Father of Psycho-sexual Theory of Development Sigmund Freud Father of Psycho-sexual Theory of Development

1856 - 1939

Born in 1856, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire Freud’s father was a small time merchant Freud’s mother was the second wife for Freud’s father Freud had 2 half brothers, who were 20 years older than he

Freud’s family background was Jewish but he was an avowed atheist In this time period, as a Jewish man, Freud’s only career options were medicine and law He chose medicine and specialized in neurology

In 1886 Freud married, moved to Vienna, Austria and opened a practice specializing in nervous and brain disorders

In 1900 he introduced the world to ‘Freudian slips’ which he described as slips of the tongue where the thoughts of the unconscious mind were revealed; i.e. - ‘can I give you a hand?’ said to a one armed person

Super Ego is part of the Preconscious mind Ego* Id is part of the Unconscious mind * Ego is floating is all 3 states

Because the unconscious is so large, and because we are only aware of the very small conscious at any given time, this theory is likened to an iceberg, where the vast majority is buried beneath the water’s surface The water would represent everything that we are not aware of, have not experienced, and that has not been integrated into our personalities, referred to the as nonconscious

Psychoanalytic Theory Stated that the mind is divided into 2 parts: The conscious – the part of which we are aware The unconscious – the part of which we are not aware The unconscious mind has more influence than the conscious has on our personality & behaviour

The unconscious is further divided into 3 parts: the id – encourages us to seek physical satisfaction (sexual, nutritional) the superego – prompts us to do the moral thing, not the one that feels the best the ego – referees between the id and superego, and deals with external reality (our conscious self)

Freud believed that these 3 parts (id, ego, superego) affect our personality development, and our individual behaviour He also maintained that our early childhood experiences, usually involving our relationships with our parents & family, are stored in our unconscious mind

Psycho-sexual Theory Freud believed that individual sexual satisfaction or frustration was the key element in personality development He also stated that the sex drive was the greatest shaper of personality, and that sexuality was even present in infants

Psycho-sexual Theory By Sigmund Freud

Duration Pleasure Zone Main Characteristics Tasks to Achieve

1. Oral Stage * Duration: from birth to 1 year of age Pleasure zone: mouth Main characteristics: main source of pleasure is the mouth, lips, tongue, etc. The main concern is with immediate gratification of urges dominated by the id * Tasks to achieve: satisfactory feeding & weaning

Did you ever notice how little children tend to put everything in their mouths? This makes perfect sense from Freud’s perspective, who says that that is their primary pleasure zone

2. Anal Stage Duration: from 1-2 years of age Pleasure zone: Anus Main characteristics: controlling and controlling the bowels and bladder; the ego starts to control the id Tasks to achieve: potty and toilet training

Anally retentive? Perhaps you have heard this term… typically it refers to someone who is extremely stubborn; won’t let go of something once it is over; bears a grudge forever

3. Phallic Stage Duration: from 2-6 years of age Pleasure zone: phallus Main characteristics: some pleasure is gained from playing with the genitals. This pleasure is associated with the same sex parent leading to the Oedipus and Electra Complexes Id demands, ego tries to satisfy id, and superego tries to impose moral choices

Did you ever notice how sometimes little children will unashamedly put their hands down their pants and walk around in public? Freud says that since the genitals are a source of pleasure they also provide comfort to a young child.

Oedipus Complex – little boys have a sexual attraction towards their mothers and a sense of jealousy/hatred towards their fathers Electra Complex – little girls have a sexual attraction towards their fathers and a sense of jealousy/hatred towards their mothers Freud says that these Complexes are not resolved through murder, but through gradual identification with the same sex parent (assuming the goals, ambitions, mannerisms,& other personality traits)

4. Latency Stage Duration: from 6-11 years of age Pleasure zone: none Main characteristics: Oedipus and Electra Complexes are resolved and identification with same sex parent occurs, and loss of interest in opposite sex. Id, ego, superego continue to compete Tasks to achieve: none

5. Genital Stage Duration: from 11 years on Pleasure zone: genitals Main characteristics: increasing concern with adult ways of experiencing sexual pleasure Tasks to achieve: good relationships with members of both sexes

Fixation Freud says that a person can become stuck or fixated at any stage and may not progress beyond it, continuing to find pleasure in the pleasure zone associated with that stage i.e. – gum chews, pencil biters, smokers are said to be fixated at the Oral Stage

Penis Envy Freud believed that girls suffered from penis envy because boys had penis’ and girls were without them

Sigmund Freud died in 1939 in England at the age of 83, from cancer of the jaw (following years of cigar smoking – he himself claimed to be orally fixated)