Sigmund Freud's Psychosexual Development Theory

Definition

This is a theory proposed by Sigmund Freud that suggests children move through five stages of development related to their sexuality: the oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages.

Analogy

Think of Freud's psychosexual development theory as a video game with five levels. Each level represents a different stage of development and has its own unique challenges and tasks to complete before moving on to the next level.

Related terms

Oedipus Complex: A concept in Freudian psychology which refers to a child's feelings of desire for his or her opposite-sex parent and jealousy towards the same-sex parent.

Defense Mechanisms: Psychological strategies brought into play by various entities to cope with reality and maintain self-image.

Id, Ego, Superego: These are three parts of the psychic apparatus defined in Sigmund Freud's structural model of the psyche; they are theoretical constructs that describe how our minds work.