UNIT 5 PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT:

FREUDIAN CONCEPT
Contents

5.0 Objectives
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Concept of Sexuality
5.3 Psychosexual Developmental Stages
5.4 Fixation
5.5 Significance of Psychosexual Stages for the Development of
Personality
5.6 Let Us Sum Up
5.7 Key Words
5.8 Suggested Readings
5.9 Answers to Check Your Progress

5.0 OBJECTIVES
This unit aims at helping the students understand key concepts of the theory
of psychosexual development proposed by a Viennese scholar called Sigmund
Freud. It includes concept of sexuality as undel-stood by Freiid, different stages
of psychosexual development, fixation in different stages and the significance
of psychosexual development for human personality.
After studying this unit you should be able to:
understand the concept of sexuality as understood by Freud;
list out different stages of psychosexual development;
describe the dynamics in each stage of development;

a
explain the concept of fixation;
understand the significance of each stage on development of human
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I
personality; and
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appreciate the psychodynamic theoretical framework in understanding
human ~ersonalitv.

5.1 INTRODUCTION 1
i
The theory of psychosex~~al development, also known as theory of libidinal . 4

development, is one of the earliest theories explaining how personality develops

in human beings. This theory owes its credence to the findings of Sigmund
Freud's clinical research with emotionally disturbed people. The theory of 1

psychosexual developmciit, liowcvcr, is an integral part of the psychodynamic

 personality rheory proposed by Freud. Freud is ol'tcn considered the first
psychological theorist to have emphasized the developmental aspects of
personality and the decisive role of the early experiences during infancy and
childhood in laying down the basic cliaractcr structure of an adult person.
According to Freud, thc individual passes through a series of dynaniically
differentiated developmental stages during the life span, which are chwacterized
by distinct modes of functioning. The theory proposes that mishaps during
different stages, especially dclri~igthe early childhood, play an important role
in the etiology of psycllological problems including mental disorders. Based
on his early research with emotionally disturbed persons, Freud found that the
symptoms of lnental problen~sduring adulthood are related to frustrations of
the erotic instinct. Such frustrations often occur as early as the first year of life
and continue through the entire childhood stage. Freud was thus led to believe
that children showed manifestations of sexual urges and that any theory of
personality must take infantile sexuality into account.

5.2 CONCEPT OF SEXUALITY

According ro Freud, sex is the most important life instinct in an individual.
According to him sex instinct is centered around a number of bodily needs
- that give rise to erotic wishes. Each of these wishes has its.soulre in a different
bodily region referred ro as erogenous zones. An erogenous zone is a part of
thc skin or mucous nienibrane that is extremely sensitive to irritation and which
when manipulated in a certain way removes the irritation and produces
pleasurable feelings and experiences. The lips and mouth, anal region, and the
sex organs are examples of erogenous zones. Thus, sucking produces oral
pleasure, elimination anal pleasure, and rubbing genital pleasure. In brief, Freud
regarded the sexual instinct as a psychophysiological process, which has both
mental and physical manifestations. He used the term libido to refer to the
force by which the sexual instinct is represented in the mind.
In essence Freud ~ ~ s ethe d term sexuality to refer to the erotic life of the
individual. According to him, sexuality is not a matter for adults alone but
also inl'antile. It is all-pervasive and covers all those activities and sensations
that are pleasurable and afford sensual gratification. Freud noted that infants
werc ciipablc of erotic activity from birth onward. The earliest nianifestutions
of infantile sexuality arise in relation to bodily functions such as feeding and
elimination of body wastes. Of all the concepts of Freud, the concepts he
advanced with regard to the erotic life of infants and young children aroused
severe criticism from different corners.
Check Your Progress I
Note : a) Use the space provided for your answers

b) Check your answers with those provided nt the cntl of the unit

I) Explain the concept of sexuality as conceived by Sigmund Freud.

 personality rheory proposed by Freud. Freud is ol'tcn considered the first
psychological theorist to have emphasized the developmental aspects of
personality and the decisive role of the early experiences during infancy and
childhood in laying down the basic cliaractcr structure of an adult person.
According to Freud, thc individual passes through a series of dynaniically
differentiated developmental stages during the life span, which are chwacterized
by distinct modes of functioning. The theory proposes that mishaps during
different stages, especially dclri~igthe early childhood, play an important role
in the etiology of psycllological problems including mental disorders. Based
on his early research with emotionally disturbed persons, Freud found that the
symptoms of lnental problen~sduring adulthood are related to frustrations of
the erotic instinct. Such frustrations often occur as early as the first year of life
and continue through the entire childhood stage. Freud was thus led to believe
that children showed manifestations of sexual urges and that any theory of
personality must take infantile sexuality into account.

5.2 CONCEPT OF SEXUALITY

According ro Freud, sex is the most important life instinct in an individual.
According to him sex instinct is centered around a number of bodily needs
- that give rise to erotic wishes. Each of these wishes has its.soulre in a different
bodily region referred ro as erogenous zones. An erogenous zone is a part of
thc skin or mucous nienibrane that is extremely sensitive to irritation and which
when manipulated in a certain way removes the irritation and produces
pleasurable feelings and experiences. The lips and mouth, anal region, and the
sex organs are examples of erogenous zones. Thus, sucking produces oral
pleasure, elimination anal pleasure, and rubbing genital pleasure. In brief, Freud
regarded the sexual instinct as a psychophysiological process, which has both
mental and physical manifestations. He used the term libido to refer to the
force by which the sexual instinct is represented in the mind.
In essence Freud ~ ~ s ethe d term sexuality to refer to the erotic life of the
individual. According to him, sexuality is not a matter for adults alone but
also inl'antile. It is all-pervasive and covers all those activities and sensations
that are pleasurable and afford sensual gratification. Freud noted that infants
werc ciipablc of erotic activity from birth onward. The earliest nianifestutions
of infantile sexuality arise in relation to bodily functions such as feeding and
elimination of body wastes. Of all the concepts of Freud, the concepts he
advanced with regard to the erotic life of infants and young children aroused
severe criticism from different corners.
Check Your Progress I
Note : a) Use the space provided for your answers

b) Check your answers with those provided nt the cntl of the unit

I) Explain the concept of sexuality as conceived by Sigmund Freud.

Hunlan Growtll ant1
Development

3) What do you understand by erogelious zones? Name these zones as

conceived in the theory of psychosexual developmental stages?

5.3 PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES

Personality developlnent takes place through constant activation of the life
instinct. Sex being the most important life instinct in an individual, engagement
in different erotic activities is a must to activate the life instinct. Sex is a
biological instinct, which needs to be gratified. When present it creates tension
and when met with, i t ]cad? to satisfaction. The earliest manifestations"0f
sexuality arise in relation to bodily fi~nctions,which are basically nonsexual,
such us feeding and elimination of body wastes. Each individual passes through
a series of stages during the first five years of life, following which for a
period of five or six years the dynamics become more or less stabilized. With
the advent of adolescence, the dynamics erupt again and then gradually settle
down as an adolescent moves into the stage of adulthood. For Freud, the first
five years of life are decisive for the formation of personality.
Each stage of psychosexual development is defined in terms of the mode of
reaction of a particular zone of the body. During the first 18 months of life of
a new born baby, the mouth works as the principal region of dyna~nicactivity.
Hence this stage is called orcrl stcrge. The oral stage is followed by deriving
pleasure around the eliminative functions, i t is therefore, called the ~ t l stcige.
~ l
This lasts for another 18 months and is succeeded by the pli~llicstage in
which the sex organs become the leading erogenous zones. During these stages,
the mucous membrane of the mouth, anus and external genitalia become the
focus of child's erotic life depending on the stage of development. At the
close of the fifth year, [he child goes into lcrte~rq,periocl, where the sexual
urges are held in a state of ~.epression.With the onset of adolescence the
prege~iital impulses are reactivated and the person passes into the getlitcrl stage
of development. Let 11slearn in detail about these stages.
Oral Stage
This stage lasts up to eighteen months from the birth of a child. The principal
source of pleasure derivcd by the child during this stage is that of sucking.
Sucking involves both tactual stimulation of mouth as well as swallowing.
Later when the teeth erupt the mouth is used by the child for biting ind
chewing. Since the child is primarily concerned about seeking pleasure, she
I
needs immediate gratitlcation of [he needs. The need of the infant in seeking Psycbose~ualD1:velopmen
pleasure is adequately met with by sucking the breast of the mother as the Freudian Concel
erotic drive is localized in the mouth. Since gratification of needs at this stage
depends on mother. she becomes the tirst love object for the child. Feeding at
the mother's breast is the most important activity, both physiologically and
psychologically for the young child. For this reason, psychoanalysis refers to
the period from birth to about eight months as the oral sucking period. With
i the developn~entof teeth, the child enters a new stage of her development
i called oral biting stage. During the oral biting stage, the mode of deriving
i pleasure become modified. Its sources are biting as well as sucking and
b
swallowing. It is held that the two modes of oral activity i.e. sucking and
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swallowing and bitinglchewing are the prototypes for many later personality
tra'its that develop.
Anal Stage
This stage starts when the child is aro~lndone and a half years old and ends
when she is three years of age. During the initial part of anal stage there is
pleasurable sensation of excretion and later there is erotic stimulation of the
anal mucosa through retention of feces. This stage is divided into two sub
stages i.e. thc anal expulsive period and the anal retention period. The anal
expuIsive phase overlaps with the closing stages of oral period. Here the mode
of deriving pleasure for the child is the expi~lsionof feces. The expulsion of
I the feces renloves discomfort and produces a feeling of relief. When toilet
training is initiated, the child has her first experience with the exte~nalregulation
of i n instinctilal impulse. The child has to learn to postpone the pleasitre that
'comes from relieving anal tensions. During the anal retention period, the child
is expected to accede to the demands of toilet training. The child has to learn
to derive pleasure fro111retention than expulsion. Depending Llporl the pal-ticular
method of toilet training used by the mother and her feelings concerning
I defecation, the consequences of toilet training have far reaching effects upon
the formation of specific personality traits and values.
I

Phallic Stage
This stagc begins when the child becomes three years old and continues until
the child is five years. During this stage rudiments of sex can be seen in the
child. Child plays with its genitals and relieves tension and derives pleasure.
Erotic activity is initially linked both psychologically and physically with the
activities and sensations associated with urination. Urination is an important
activity as it helps the child to consolidate its gender identity. A boy understands
that he is a boy; similarly a girl understands that she is a girl initially from the
process of urination.
During the phallic stage development sexi~alfeelings associated with the
functioning of genital organs come into focus. The p1easi11-esof playing with
the genitals and the fantasy life of the child set the stage for the appearance of
Oedipus and Electra complexes in boys and girls, respectively. The O e d i p ~ ~ s
complex is named after the Greek king of Thebes who killed his father and
married his mother. Oedipus complex consists of a sexilal attachment for the
parent of the opposite sex and a hostile feeling for the parent of the same sex.
The boy wants to possess his mother and remove his father. According to
Electra complex girl wants to possess her father and displace the mother. These
feelings express themselves in the child's fantasies during the' act of
masturbation. The emergence of the Oedipus and Electra complexes are
considered to be is the chief events of the phallic stage.
In Oedipus complex a boy has incestuous craving for the mother and a growing
resentment toward the father: He imagines that his father is going to harm
him. Threats from a resentful and punitive father may confirm this fear. His
fears concerning what the father may do to him is centered on his genital
organs as it is the source of his attachment to the mother. He feals that the
father will remove it. This fear of cast~.rltionhelps a child to resolve his Oedipus
complex, as he does not want to lose his genitals. Castration anxiety induces a
repression of the sexual desire for the mother and hostility toward the father. It
also helps to bring about identification with his father. By identifying with his
father the male child converts his erotic feelings for the mother into harmless
affection for the mother. Oedipus complex seems to represent the climax of
the development of infantile sexuality.
In Electra complex, a girl child exchanges her love object, the mother, for a
new object, the father. This takes place in a girl when she discovers that she is
less equipped than a boy, as she does not possess a protruding sex organ, the
penis. She holds her mother responsible for this and starts hating her for having
brought her into the world less equipped than a boy. She transfers her love to
the father because he has the valued organ, which she aspires to share with
him. However her love for the father is mixed with a feeling of envy because
he possesses what she lacks. Penis envy is the counterpart of castration anxiety
in boys. A girl resolves her incestuous attachment for her father by recognizing
the realistic barriers that prevent her from gratifying her sexual desire for the
father. According to Freud, the differences in resolution of Oedipus and Electra
coinplexes are the basis for many psychological differences between the sexes.
Latency Stage
According to Freud, at the close of fifth year infantile sexuality is gradually
rep]-essedboth because of the fear of the social consequences and because of
the realization that the love object is unattainable. During the period of about
5 or 6 years the child is not consciously concerned with sexual matters. As the
literal meaning of the word 'latency' suggests, sexual urges are hidden during
this stage. Child's active interest turns increasingly outward. During this period,
the sexual urges are diverted into recreational, academic and social pursuits.
The child learns to behave in society and acquires her ideals. Eroticism is
ovel-tly manifested in the form of attachment to parents and friends. Interest in
the opposite sex is at the lowest ebb. The child spends all her energy to excel
and prove herself. Child's energy is diverted towards developing a sense of
con~petei~ce. During this stage of development a child's sexual urges are
subordinated to the intellectual pursuits. Psychoanalysis has very little to say
about personality developnient following the phallic stage. It, however, does
analyzes the genital stage of development.
Genital Stage
This stage begins with the onset of adolescence. During genital stage sexual
feelings reappear with new intensity and in more mature form. As a result
self-love of the child gets channelized into genuine heterosexual relationships.
Sexual attraction, socialization, group activities, vocational planning and
 preparations for marrying and raising a falllily begin LO manifest. By the end Psychosesual Development:
'of adolescence these concerns become fairly well established. The person Freudian Concept
beco~iiestransformed from a pleasure seeking, self-loving infant into a reality
oriented, socialized adult. The principal biological function of the genital stage
is that of reproduction.

I 5.4 FIXATION
Fixation can be defined as the persistent attachment of the sexual instinct to a
particular phase of pregenital development. It can happen in any of the
psychosexual developmental stages except the last one. In the course of
development, it is expected that the child makes natural transition from one
stage to the next at the end of a particular stage. Child's ability to forgo her
attachnlent for the love object during a particular develop~nentalstage for
another promised but not guaranteed love object is a necessary condition for
develop~nentof a healthy personality. Freud concluded that fixation adversely
affects personality development. It may be noted that the behavioural
manifestations of fixation vary according to the stage of psychosexual
development in which fixation takes place. For exan~ple,a child's inability to
forgo mother as a love object during the oral stage leads to development of
such behavioural manifestations like thumb sucking, alcoholisnl, smoking etc.
These behavioural patterns help the individual to continue the erotic attachment
with the love object of oral stage whereby he continues to derive pleasure .
from stimulation of the erogenous zone of lips and mouth. Similarly fixation
can happen during anal, phallic and latency stages as well.
Check Your Progress I1
Note : a) Use the space provided for your answers.
b) Check your answers with those provided at the end of the unit

1) Name the psychosexual developmental stages? Give the corresponding

chronological age ranges of these stages.

2) What do you understand by Oedipus and Electra complexes? How does

the child resolve them? .
Human Growth and 3) What is Fixation? Give an example of fixation of the oral stage.
Development

5.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF PSYCHOSEXUAL

STAGES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
PERSONALITY
Many of our personality traits and behaviour patterns are rooted in the stages
of psychosexual development. Psychoanalysis considers adult behaviour as
the product of the infantile psychosexual stages. According to Freud, individuals
subsume sex energy into (heir behaviour through the psychological processes
of displacement, sublimation, and reaction formation. For exa~nplethe sexual
fantasies of an adult are looked on as a continuation of phallic genitality.
Similarly overcleanliness or overemphasis on order and punctuality is considered
as reaction formation against the anal stage of infantile psychosexuality. The
process of psychosexual genesis is one of dialectical growth. It can lead to
development of normal or abnormal behavjour depending upon the experiences
of the individual during different psychosexual developmental stages.
Personality Traits Developed During Oral Stage
Oral stage activities of sucking and swallowing are the prototypes for many
character traits that develop during subsequent years in one's life. Pleasure
derived from oral incorporation may be displaced to other modes of
incorporation such as the pleasure gained from acquiring knowledge or
possessions. Biting or orz11aggression may be displaced in the form of sarcasm
and argumentativeness. By displacements and sublimations of varioi~skinds,
as well as by defenses against the primitive oral in~pulses,these prototypic
modes of oral functioning provide the basis for the development of vast networks
of interests, attitudes and character traits.
Since the oral stage occurs at a time when the infant is completely dependent
on mother for sustenance the feelings of dependency arise during this period.
If she succeeds in fulfilling the needs of the child at this point, dependency
leads to acquiring the virtue of hope. Feeling of hope is characterized by the
belief that the needs will be taken care of properly by its mother. This belief
helps the child to enter into a trusting, wann relationship with its mother, which
ultimately 1eads.tooptimism in life. A nu~*turing and warm bond between mother
and the child during this period sets the stage for trusting and affectionate
relationship with others in later life. Re-jection by mother or undue frustration
experienced by the child resulting from non-fi~lfillmentof his needs can lead
to pessimism and mistrust in later life. It is in the oral phase that a child's
attrlcl~mentto crucial people in his environment and his feelings of love or
hate toward these peoplc develop. If a fundamentally war111 relationship
,-
 between mother and child has been established during this pcriod, the stage Psycl~osexualDevelopment:
Freudian Concept
will be set for the development of trusting and affectionate ties with others in
later life.
If optimism is typical of individ~~alsstrongly fixaled in the oral sucking period,
pessimism is the trait of individuals who have never properly resolved the
frustrations of the oral biting stage. In extreme cases this pessimism may go
completely out of normal bounds and become psychological depression. Thus
even within the first year some of the important characteristics of personality
are established.
Personality Traits Developed During Anal Stage
According to psychoanalysis, ego development is complete during the anal
stage. As a r c s ~ ~sense
lt of reality overbears pleasure seeking in the child.
Maternal care iii combination with the conflicts surrounding toilet training alters
tlie direction of plcusu~.csceking for tlie child. Comp~~lsive neatness seen in
sollie i~idividualsis often seen as a form of regression to the anal stage.
Depending upon tlie particular method of toilet training used by the mother
and her feelings conccrning defecation, the consequences of this training may
havc far reaching effccts upon the formation of specific personality traits. If
the ~notlieris very strict and repressive in her niethods of child rearing, the
child may hold back its feces and become constipated. If this mode of reaction
generalizes to other ways of behaving, the child will develop a retentive
character. It will become obstinate and stingy in its character. Instead, if the
child vents its rage by expelling fcces at the ~iiostinappropriate times, expulsive
traits like cruelty, destri~ctiveness,teniper tantrilms, disorderliness etc. are
developed. Thus the basis for a large.nu~iiberof behaviour traits is laid down
during the anal stage.
Toilet training is an impollant activity as it leads to developnicnt of values and
I
traits in an individual. The child learns to bring the erotic g~.atificationresulting
from defccation to social control. Normal continuations of the anal expulsive
t period include an interest in the bowels, bowel habits, and daily bowel
moveriicnts. Sollie people are so concerned with the bowels that this interest
t
beco~iiescentral to their individ~~al personalities. Failure at the resolution of
anal conflicts leads to constellation of character traits, which are ci~llednrznl
cl~crrcrcter.Anal character is characterized by traits like excessive devotion to
details, and unevenness of character leading to easy anger outbursts.
I
Personality Traits Developed During Phallic Stage
I
The behaviour of the child during phallic stage is marked to a great extenl by
I the operation of the Oedipus complex. Although i t is nioditied after the age of
five, it remains a vital force in the personality tlirouglio~~tlife. Attitudes toward
I
the opposite sex and toward people in authority are largely conditioned by the
Oedipus complex. Repression of Oedipus coniplex causes the superego to
I ~ ~ n d e r gits
o filial development. According to Freud, the differences in the
resolution of Oedipus and Elcclra co~nplexesare the bases for differences in
male and female personalities in later life. Freud considered females to be
i weak, dependent and inferior brisically b e c a ~ ~ ofs e the devclopnient of penis
! envy and the associated psychodynamics. This view is criticized worldwide,
I
I and the criticism was led by Karen Horney, another intluential psychoanalyst.
Hulnall Growth and 01'all the psychosexual develop~nentalstages, phallic stage is the nlost eventful
Dcvclop~~lc~~t one. Developments i n this stage influence the personality markedly. The
transition from Oedipal strivings to ndul t sexuality is a prerequisite of normal
development. Failure to resolve Oedipus complex is seen as ihe nucleus of
adult neurosis. According to Freud, neuroses are characterized by an
unconscious clinging to the Oedipal tendencies. How the childemerges from
the Oedipus situation exerts a profound influence on the development of
character and personality.
Personality Traits Developed During Latency and Genital Stages
Freud was much preoccupied with the forms of infantile sexi~alityand its
influence on the psychological development of a person. As a result Freud has
not written niuch on how the courses of development during these two stages
relate to personality. Psychoanalysis has not given much emphasis on these
two stages in comparison to the first three stages of development.
Develop~nentsin latency stage help the child to acquire a serzse c!f'corrlpetc?ncy
trrltl intlrrstry. Conlpetency feelings and industriousness develop as a result of
the benefits reaped by the child from diverting its urges to various nonsexual
activities like recreational, academic and social pursi~its.With the diversion of
a child's active interest to these activities, it gets an opportunity to excel, prove
herself and be creative.
Genital stage, which begins roughly with the onset of adolescence, is a period
when group activities, vocatio~~al planning and preparations for family life
take prominence. By the end of adolescence, these socialized, altruistic feelings
bcconie fairly wcll established. The person becomes transformed from a
pleasure seeking, narcissistic infiant into a reality oriented, socialized adult.
Check Your Progress I11
Note : a ) . Use the space provided for your answers.
b) Check Y O L Ianswers
~ with those provided at the end of the unit.

1) What do you understand by anal character?

...................................................................................................................
2) What are the personality traits developed by a child during the oral stage?
 Psycl~ose\ualDevelopnient:
5.6 LET US SUM UP Freudian Concept

The theory of psychosex~laldevelopment proposed by Sigmund Freud is one

of the most prominent psychoanalytic theories of personality. This theory looks
at psychological development of individuals over five different stages. In this
unit we liave tried to understand the different psychosexual stages of
b
I
development and how these stages intluencc the course of personality
development. We liave also learned about the concepls of sexuality and fixation.
As wc have learned in this unit, thc individual passes through a'series of
dynamically differentiated stages during the life span, which play a decisive
role in the formation of personality. These stages are called oral, anal, phallic,
latent and genital stages. During each of these stages [lie individual engages in
a variety of erotic activities that stimulate and satisfy life instinct. We have
seen in detail tlic erogenous zones in each stage of development and the nature
of erotic activity cngaged by the child in the different stages.
While discussing the significancc of thesc stagcs for thc develop~iientof
personality we have notedthat individuals subsumc sex energy into their
behavio~~r through the psychological processes of continuation, displacement,
sublimation and I-caction forttiation. We liave also scen that the process of
psychoscxual gencsis is one that involvcs dialectical S&wth. It can lead to
dcvelopment of normal 01.abnormal pattern of bchaviour depending upon the
experiences the individual had during the diferent psychosex~~al dcvelopnientnl
stages. As explailicd with the help of examples, dcvelopment of abnormal
behuviour is considered to bc shaped by the nature of ~nishapthat happens
cluri.ng a givcn dcvclopmcntal srage.

5.7 KEY WORDS .

: It refers to the forcc by which the sex~lalinstinct is

represented in the mind. In other words i t is the
mental manifestation of the sexual instinct.
Fixation : It can be defined as the persistent attachment of
sex instinct to the love ob-ject of a particular phase
of pregenital developnicnt. I11 fixation the child does
n o t niake natural transition to the next stage of
development due to the continued emotional
attachlnent with the love object. For example,
alcoholisni is an oral fixation.
: It refers to the distinctive cliarac~cristicsof the
person. I t refers to all tliosc psycliological
~hr~~ctcristicsof thc individual - emotional, mental,
and bcliavioural - which make him a unique
individual.
I~sychodynamics : It is an umbrella term that con.notes any theory that
values the role of thc unconscious and affective
4

factors in deterniihing h~~liian

. -
personality. Lf
Human Crcnvth and Psychoanalysis It refers to Freud's method for investigating
Dcvclopmcnt unconscious processes. I n psychoanalysis, the
contelirs of the mind are broken up into different
parts-such as conscious, preconscious and
i~nconscioi~s. The idea developed in the form of
an influential school of psychological thought.
Neuroses Neuroses refer to a group of mental disorders
chiuracterized basically by inner psychological
distress, which incapacitate the individual in his
general psychological functioning.
Repression Ir is a defense mechanisni in which unacceptable
impi~lses~unddesires Lure excluded from conscious
awareness by pushing them down into he
u~ico~iscioi~s.
Displacement It is :In anxiety-reducing device whereby an
emotion i~ttachedto a certain person or c.:hlect is
transferred to another person or objeci.
Reaction formation : It is a defense used by the ego in controlling
undesi~xbleurges wherein si~churges are denied
their existence by developing diametrically opposed
traits that disguise and check the urge in focus.
Sublimation I11 sublimation, the inipi~lseswhich are not socially
acceptable are denied direct expression. They are
channelized to socially acceptable modes of
behaviour.
Regression Ir is a defense mechanism where the ego, when
confronted with conflicts, gives up the advanced
emotional level that it has achieved and returns to
an earlier or more i~ifantilelevel.
Life instinct Life instincts are those instincts, which serve the
purpose of individual survival. It includes sex,
hunger, thirst etc.
Erogenous zones : An erogenous zone is a part of the skin or nii!cous
membrane that is extremely sensitive' to irritation
and which when manipi~latedin a certain way
removes irritation and produces pleasurable
feelings. Mouth is an example of erogenous zone.
Mucous membrane : Moist, solt skin-like covering attached to erogenous
zones of the body.
Id According to Freud it is the reservoir of both the
life and death instincts. It is thc source of most
psychobiologic energy. Id is governed by the
pleasure principle and is concerned pi~relywith the
striving after pleasure.
 : According to Freud ego is that part of the psyche, Psychosexual Developmen1
Freudian Concep
which directs behaviour toward maximal
satisfaction of the individual's urges consistent with
social reality. It follows the reality principle. Ego
is the mediator between id and superego in their
conflicts. Ego is called the 'executive', because it
controls the gateway to action, and decides which
instinct will be satisfied in which manner

Superego : According to Freud superego is the chief force for

the socialization of the individual. It is the internal
representative of the values and ideals of society.
It is the moral arm of personality and is called the
moral principle.

Anal character : Anal character is constellation of personality traits

like excessive devotion to details, and unevenness
of character leading to easy anger outbursts
developed during,the anal stage. They result from
the failure of resolution of anal conflicts.

'I Narcissism : It is the pathological manifestation of self-love by

an individual. The term narcissism has been coined
after the Greek mythological character, Narcissus
who fell in love with his own mirror image.
Oedipus complex : Oedipus complex consists of the sexual attachment
of a boy for his mother and a hostile feeling for
the father. The Oedipus complex is named after
the king of Thebes who killed hisfather and married
his mother. This is a normal phenomenon during
the phallic stage.
t Electra complex : Electra complex consists of the sexual attachment
of a girl for her father and a hostile feeling for
the mother. This is a normal phenomenon during
I the phallic stage.

5.8 SUGGESTED READINGS

Hal1,Calvin S. and Lindzey Gardner (1998), Theories of Personality, John
Wiley and Sons Inc, New York.
1
Hjelle,Larry and Ziegler Damiel J. (1981), Personality Theories, Mc-Graw-
Hill Book Co., New Delhi.

Hurlock,Elizabeth B. (1964), Child Development, 6th Edition, Tata McGraw-

Hill, New York.

Hurlock, Elizabeth B. (1984), Developmental Psychology, 5th Edition; Tata

Human Growth and Pervin Lawrence A. (1984), Personality: Theory and Research; John Wiley
bevelopment And Sons Inc., New York.

5.9 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Check Your Progress I
1) Freud used the term 'sexuality' to refer to the erotic life of the individual.
According to him, sexuality is not adult alone but also infantile. It is all-
pervasive and covers all those activities and sensations that are
pleasurable and afford sensual gratification. Freud noted that infants were
capable of erotic activity from birth. The earliest manifestations of
infantile sexuality arise in relation to bodily functions such as feeding
and bowel and bladder control.
An erogenous zone is a part of the skin or mucous membrane that is
extremely sensitive to irritation and which when manipulated in a certain
way removes irritation and produces pleasurable feelings. The lips and
mouth constitute one such erogenous zone, the anal region another, and
the sex organs a third. According to Freud, sex instinct is centered around
a number of bodily needs that give rise to erotic wishes. Each of these
wishes has its source in a different bodily region referred to as erogenous
zones.
Check Your Progress I1
1) The psychosexual stages are called the oral, anal, phallic, latent and genital
stages. The corresponding chronological ages ranges are as follow:
Oral Stage : Birth to 18 months
Anal .Stage : 18 months to 3 years of age
Phallic Stage : 3 to5Years
Latency : 5 years to 11 or 12 years
Genital Stage : 11 or 12 years onwards
Oedipus complex consists of the erotic attachment of a boy for his mother
and a hostile feeling for the father. In Oedipus complex a boy has
incestuous craving for the mother and a growing resentment toward the
father. Electra complex consists of the erotic attachment of a girl for her
father and a hostile feeling for the mother. Oedipus complex is resolved
through castration anxiety. Castration anxiety induces repression of the
sexual desire for the mother and hostility toward the father. A girl resolves
her incestuous attachment for her father due to realistic barriers that prevent
.
her from gratifying her sexual desire through the father.

3) Fixation can be defined as the persistent attachment of sexual instinct to

the love object of a particular phase of pregenital development. In fixation
the child does not make natural transition to the next stage of development
due to the persistent emotional attachment with the love object. For
example alcoholism is an oral fixation.
 Check Your Progress 111 Psyclioserual Devc4op1ncnt:
Frcudiali Concept
I) Anal character is a constellation of personality traits like excessive devotion
to details, and ilnevcnness of chal-actcr lending to easy anger outbursts
developcd during the ii~nalstage. They result li-0111the kiili~reof resolution
of anal conllicts.
2) The positive personality traits acquired by a child during the oral stage
includc optimism, tlustf~lness,and an ability to enter inlo a tn~sting,warn
I-elationshipwill1 othcrs. Mishaps in thc form of re.jcction of the need by
mother can lead lo negative traits like pessi~nismand mistrust, and hate
toward others. In extreme cases this pessimism may go co~npletelyout of
b hormal bounds and assume the form of psychological depression.