Which stage is characterized by focus on genitals and conflicts?

Which stage is characterized by focus on genitals and conflicts?

• A. Latent
• B. Anal
• C. Oral
• D. Phallic

Answer: (D)

In the stage Freud describes, the libido centers on the genitals. This occurs around ages 3 to 6 and involves the Oedipus complex in boys and the Electra complex in girls, where children experience intense feelings toward the opposite-sex parent and rivalry with the same-sex parent. The tension is resolved through identification with the same-sex parent and the development of a sense of gender identity and the superego. This combination of a focus on genitals and the associated family conflicts is what characterizes this stage, setting it apart from earlier stages (oral and anal, focused on other body areas) and from the later latent period where sexual energy is repressed and later re-emerges in adolescence.

In the stage Freud describes, the libido centers on the genitals. This occurs around ages 3 to 6 and involves the Oedipus complex in boys and the Electra complex in girls, where children experience intense feelings toward the opposite-sex parent and rivalry with the same-sex parent. The tension is resolved through identification with the same-sex parent and the development of a sense of gender identity and the superego. This combination of a focus on genitals and the associated family conflicts is what characterizes this stage, setting it apart from earlier stages (oral and anal, focused on other body areas) and from the later latent period where sexual energy is repressed and later re-emerges in adolescence.