Freud’s Stages of Psychosexual Development

Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, proposed the concept of psychosexual stages of development in 1905. These stages are called psychosexual stages because each of them represents the fixation of libido through different activities and areas of the body. 

During each stage body contains a certain erogenous zone which is the source of libidinal energy. At each stage, certain conflicts need to be resolved with the expenditure of that libidinal energy. While resolving these conflicts individuals learn various characteristics which get psychologically mature along with them. However, some individuals are unable to resolve these conflicts and get fixated at that particular stage. 

Psychosexual stages of development

The Oral Stage

• Age Range: Birth to 1 Year
• Erogenous Zone: Mouth

During the oral stage, oral gratification is the primary source of psychological pleasure for the infant. Here, the mouth is the first erogenous zone of the body. The infants derive pleasure through gratifying activities like sucking, rooting, and tasting. It can be seen very often in infants, they suck almost everything which comes in front of them, from their hands to their favourite toy. And they do it even if they are not fed. Freud explained that this behaviour is beyond physiological and nutritional needs. So, this was the basis to prove it is sexually oriented.

At this stage, the infant is entirely dependent upon their caretakers for their protection and nourishment. So, they also develop a sense of trust through oral stimulation. If fixation occurs at this stage, then the individual may develop aggression issues and get involved in activities like drinking, eating, smoking or nail biting.

The Anal Stage

• Age Range: 1 to 3 years
• Erogenous Zone: Bowel and Bladder Control

During the anal stage, the focus of libidinal energy is on controlling bladder and bowel movements. The child has to learn eliminating their faeces and control the body’s needs. So, the conflict is about toilet training development. The success at this stage develops a sense of accomplishment, independence and competence in the child. It depends upon the parents whether the toilet training is done with a positive and appropriate approach or not.

An approach that helps the child learn toilet training without much pressure and strictness must be followed as a too-lenient approach will grow the child into a messy, wasteful or destructive personality which is known as anal –expulsive personality. And too-strict approach will grow the child into a stringent, orderly, rigid personality known as an anal-retentive personality.

The Phallic Stage

• Age Range: 3 to 6 Years
• Erogenous Zone: Genitals

During the Phallic stage, the libidinal energy is focused on the genitals. At this age, children try to distinguish between the males and the females. They become aware of their differences. The major conflict of this stage is the Oedipus and Electra complex. Oedipus complex is when the boys begin to view their father as the rival and competitor for the mother’s love and care. And feel that due to the same feelings of rivalry, their father may punish them; known as castration anxiety. Electra complex is when the girls feel a similar rivalry for their mothers and it is known as penis envy.

The Latent Period

• Age Range: 6 to Puberty
• Erogenous Zone: Sexual Feelings Are Inactive

During the latency stage, the child transforms towards puberty age. This involves the exploration of repressed sexual desires along with the development of ego and superego. Here, the individuals begin exploring social relationships and interacting with their peers. It helps individuals develop their communication skills and boost their confidence.  If any individual gets fixated at this stage, they may grow immature and find problems in establishing and maintaining relationships.

The Genital Stage

• Age Range: Puberty to Death
• Erogenous Zone: Maturing Sexual Interests

The genital stage comes with the onset of puberty and continues throughout the rest of their life. It is the final stage of psychosexual development which involves activation of the libidinal energy once again. Here, individuals begin to develop sexual interest in the opposite sex. This is the stage where the focus of an individual transforms from self-development to development in togetherness. They try to form a balance between various aspects of life to become a fully formed and functioning individual.

The Role of Conflict

Some individuals cannot move from one stage to another. There are possibly two reasons for this inability; one is that the needs of the developing individual are not fulfilled adequately and the other is that the needs are too satisfied because of which the individual is reluctant to leave those psychological benefits.

E.g.: An infant, who is neglected or ignored (insufficiently fed) during the first two years or who is over-indulged (over-fed) might become orally fixated in both scenarios.

So, both under-indulgence and over-indulgence can lead to fixation at a particular stage which may cause frustration and aggression in the individuals.   

 What are the treatments of fixation?

The general mode of therapy is to replace irrational and dysfunctional thoughts with positive and healthier thoughts. So, according to fixation psychology, treatments for fixation can involve helping the individual find the reasons for their fixations at a particular stage and thoughts related to it.

Following are some of the ways of treatment:

• Treatment for oral fixations: Those children who are facing oral fixations problems like trouble stopping sucking, biting, chewing, and putting things in their mouths and post-infancy problems like drooling, poor eating, and unhealthy oral hygiene habits. A good alternative is evaluation from an occupational or speech therapist. It will not only help with the fixations but, also rule out any possible developmental delays and provide an appropriate treatment.
• Treatment for fixated thoughts: Both children and adults go through the problem of having fixated and persistent thoughts. But, treatment varies according to their specific needs and situations. Several strategies may guide these individuals into healthier and positive ways of thinking. Some of these are the following:

1. Mindfulness: It is a research-based therapeutic process that helps us understand exactly how body and mind are feeling as well as how they are functioning at a particular moment. This way we can recognize our unhealthy and unproductive habits before they become problematic for us.
2. Distraction: It is a strategy that can be practised frequently and involved in our daily routine too. It involves planning and managing our activities so that our mind is off from unhealthy habits. And this way we can focus more on our issues.
3. Affirmations: Affirmation is about deciding to have a certain way of thinking towards something and then repeating it frequently. This will help us focus more on the positive areas and shift our focus from fixating on thoughts.
4. Exercise: Exercise doesn’t include only doing physical activities but, it’s about performing activities for our recreation. It helps release chemicals that excite the body and eliminate the fixations so that you can have a healthy and productive state of mind.
5. Professional Help: All the above-mentioned strategies can help individuals on the external surface. But, when the fixation doesn’t seem to improve then, an individual can consider seeking professional help for the internal and deep surface. A therapist can help in identifying the root cause of fixations and help overcome the signs of fixation with therapeutic techniques.

Criticisms of the Psychosexual Stages of Development:

• The theory is based on case studies and not empirical research.
• Concepts like libido are difficult to test scientifically as they can’t be measured.
• The theory holds a sexist view as its focus is entirely on male development undermining female psychosexual development.
• Future predictions can’t be made based on this theory and also evaluating behaviour based on experience is not correct every time.

Although there are many criticisms of Freud’s theory of psychosexual development, his work made a significant contribution to our understanding of human development. The influence of unconscious thoughts on human behaviour has been the most significant and valuable finding.

This theory explains the importance of early experiences in the development of personality. Many of an individual’s problems and crises are rooted back to their fixations at the particular psychosexual stage of development. So, with the help of this theory of crisis and problems, the view of theory is primarily based on heterosexual development so; it ignores the view of homosexual development

FAQS:

What is the psychosexual theory of development?

It is a theory proposed by Sigmund Freud to explain the development of an individual’s personality through the five psychosexual stages: Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency and Genital.

What is the application of psychosexual theory of development in real life?

The theory explains how certain behaviours are rooted back to the fixations of particular stages and what characteristics we carry from them. But, it fails to explain modern sexuality.

What is the impact of psychosexual theory of development in the field of psychology?

The psychosexual theory of development helps us understand how issues in childhood development can affect adult lives. Thus, it helps us understand the behaviour of an individual which is one of the main objectives of psychology.

What are the limitations of the psychosexual theory of development?

Freud’s method of data collection was not considered scientific and objective since they were not based on empirical research.