Module 5
FREUD’S PSYCHOANALYTIC
THEORY
-Sigmund Freud
(The Father of Psychoanalytic Theory
Freud’s Stages of Psychosexual
Development
• Freud is the most popular psychologist that studied the
development of personality, also probably the most
controversial. His theory of psychosexual development
includes five distinct stages.
• The theory is quiet interesting for many because Freud
identified specific “erogenous zones” for each stage of
development. These are specific “pleasure areas” that
become focal points for the particular stage.
• Fixation - results from failure to satisfy the needs of a particular
psychosexual stage.
Five distinct stages of Freud’s Psychosexual
Development
Oral Stage (Birth to 18 months)
• The erogenous zone is the mouth. During the oral stage,
the child is focused on oral pleasures (sucking). Too
much or too little satisfaction can lead to an Oral
Fixation or Oral Personality which is shown in an
increased focus on oral activities. This type of
personality may be oral receptive, that is, have a
stronger tendency to smoke, drink alcohol, over eat, or
oral aggressive, that is, with a tendency to bite his or her
nails, or use curse words or even gossip.
Anal Stage (18 months to 3 years)
• The child’s focus of pleasure in this stage is the anus. The
child finds satisfaction in eliminating and retaining feces.
Through society’s expectations, particularly the parent’s
the child needs to work on toilet training.
• Between 1 year old to 3 years the child’s favorite word
might be “No”. Therefore, a struggle might exist in the
toilet training process when the child retains feces for
some reason.
Phallic Stage(ages 3 to 6)
• The pleasure or erogenous zone is the genitals. During
the preschool age, children become interested in what
makes boys and girls different. Preschoolers will
sometimes be seen fondling their genitals.
• Freud’s studies led him to believe that during his stage
boys develop unconscious sexual desire for their
mother. Boys then see their father as a rival for her
mother’s affection. Boys may fear that their father will
punish them for these feelings, thus the castration
anxiety.
• Oedipus Complex, in Greek Mythology, Oedipus
unintentionally killed his father and married his mother
Jocasta.
• Electra Complex, developing unconscious sexual
attraction towards his father.
• According to Freud, out of fear of castration and due to
the strong competition of their father, boys eventually
decide to identify with them rather fight them. By
identifying with their father, the boys develop masculine
characteristics and identify themselves as males and
repress their sexual feelings toward their mother.
Latency Stage(age 6 to puberty)
• It's during this stage that sexual urges remain repressed.
The children's focus is the acquisition of physical and
academic skills. Boys usually relate more with boys and
girls with girls during this stage.
Genital Stage (puberty onwards)
• The fifth stage of psychosexual development begins at
the start of puberty when sexual urges are once again
awakened. in the earlier stages, adolescents focus their
sexual urges towars the opposite sex peers, with
pleasure centered on the genitals.
Freud's Personality Components
• Freud's described the
personality structures as
having three components,
the id, the ego and the
superego. For each person,
the first to emerge is the id,
followed by the ego, and the
last to develop is the
superego.
The id.
• Freud say's that, a child is born with the id. The id plays a vital role
in one's personality because as a baby, it works so that the
baby's essential needs are met.
• The id operates on the pleasure principle. It focuses on
immediate gratification or satisfaction of its needs. So whatever
feels good now is what it will pursue with no consideration for the
reality, logicality or practicality of the situation
• Nothing else matters to the id except the satisfaction of its own
needs. It is not oriented towards considering reality nor the needs
of others.
The ego.
• As the baby turns into a toddler and then into a
preschooler, he/she relates more with the environment,
the ego slowly begins to emerge.
• The ego operates using the reality principle. It is aware
that others also nhave needs to be met. It is practical
because it knows that being impilsive or selfish can
result to negative consequences later, so it reason's and
considers the best response to situations.
The superego.
• Near the end of the preschool years, or the end of the
phallic stage, the superego develops. The superego
embodies person's moral aspect.
• The superego is likened to conscience because it exerts
influence on what one considers right and wrong.
The Three Components and Pesonality
Adjustment
• Freud said that a well-adjusted person is one who has strong ego, who can
help satisfy the needs of the id without going againts the superego while
maintaining the person's sense of what is logical, practical and real.
• The ability of a learner to be well-adjusted is largely influenced by how the
learner was brought up. His experiences about how his parents met his needs,
the extent to which he was allowed to do the things he wanted to do, and
also the how he was taught about right and wrong, all figures to the type of
personality and consequent adjustment that a person will make.
• Freud believed that the personality of an individual is formed during the the
childhood years.
Topographical Model
The Unconscious The Conscious
• Freud said that most what we • Freud also said that all that we
go through in our lives, are aware of is stored in our
emotions, beliefs, feelings, conscious mind. Our conscious
and impulses deep within are mind only comprises a very
not available to us at a small part of who we are so
that, in our everyday life, we are
conscious level. only aware of a very small part
• He believed that most of of what makes up our
what influence us is our personality: mos of what we are
unconscious. is hidden and out of reach.
The Subconscious
• The last part is the
preconscious or
sunconscious. This is the part
of us that we can reach id
prompted, but is not in our
active conscious.
• It's right below surface, but
still “hidden” somewhat
unless we search for it.
THANK YOU
AND
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
•Activity
Through Freud's theory, fill out the graphic organizer below to highlight the important
concepts.
Erogenous Zone__________________________
Oral Description of the Stage________________________________________
Stage Fixations__________________________________
Erogenous Zone__________________________
Anal Description of the Stage________________________________________
Stage Fixations__________________________________
Phallic Erogenous Zone__________________________
Stage Description of the Stage________________________________________
Fixations__________________________________
Latency Erogenous Zone__________________________
Stage Description of the Stage________________________________________
Fixations__________________________________
Genital
Stage Erogenous Zone__________________________
Description of the Stage________________________________________
Fixations__________________________________
