Sigmund Freud argued that children develop psychologically through five distinct stages. Each phase is characterized by different erotogenic zones and personal conflicts (Desai, 2018). During infancy (birth to 1 year), the child draws much pleasure by placing things in the mouth. Oral stimulation makes the baby trustful and comfortable due to the overdependence on caregivers. The infant battles with the weaning process (becoming more independent) and fixation may cause aggression or dependency issues such as smoking (Desai, 2018). In the anal stage (1-3 years), the libido focuses on the anus and the child is pleasured by defecating. The primary conflict is toilet training, where caregivers impose restrictions regarding the time and place of defecating. The baby’s personal wishes bring them into conflict with authority.
During the phallic stage (3-4 years), the libido concentrates on the genitals, and the child gets pleasure from masturbating. Male and female differences are discovered, leading to the conflict where boys become jealous of their fathers whom they see as rivals to their mother’s affection (Oedipus complex) while girls become penis envy (Desai, 2018). This conflict is resolved through the adoption of traits of the same-sex parent. The latency stage (6 years to puberty) is marked with a dormant libido and repressed development and sexual impulses. Desai (2018) explains that the sexual emerged is focused on developing new knowledge and playing with peers of the same sex. The genital stage stretches from puberty to adulthood, and it is characterized by sexual experimentation because boys become strongly interested in girls and vice versa. Those who resolve this conflict successfully manage to form intimate and lasting relationships.
Finally, the anal stage best defines my unresolved personal conflict in life. Particularly, I tend to be untidy, messy, late, and disrespectful to authority. In Freud’s terms, I think I have an anal expulsive personality. I can attribute this trait to lax potty training due to my parents’ leniency. During this stage of psychosexual development, adults impose restrictions regarding potty hygiene (Desai, 2018). The approach to resolving this conflict dictates how the child will relate to all forms of authority in the future. Children who are pampered develop an anal expulsive personality which is defined by an obsession with tidy, punctuality, and respect to control. In contrast, babies who are raised by strict parents develop an anal-retentive personality which is the opposite of the above.
Reference
Desai, M. (2018). Module 7 psychosocial theories of child development. In Introduction to rights-based direct practice with children (pp. 183-214). Springer, Singapore.