FREUD'S STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

Freud is the most popular psychologist who studied personality development and is also
probably the most controversial. His theory of psychosexual development includes five
distinct stages. According to Freud, a person goes through the sequences of these 5 stages
and along the way, there are needs to be met. Whether these needs are met or not.
Determines whether the person will develop a healthy personality or not. The theory is quiet
interesting for many because Freud identified specific erogenous zones for each stage of
development. These are specific “pleasure areas” that became focal points for the particular
stage. If needs are not met along the area, a fixation occurs. As an adult, the person will now
manifest behaviors related to this erogenous zone.

Oral stage ( birth – 18 months). The erogenous zone is the mouth. During the oral stage,
the child is focused on oral pleasures (sucking). Too much or too little satisfaction can lead to
an Oral Fixation or Oral Personality which is shown in an increased focus on oral activities.
This type of personality, maybe oral receptive, that is, have a stronger tendency to smoke,
drink alcohol, overeat, oral aggressive, with a tendency to bite his or her nails or use curse
words or even gossip. As a result, these persons may become too dependent on others, easily
fooled, and lack leadership traits. On the other hand, they may also fight these tendencies
and become pessimistic and aggressive in relating to people.
Anal Stage (18 months to 3 years). The child's focus of pleasure in this stage is the anus.
The child finds satisfaction in eliminating and retaining feces. Through society's expectations.
particularly the parents, the child needs to work on toilet training. Let us remember that
between one year and a half to three years the child's favorite word might be "No!".
Therefore, a struggle might exist in the toilet training process when the child retains feces
when asked to eliminate, or may choose to defecate when asked to hold feces for some
reason. In terms of personality, fixation during this stage can result in being anal retentive, an
obsession with cleanliness. perfection, and control; or anal expulsive where the person may
become messy and disorganized.
Phallic Stage (ages 3 to 6). The pleasure or erogenous zone is the genitals. During the
preschool age, children become interested in what makes boys and girls different.
Preschoolers will sometimes be seen fondling their genitals. Freud's studies led him to believe
that during this stage, boys develop an unconscious sexual desire for their mothers. Boys then
see their father as a rival for her mother’s affection. Boys may fear that their father will
punish them for these feelings, thus, the castration anxiety. These feelings comprise what
Freud called the Oedipus Complex. In Greek Mythology, Oedipus unintentionally killed his
father and married his mother Jocasta.
Psychoanalysts also believed that girls may also have a similar experience, developing
unconscious sexual attraction towards their father. This is what is referred to as the Electra
Complex.
According to Freud, out of fear of castration and due to the strong competition of their father,
boys eventually decide to identify with them rather than fight them. By identifying with their
father, the boys develop masculine characteristics and identify themselves as males and
repress their sexual feelings toward their mother. A fixation at this stage could result in sexual
deviancies (both overindulging and avoidance) and weak or confused sexual identity
according to psychoanalysts.
Latency Stage (age 6 to puberty). It's during this stage that sexual urges remain
repressed. The children's focus is the acquisition of physical and academic skills. Boys usually
relate more with boys and girls with girls during this stage.
Genital Stage (puberty onwards). The fifth stage of psychosexual development begins at
the start of puberty when sexual urges are once again awakened. In the earlier stages,
adolescents focus their sexual urges towards the opposite sex peers, with the pleasure
centered on the genitals.
Freud's Personality Components
Freud described the personality structures as having three components, the id, the ego and
the superego. For each person, the first to emerge is the id, followed by the ego, and the last
to develop is the superego.
While reading about the three components, use the graphic organizer below to put your notes
and questions about them.

Ego

id Super Ego

One’s
Personality

The id. Freud says that, a child is born with the id. The id plays a vital role in one's
personality because as a baby: it works so that the baby's essential needs are met. The id
operates on the pleasure principle. It focuses on immediate gratification or satisfaction of its
needs. So whatever feels good now is what it will pursue with no consideration for the reality,
logicality or practicality of the situation. For example, a baby is hungry. It's id wants food or
milk... so the baby will cry. When the child needs to be changed the id cries. When the child is
uncomfortable, in pain, too hot, to cold, or just wants attention, the id speaks up until his or
her need are met.
Nothing else matters to the id except the satisfaction of its own needs, It is not oriented
towards considering reality nor the needs of others. Just see how babies cry anytime day and
night absolutely no regard of the weather, mommy is tired or daddy is sleeping. When the id
wants something, it wants it now and it wants it fast!
The ego. As the baby turns into a toddler and then into, a preschooler, he/she relates
more with the environment, this ego slowly begins to emerge. The ego operates using the
reality principle. It is aware that others also have needs to be met. It is practical because it
knows that being impulsive or selfish can result to negative consequences later, so it reasons
and considers the best response to situations. As such, it is the deciding agent of the
personality. Although it functions to help the id meet its needs, it always takes into account
the reality of the situation.
The superego. Near the end of the preschool years, or the end of the phallic stage,
the superego develops. The superego embodies a person's moral aspect. This develops from
what the parents, teachers, and other persons who exert influence impart to be good or
moral.
The superego is likened to conscience because it exerts influence on what one
considers right and wrong.
 The Three Components and Personality Adjustment
Freud said that a well-adjusted person is one who has strong ego, who can help satisfy
the needs of the id without going against the superego while maintaining the person's sense
of what is logical, practical and real. Of course, it is not easy for the ego to do all that and
strike a balance. If the id exerts too much power over the ego, the person becomes too
impulsive and pleasure-seeking behavior takes over one's life. On the opposite direction, one
may find the superego so strong that the ego is overpowered. The person becomes so harsh
and judgmental to himself and others' actions. The person's best effort to be good may still
fall short of the superego's expectations.
The ability of a learner to be well-adjusted is largely influenced by how the learner was
brought up. His experiences about how his parents met his needs, the extent to which he was
allowed to do the things he wanted to do, and also how he was taught about right and wrong,
all figures to the type of personality and consequent adjustment that a person will make.
Freud believed that the personality of an individual is formed early during the childhood years.
Topographical Model
The Unconscious. Freud said that most what we go through in our lives, emotions,
beliefs, feelings, and impulses deep within are not available to us at a conscious level. He
believed that most of what influence us is our unconscious. The Oedipus and Electra Complex
mentioned earlier were both buried down into the unconscious, out of our awareness due to
the extreme anxiety they caused. While these complexes are in our unconscious, they still
influence our thinking, feeling and doing in perhaps dramatic ways.
The Conscious. Freud also said that all that we are aware of is stored in our conscious
mind. Our conscious mind only comprises a very small part of who we are so that, in our
everyday life, we are only aware of a very small part of what makes up our personality; most
of what we are is hidden and out of reach.
The Subconscious. The last part is the preconscious subconscious. This is the part of
us that we can reach if prompt but is not in our active conscious it is right below the surface
still “hidden” somewhat unless we search for it. Information as our telephone number, some
childhood memories, or the name bet childhood friend, is stored in the preconscious.
Because the unconscious is huge, and because we are unaware of the very small
conscious at any given time, Freud used analogy of the iceberg to illustrate it. A big part of
the iceberg hidden beneath then water’s surface.
The water, may present all that we are not we are not aware of, have a experienced,
and that has not been made part of our personality referred to as the nonconscious.