Each stage correlates with a pleasure zone (also called an erogenous zone) of the body.
This article will dive deeper into Freud’s psychosexual theory of development and identify its areas of modern-day concern.
What Is Psychosexual Theory?
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During each stage, different pleasure-seeking or sexual energies become focused on specificerogenousregions of the body.
Each different stage proposed in the theory related to a specific period of childhood development.
Conflict arises when the time comes to wean the baby off of breastfeeding.
According to the theory, unless the underlying reason for the fixation is addressed, it will persist.
The id is essentially the part of the personality that urges one to satisfy their primal or basic needs.
Think of the id as the unconscious part of the mind.
Gratification is granted when the needs of the id are satisfied.
The ego helps to mediate the id and the superego.
The superego is the part of the personality that develops later in life through social interactions and influences.
There was little if no mention of females and their subsequent development.
As a result, the scientific method cannot easily repeat their findings and observations.
What About Homosexuality?
Freud’s psychosexual theory is geared toward understanding the development of heterosexual males and fails to acknowledge homosexual development.
But what if they don’t?
What if they instead develop attractions to people of their own gender?
Or to both genders?
Freud did not take these notions into account, which has led to marked criticism in today’s world.
Though Erikson was influenced by Freud’s theories, his psychosocial theory drew both similarities and differences.
Like Freud, Erikson believed development occurred in stages, but he identified eight stages instead of five.
Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, also produced a differing view of personality development.
Jung’s theories of personality development involved a collective unconscious element by which everyone is connected.
These are just two alternatives to Freud’s psychosexual theory, but others exist as well.
Freud identified five stages in which he thought development occurred.
If a person became fixated at any stage, they would inevitably manifest that fixation later in life.
Simply Psychology.Freud’s 5 stages of psychosexual development.
Kesavelu D, Sheela K, Abraham P.Stages of psychological development of child-an overview.IJCRR.
2021;13(13):74-78. doi:10.31782/IJCRR.2021.131320
