Category: Developmental Psychology

The phallic stage of development is the third of Freud’s five psychosexual stages, occurring between ages three and six. During this stage, the child’s libidinal energy centers on the genitals, and the child becomes aware of anatomical differences between boys and girls. This awareness triggers the most controversial conflicts in all of psychoanalytic theory: the Oedipus complex in boys and...

The Oedipus complex is Sigmund Freud’s theory that boys between the ages of three and six develop an unconscious emotional and sexual attachment to their mother — and an unconscious rivalry with their father. Often referred to informally as the boy-mum theory, it sits at the center of Freud’s psychosexual model of development. The idea sounds provocative, even absurd, on...

The latency stage is the fourth phase of Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual development theory, spanning from approximately age 6 until the onset of puberty. Unlike the earlier stages, the latency period is characterized by the repression of sexual impulses. During this time, the child’s libido is dormant, and their energy is redirected into “asexual” activities such as schoolwork, hobbies, and developing...