Psychosexual development is a theory formulated by Sigmund Freud that explained personality development in terms of changes in the biological functioning of the individual. The social experience at each stage presumably leaves its mark in the form of attitudes, personality traits, and values acquired at that stage.
Stages of psychosexual development
The development itself is broken down into five clearly defined phases:
- The oral phase (0 — 1.5 years) is the first stage of childhood sexuality, in which the child’s mouth acts as the primary source of satisfaction in the process of sucking and swallowing.
- The anal phase (1.5 — 3.5 years) is the second stage of childhood sexuality, where the child learns to control his acts of defecation, while experiencing the satisfaction of exercising control over his body. During this period, the child learns to cleanliness and use the toilet, the ability to restrain the urge to defecate. The emergence of problems in the relationship between the child and parents (when, for example, the child refuses to poop in the pot out of principle, and then poops in his pants, feeling satisfaction because he “annoyed” his mother) can lead to the development of the so-called “anal” in the child. character”, which manifests itself in greed, pedantry and perfectionism.
- The phallic phase (3.5 — 6 years) is the third stage of childhood sexuality. At this stage, the child begins to explore his body, examine and touch his genitals; he has an interest in the parent of the opposite sex, identification with the parent of his own sex and instilling a certain gender role. With a problematic passage of the stage, the child may develop an oedipus complex, which in adulthood can lead to identification with the other sex or problems in relationships with partners.
- The latent phase (6-12 years) is the fourth stage of childhood sexuality, characterized by a decrease in sexual interest. Being divorced from the sexual goal, the energy of the libido is transferred to the development of universal human experience, enshrined in science and culture, as well as to the establishment of friendly relations with peers and adults outside the family environment.
- The genital phase is the fifth stage, the final stage of Freud’s psychosexual concept. It is characterized by the fact that at this stage mature sexual relations are formed. Achieved during adolescence.
Freud’s main thesis was that the early sex difference of children is polymorphic, and that a strong propensity for incest develops and the child must use or sublimate this in order to develop healthy adult sexuality. There is no scientific data confirming the obligatory passage of these stages of psychosexual development by children. On the contrary, there is evidence that Freud’s research in this area contains numerous falsifications.