Story
Purpose: reveal the manifestation of the Oedipus complex. To what extent the child is attached to the parent of the opposite sex and hostile to the parent of the same sex.
The Oedipus complex reaches its highest point between 2,5 and 5 years of age. It manifests itself in the boy’s sexual attraction to his mother and in rivalry with his father in the fight for his mother, and in the case of a girl, exactly the opposite is true.
This task should be carried out taking into account the gender of the child. The best option is if a parent of the opposite sex tells the child a fairy tale.
Option for a boy
“One boy went for a walk in the forest with his mother. They walked for a long time, and they both felt good. When they returned home, they saw that the expression on the father’s face had changed. What facial expression did dad have and why?
Option for a girl
“One girl went for a walk in the forest with her father. They walked for a long time, and they both felt good. When they returned home, they saw that the expression on their mother’s face had changed. What expression did mom have and why?
Typical normal responses
He has a satisfied face because they have returned home;
— He has a tired face because he was at work;
— He had an angry face, because they did not return for a long time, and he began to worry about them;
— He came home from work, but there is no one at home and dinner is not ready;
He is angry because the car broke down and he couldn’t fix it.
Answers to look out for
— He is sick because he is ill;
— He fell ill because they went away and left him alone;
— He is angry, because when they went for a walk, they closed him at home;
— He is angry because he wanted to go take it off, but the boy and his mother did not take him with them;
— He was crying because he thought they would never come back, etc.
Psychologist’s comments
Until the age of three, a boy’s love for his mother is determined by dependence on her. But in the future, his love takes on a romantic character, reminiscent of the feelings that her father has for her. A four-year-old child may, for example, declare that he will definitely marry his mother when he grows up. He is absolutely sure that his mother is the most beautiful and best woman in the world. The desire to undividedly own the object of his love — the mother — and the unwillingness to share it with anyone is adjacent to a feeling of jealousy for the father. The child imagines that his father also feels jealous and irritated towards him, and this creates a mixture of love, jealousy and fear. He tries to repress these thoughts, and perhaps this is the cause of the terrible dreams that often torment boys at this age. The child hates the father as a rival who has secured the right to possess the mother. But at the same time, he loves him and admires him, because he can always count on his help, believes in his power, and more than anything wants to be like him. An insoluble problem arises, which consists in the fact that the feelings of love and admiration in him are caused by the person whom he simultaneously hates and whom he wishes for death.
The positive side of this phenomenon is that strong romantic attachments to the mother help the spiritual development of children, and contribute to the development of a healthy relationship with the opposite sex. On the other hand, due to increased identification with the father, the masculinity of the boy’s character is enhanced.
Tetsy
- The Tales of Dr. Louise Duess: Projective Tests for Children
- Fairy tale-test «Chick»
- Tale-test «Lamb»
- Fairy tale test «Parents’ wedding anniversary»
- Tale-test «Fear»
- Fairy tale test «Elephant»
- Tale-test «News»
- Tale-test «Bad dream»