Sigmund Freud’s Psychosexual Theory
In Sigmund Freud’s Psychosexual Theory, he proposed that the behavior and
development of a person are influenced by the interaction between the conscious
and unconscious aspects of that person’s mind.
There are three components of the psychic apparatus function on different levels of
consciousness, and they interact with each other to generate behavior.
Id – The Pleasure Principle
The Id is present at birth and represents everything that we inherit from our parents.
It comprises our needs that require constant fulfillment and operates on the pleasure
principle, as well as the need for immediate gratification, without regard for
consequences or realities.
Ego – The Reality Principle
The Ego develops as a result of our attempts to satisfy our needs through
interactions with our physical and social environment. In other words, it arises from
the Id. The Ego attempts to fulfill the Id’s desire by serving as a negotiator that
strives for a compromise between what the Id wants and what the outside world can
grant it.
The Ego is also a decision-maker that operates on the reality principle, evaluating
conditions of the real world which may or may not satisfy the Id’s demands and
seeking acceptable methods of fulfilling the Id’s wishes.
Superego – The Morality Principle
The Superego arises from the Ego and develops as an internal representation of the
moral values of the environment. The Superego judges what we should morally do or
not do, and guides us about the shoulds and should nots of our lives. It rewards us
with pride and positive feelings upon doing good, and punishes us with feelings of
guilt, shame or fear for not abiding by values that we have set for ourselves.
*** According to Sigmund Freud’s Psychosexual Theory, children develop as a
consequence of the ways through which the Ego negotiates a compromise among:
the Id and the Id’s insistence on immediate gratification of wishes,
the environment which imposes limits on the conditions under which wishes can be
fulfilled and
the Superego, which puts pressure on the individual to abide by a set of moral values.
Freud believed that the unconscious aspect of our mind is a receptacle of ideas. We
are not aware of this aspect of our mind, but it influences our behavior in equally
powerful ways much as our conscious mind does. As such, one of the most significant
contributions of Freud to the understanding of human behavior is enlightening us
about the unparalleled role of the unconscious in directing and motivating our
behavior.
The Freud psychosexual stages contain activities that revolve around a certain
erogenous zone of an individual. By successfully moving from one Freud
psychosexual stage to the next, the individual will develop a healthy personality. The
fixation psychology definition relates to having attachments to people or things that
persist from childhood to adulthood. Freud believed that persistent fixations were
due to unresolved issues in previous psychological stages of personality
development. In other words, we can become obsessed and fixated on things
because we get stuck somewhere in our growth and development.
FIXATION – strong attachment to a person or thing that is formed in childhood,
manifested in immature behavior that persists; obsessive preoccupation; represents
fixation of libido or instincts; body as a source of frustration or pleasure
The Freud Psychosexual Stages of Development
Oral Stage (0 – 1 year old)
A child derives pleasure from oral activities, such as sucking and tasting. Successful
fulfillment of the child’s feeding needs and proper weaning may result in the
establishment of trust. Too much or too little gratification can bring about an oral
fixation for the adult individual. This is represented by a preoccupation with oral
activities such as drinking alcohol, smoking, over eating, or nail biting.
Anal Stage (2 – 3 years old)
The main source of gratification at this stage is the ability to control bladder
movement and the elimination or retention of feces. A positive and appropriate
experience revolving around potty training can encourage competence, creativity
and productivity in individuals. Contrarily, anal fixations can translate into obsession
with perfection, extreme cleanliness, and control or the opposite which is messiness
and disorganization in adulthood.
Phallic Stage (3 – 6 years old)
At this Freud psychosexual stage, the focus of pleasure is the genitals. Boys start to
perceive their father as rivals for their mother’s affections, while girls feel similarly
towards their mother. Fear of punishment can lead to repression of feelings felt
toward the opposite sex parent. Fixation at this stage may bring about sexual
deviancy or weak sexual identity.
Latency Period (6 – 12 years old)
At this stage, sexual urges are usually repressed and the individual spends most of
his/her time interacting with same sex peers, engaging in hobbies and acquiring skills.
Genital Stage (12 – 18 years old)
The focus at this Freud psychosexual stage is on the sexual urges that are
reawakened and are directed toward opposite sex peers, with genitals as the primary
source of pleasure. Individuals who completed the earlier stages successfully become
well-adjusted, caring and secure individuals.
*** One importance of Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual theory is the emphasis on
early experiences in the development of personality and as an influence on later
behavior. The relationships that children cultivate, their views about themselves and
others, and their level of adjustment and well-being as adults are all influenced by the
quality of experiences that they have had in each psychosexual stage.
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