Sigmund Freud’s

Psychosexual Theory
of Development

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 PICTURE
START
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 Sigmund Freud
(May 6,1856 – September 23, 1939)
-Austrian neurologist
founding father of psychoanalysis.

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 Psychosexual Development
-human beings, from birth, possess
an instinctual libido (sexual energy) that
develops in five stages.

1. oral
2. anal
3. phallic
4. latent
5. genital

Each stage is characterized by the erogenous

zone that is the source of the libidinal drive.

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 Background of Psychosexual Development
• Describes how personality develops during childhood
• Personality is established by the age of five.
• Early experiences play a large role in personality
development.

Healthy personality-results when psychosexual stages

are completed successfully.

Fixation- persistent focuse on an earlier psychosexual

stage
-occurs if certain issues are not resolved at the
appropriate age.

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 Oral Stage (Birth to 1 Year)
Erogenous Zone: Mouth

-rooting and sucking reflex is important.

- gratifying activities such as tasting and sucking.

Primary conflict: the weaning process-the child must

become less dependent upon caretakers.

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 Oral fixation can result in problems
with drinking, eating, smoking, or
nail biting.

• Too much gratification, the child DOES NOT learn that he or

she DOES NOT control the environment, and thereby forming
an immature personality.

• Too little gratification, the infant might become passive upon

learning that gratification is not forthcoming.

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 The Anal Stage (1 to 3 years)
Erogenous Zone: Bowel and Bladder Control

Primary focus of the libido was on

controlling bladder and bowel
movements.

Major conflict: toilet training--the

child has to learn to control his or
her bodily needs.

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

• If parents are too lenient, anal-

expulsive personality could
develop:
messy, wasteful or
destructive personality.

• If parents are too strict or begin

toilet training too early, anal-
retentive personality could
develop: stringent, orderly, rigid
and obsessive.

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 The Phallic Stage (3 to 6 Years)
Erogenous Zone: Genitals

Primary focus of the libido is on the genitals.

Children begin to discover the differences

between males and females.

Oedipus complex- Boys begin to view their

fathers as a rival for their mother’s affections

Electra complex has been used to described a

similar set of feelings experienced by young girls.

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 The Latent Period (6 to Puberty)
Erogenous Zone: Sexual Feelings Are Inactive
• Libido interests are suppressed.

• Begins when children enter into

school,
• sexual energy is directed into
other areas such as intellectual
pursuits and social interactions.
•
• Important in the development of
social and communication skills
and self-confidence.

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 The Genital Stage (Puberty to Death)
Erogenous Zone: Maturing Sexual Interests
• The individual develops a strong sexual
interest in the opposite sex.

• Interest in the welfare of others grows

during this stage.

• If the other stages have been

completed successfully, the individual
should now be well-balanced, warm
and caring.

• GOAL: to establish a balance between

the various life areas.

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 Evaluating Freud’s Psychosexual Stage
Theory

• The theory is focused almost entirely on male

development with little mention of female psychosexual
development.

• His theories are difficult to test scientifically. Concepts

such as the libido are impossible to measure, and
therefore cannot be tested. The research that has been
conducted tends to discredit Freud's theory.

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 Evaluating Freud’s Psychosexual Stage
Theory
• Future predictions are too vague. How can we know that
a current behavior was caused specifically by a childhood
experience? The length of time between the cause and
the effect is too long to assume that there is a relationship
between the two variables.

• Freud's theory is based upon case studies and not

empirical research. Also, Freud based his theory on the
recollections of his adult patients, not on actual
observation and study of children.

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