a conflict between instinctual drives and societal

expectations. Freud believed that libidinal energy, the driving force behind
behavior, focuses on a different region of the body at each stage and
influences psychological development.

FREUD'S 5 STAGES

Freud believed that personality developed through a series of childhood stages

in which the id's pleasure-seeking energies become focused on certain
erogenous areas. An erogenous zone is a region of the body that is particularly
sensitive to stimulation.

During the five psychosexual stages, the erogenous zone associated with each
stage serves as a source of pleasure.1

The oral stage (from birth to 1)

The anal stage (from 1 to 3)

The phallic stage (from 3 to 6)

The latent period (from 6 to puberty)

The genital stage (puberty to death)

Psychosexual energy, or the libido, was described as the driving force behind
behavior.

Psychoanalytic theory suggests that personality is mostly established by the

age of five. Early experiences play a large role in personality development and
continue to influence behavior later in life.

Psychosexual Conflicts

Each stage of development is marked by conflicts that can help build growth or
stifle development, depending upon how they are resolved. If these
psychosexual stages are completed successfully, a healthy personality is the
result.
If certain issues are not resolved at the appropriate stage, fixations can occur.
A fixation is a persistent focus on an earlier psychosexual stage.2

Until this conflict is resolved, the individual will remain "stuck" in this stage. A
person who is fixated at the oral stage, for example, may be over-dependent
on others and may seek oral stimulation through smoking, drinking, or eating.

THE ORAL STAGE (BIRTH TO 1 YEAR)

Age Range: Birth to 1 Year

Erogenous Zone: Mouth

During the oral stage, the infant's primary means of interaction is through the
mouth:

The rooting and sucking reflexes are especially important.

The mouth is vital for eating, and the infant derives pleasure from oral
stimulation through gratifying activities such as tasting and sucking.3

Because the infant is entirely dependent upon caretakers (who are responsible
for feeding the child), the child also develops a sense of trust and comfort
through this oral stimulation.

The primary conflict at this stage is the weaning process; the child must
become less dependent upon caretakers. If fixation occurs at this stage, Freud
believed the individual would have issues with dependency or aggression. Oral
fixation can result in problems with drinking, eating, smoking, or nail-biting.

THE ANAL STAGE (AGES 1-3)

Age Range: 1 to 3 years

Erogenous Zone: Bowel and Bladder Control

During the anal stage, Freud believed that the primary focus of the libido was
on controlling bladder and bowel movements.

The major conflict at this stage is toilet training—the child has to learn to
control their bodily needs.

Developing this control leads to a sense of accomplishment and independence.

According to Freud, success at this stage depends on how parents approach
toilet training. Parents who praise and reward children for using the toilet at
the appropriate time encourage positive outcomes and help children feel
capable and productive.

Freud believed that positive experiences during the toilet training stage serve
as the basis for people to become competent, productive, and creative adults.

However, not all parents provide the support and encouragement that children
need during this stage. Some parents punish, ridicule, or shame a child for
accidents.

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.4

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.

THE PHALLIC STAGE (AGES 3-6)

Age Range: 3 to 6 Years

Erogenous Zone: Genitals

Freud suggested that during the phallic stage, the primary focus of the libido is
on the genitals. At this age, children also begin to discover the differences
between males and females.

Freud also believed that boys begin to view their fathers as a rival for the
mother’s affection.

The Oedipus complex refers to feelings of wanting to possess the mother and
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.5
The 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.

THE LATENT PERIOD (MIDDLE CHILDHOOD)

Age Range: 6 to Puberty

Erogenous Zone: Sexual Feelings Are Inactive

During this stage, the superego continues to develop while the id's energies
are suppressed. Children develop:

Social skills

Values

Relationships with peers and adults outside of the family

The development of the ego and superego contributes to this period of calm.
The stage begins around the time when children enter school and become
more focused on peer relationships, hobbies, and other interests.

The latent period is a time of exploration in which the sexual energy

is repressed or dormant. This energy remains, but it is channeled into other
domains, such as intellectual pursuits and social interactions. This stage is
important in the development of social and communication skills and self-
confidence.

As with the other psychosexual stages, Freud believed that it was possible for
children to become fixated or "stuck" in this phase. Fixation at this stage can
result in immaturity and an inability to form fulfilling relationships as an adult.
THE GENITAL STAGE (ADOLESCENCE TO ADULTHOOD)

Age Range: Puberty to Death

Erogenous Zone: Maturing Sexual Interests

The onset of puberty causes the libido to become active once again. During the
final stage of psychosexual development, the individual develops a strong
sexual interest in the opposite sex.3 This stage begins during puberty but lasts
throughout the rest of a person's life.

Where in earlier stages, the focus was solely on individual needs, interest in
the welfare of others grows during this stage. The goal of this stage is to
establish a balance between the various life areas.

If the other stages have been completed successfully, the individual should
now be well-balanced, warm, and caring.

Unlike many of the earlier stages of development, Freud believed that the ego
and superego were fully formed and functioning at this point. Younger children
are ruled by the id, which demands immediate satisfaction of the most basic
needs and wants.

Teens in the genital stage of development are able to balance their most basic
urges against the need to conform to the demands of reality and social norms