Psychosexual Stages of Development

(Sigmund Freud)

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF FREUD

Sigmund Freud was the man behind the concept and method of psychoanalysis, which
was a means of delving into a person's inner conflicts that lie within the unconscious mind. This
method is based on the understanding that people's fantasies and dreams say something about
these problems that affect them in their daily lives. Freud also formed several theories that relate
to the ego, libido and sexuality of the child, which are only a few of the other topics he studied
and specialized on during his lifetime. Hence, Freud was regarded as one of the most influential
and controversial personalities of the 20th century.
COMPONENTS OF SELF
• 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.
• These are: id, ego, superego
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.
• It operates on the pleasure 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.
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 ourselve
• 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.
• Freud further stipulated that development is completed through a series of psychosexual
stages that occur in a predetermined sequence. 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. Failure to resolve issues or getting stuck at any of the Freud
psychosexual stages will result in a problematic personality.
The Freud Psychosexual Stages of Development
1. 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.
• Fixations: This is represented by a preoccupation with oral activities such as drinking
alcohol, smoking, over eating, or nail biting.

2. Anal Stage (1-3 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. Hence, toilet training is important at this stage.

3. 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.

The Oedipal complex is a term used by Sigmund Freud in his theory of

psychosexual stages of development, and is the generic term for both Oedipus and Electra
complexes. The Oedipal complex occurs during the Phallic stage of development (ages 3-
6) in which the source of libido (life force) is concentrated in the erogenous zones of the
child's body (Freud, 1905).

Oedipal complex is a psychoanalytic theory proposing that children have

possessive sexual desires for their opposite-sex parent while viewing their same-sex
parent as a rival and that the complex is resolved when children overcome their
incestuous and competitive emotions and begin to view their same-sex parent as a
role model.
1.

• Oedipus Complex (son & mother attraction)

• Electra Complex (daughter & father attraction)

• Pennis envy

Freud said this penis envy grows over time and manifests
in a daughter's love for her father and the desire to give birth to
a son, because those are as close as a woman can get to having
a penis of her own.

Vanessa H. Lopez, a psychoanalyst in private practice in

New York. In the years since Freud introduced his idea of penis
envy, many people have discussed nonliteral interpretations of
the concept. The gist of these is that women may envy the
features that make a man a man because they associate these
with power and status.

However, the strict interpretation of Freud's penis envy

theory has been debunked. "It's in some ways really dated," said
Sarah Wells, a clinical social worker in private practice in the
Denver.

• Castration anxiety is actually a real intense mental experience that a child encounters
for the first time between ages of 3 and 5. This unconscious experience then happens
again and again at different points in your life. It mostly happens at times when your
defense mechanisms activate. Through this mental experience that a child learns to
differentiate between the sexes and has their first encounter with the concept of impossible
desires.

4. Latency Stage

• 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.

5. Genital Stage (Puberty onward)

• 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.
• Without doubt, Sigmund Freud’s Theory of Psychosexual Development is one of the
most complex and controversial theories of child development. Although his theory has
been the subject of much criticism, we cannot discount the important ideas that Freud has
contributed to the field of psychology and human development.

Defense Mechanisms

Sigmund Freud (1894, 1896) noted a number of ego defenses which he refers to throughout his
written works. His daughter Anna (1936) developed these ideas and elaborated on them, adding
ten of her own. Many psychoanalysts have also added further types of ego defenses.

Defense mechanisms are psychological strategies that are unconsciously used to protect a
person from anxiety arising from unacceptable thoughts or feelings.

Why do we need Ego defenses?

We use defense mechanisms to protect ourselves from feelings of anxiety or guilt, which arise
because we feel threatened, or because our id or superego becomes too demanding.
Defense mechanisms operate at an unconscious level and help ward off unpleasant feelings ( i.e.,
anxiety) or make good things feel better for the individual.
Ego-defense mechanisms are natural and normal. When they get out of proportion (i.e., used
with frequency), neuroses develop, such as anxiety states, phobias, obsessions, or hysteria.

Examples of Defense Mechanisms

There are a large number of defense mechanisms; the main ones are summarized below.

Identification with the Aggressor

Identification with the aggressor is a defense mechanism proposed by Sandor Ferenczi and later
developed by Anna Freud.
It involves the victim adopting the behaviour of a person who is more powerful and hostile
towards them.
By internalising the behaviour of the aggressor the 'victim' hopes to avoid abuse, as the aggressor
may begin to feel an emotional connection with the victim which leads to feelings of empathy.
What is an example of identification with the aggressor?

An extreme example of this is the Stockholm Syndrome, where hostages establish an emotional
bond with their captor(s) and take on their behaviours.
Patty Hearst was abused and raped by her captors, yet she joined their Symbionese
Liberation Army and even took part in one of their bank robberies. At her trial, she was
acquitted because she was a victim suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.

Repression

Repression is an unconscious defense mechanism employed by the ego to keep disturbing or

threatening thoughts from becoming conscious.
Thoughts that are often repressed are those that would result in feelings of guilt from the
superego.
This is not a very successful defense in the long term since it involves forcing disturbing wishes,
ideas or memories into the unconscious, where, although hidden, they will create anxiety.
Repressed memories may appear through subconscious means and in altered forms, such as
dreams or slips of the tongue ('Freudian slips').
What is an example of repression?

For example, in the oedipus complex, aggressive thoughts about the same sex parents are
repressed and pushed down into the unconscious.

Projection

Projection is a psychological defense mechanism proposed by Anna Freud in which an

individual attributes unwanted thoughts, feelings and motives onto another person.
What is an example of projection?

Thoughts most commonly projected onto another are the ones that would cause guilt such as
aggressive and sexual fantasies or thoughts.
For instance, you might hate someone, but your superego tells you that such hatred is
unacceptable. You can 'solve' the problem by believing that they hate you.

Displacement

Displacement is the redirection of an impulse (usually aggression) onto a powerless substitute

target. The target can be a person or an object that can serve as a symbolic substitute.

Displacement occurs when the Id wants to do something of which the Super ego does not
permit. The Ego thus finds some other way of releasing the psychic energy of the Id.
Thus there is a transfer of energy from a repressed object-cathexis to a more acceptable object.
object.

What is an example of projection?

Someone who feels uncomfortable with their sexual desire for a real person may
substitute a fetish.

Someone who is frustrated by his or her superiours may go home and kick the dog, beat
up a family member, or engage in cross-burnings.

Sublimation

Sublimation is similar to displacement, but takes place when we manage to displace our
unacceptable emotions into behaviours which are constructive and socially acceptable, rather
than destructive activities.
Sublimation is one of Anna Freud's original defense mechanisms.
What is an example of sublimation?

Many great artists and musicians have had unhappy lives and have used the medium of art of
music to express themselves. Sport is another example of putting our emotions ( e.g.,
aggression) into something constructive.
For example, fixation at the oral stage of development may later lead to seeking oral pleasure as
an adult through sucking one's thumb, pen or cigarette. Also, fixation during the anal stage may
cause a person to sublimate their desire to handle faeces with an enjoyment of pottery.
Sublimation for Freud was the cornerstone of civilized life, as arts and science are all sublimated
sexuality. (NB. this is a value-laden concept, based on the aspirations of a European society at
the end of the 1800 century).

Denial

Denial is a defense mechanism proposed by Anna Freud which involves a refusal to accept
reality, thus blocking external events from awareness.
If a situation is just too much to handle, the person may respond by refusing to perceive it or by
denying that it exist.
As you might imagine, this is a primitive and dangerous defense - no one disregards reality and
gets away with it for long! It can operate by itself or, more commonly, in combination with
other, more subtle mechanisms that support it.
What is an example of denial?

Many people use denial in their everyday lives to avoid dealing with painful feelings or areas of
their life they don’t wish to admit.
For example, a husband may refuse to recognise obvious signs of his wife’s infidelity. A student
may refuse to recognise their obvious lack of preparedness for an exam!

Regression

Regression is a defense mechanism proposed by Anna Freud whereby the the ego reverts to an
earlier stage of development usually in response to stressful situations.
Regression functions as form of retreat, enabling a person to psychologically go back in time to a
period when the person felt safer.
What is an example of regression?

When we are troubled or frightened, our behaviours often become more childish or primitive.
A child may begin to suck their thumb again or wet the bed when they need to spend some time
in the hospital. Teenagers may giggle uncontrollably when introduced into a social situation
involving the opposite sex.
Rationalization

Rationalization is a defense mechanism proposed by Anna Freud involving a cognitive distortion

of "the facts" to make an event or an impulse less threatening. We do it often enough on a fairly
conscious level when we provide ourselves with excuses.
But for many people, with sensitive egos, making excuses comes so easy that they never are truly
aware of it. In other words, many of us are quite prepared to believe our lies.
What is an example of rationalization?

When a person finds a situation difficult to accept, they will make up a logical reason why it
has happened. For example, a person may explain a natural disaster as 'God's will'.

Reaction Formation

Reaction formation is a psychological defense mechanism in which a person goes beyond denial
and behaves in the opposite way to which he or she thinks or feels.
Conscious behaviours are adopted to overcompensate for the anxiety a person feels regarding
their socially unacceptable unconscious thoughts or emotions. Usually, a reaction formation is
marked by exaggerated behaviour, such as showiness and compulsiveness.
By using the reaction formation, the id is satisfied while keeping the ego in ignorance of the true
motives.
Therapists often observe reaction formation in patients who claim to strongly believe in
something and become angry at everyone who disagrees.
What is an example of reaction formation?

Freud claimed that men who are prejudice against homosexuals are making a defense against
their own homosexual feelings by adopting a harsh anti-homosexual attitude which helps
convince them of their heterosexuality.
Another example of reaction formation includes the dutiful daughter who loves her mother is
reacting to her Oedipus hatred of her mother.
Concluding Activity: (Personally Conceptualized)

“Na-Experience Mo rin Ba? Tara, Experience Mo, Share Mo”. I bet you too, has analogous
experience of resorting to Defense Mechanisms? Right? So this activity is called “Experience
Mo, Share Mo”.

Directions: Get a pair and identify a defense mechanism which you are using or have used in
one of thecircumstances you have encountered. Share your experience/s about it to your pair.
Document your output and submit in Schoology.

Reference:
McLeod, S. A. (2019, April 10). Defense mechanisms. Simply
psychology:[Link]