Psychodynamic approach: Psychosexual stages AO1

Question 1

What did Freud believe about psychosexual development?

Answer 1

Freud believed that personality develops through childhood

Question 2

How many stages are there and what are they?

Answer 2

5 stages:
1. Oral stage (birth-1 yr)
2. Anal stage (1-3 yrs)
3. Phallic stage (3-5 yrs)
4. Latency stages (6-puberty)
5. Genital stage (12+/puberty)

Question 3

What happens in oral stage (birth-1yr)?

Answer 3

• id is only present
• focus of pleasure: mouth
• object of desire: mother’s breast

Question 4

What happen in anal stage (1-3 yrs)?

Answer 4

• focus of pleasure: anus
• child experiences pleasure from expelling faeces

Question 5

What happens in phallic stage (3-5 years)?

Answer 5

• focus of pleasure: genital area
• child experiences the electra complex

Question 6

What happens in latency stage (6-puberty)?

Answer 6

• earlier conflicts are repressed to allow children to focus their energy on other aspects of life (e.g. hobbies and developing friendships)

Question 7

What happens in genital stage (12+/puberty)

Answer 7

• sexual desires become conscious
• task is to develop healthy adult relationships