Week 21 psychosexual stages

1. Psychodynamic Approach
What are the five psychosexual stages in
order?
Can you design a way of remembering them
(eg. Mnemonic / story)
What are the key underlying concepts in the
psychodynamic approach?

2. Lesson Objectives
By the end of the lesson you …
– Describe how the psychodynamic approach
explains gender development.
– Outline the role of the Oedipus complex, Electra
complex and identification in gender development

3. The Approach
• The psychodynamic approach emphasises the
importance of change and development in
behaviours. It believes that this development
is mainly driven by unconscious forces.
• We will look at how Psychoanalytic theory
(Freud) can be used to explain gender
development.

6. Stage
Age:
Age:
Age:
Age:
Age:
Erogenous Zone(s) &
Gratifying Activities
Interaction with
Environment
Consequences of
Fixation

7. Oral Stage
(Age 0 – 18mths)
 Erogenous Zone in Focus: Mouth
 Gender Identity: Flexible & no clear differences for boy or
girls.
 No sense of being masculine or feminine.
 Gratifying Activities: Feeding & mouth movements
 Interaction with the Environment: mother's breast :food
,drink, & love/hate.
 id demands immediate gratification, responsive nurturing is
key.
 Both insufficient and forceful feeding can result in fixation in
this stage.
 Regression

8. Symptoms of Oral Fixation
Smoking
Constant chewing on gum, pens, pencils, etc.
Nail biting
Overeating & Eating disorders
Drinking
Sarcasm ("the biting personality")
Verbal hostility
Narcissism
Passivity

9. Anal Stage 1-3
 Erogenous Zone in Focus: Anus
 Gender Identity: Flexible & no clear differences for boy or girls.
 No sense of being masculine or feminine.
 Gratifying Activities: Bowel movement and withholding of poo.
 Interaction with the Environment: Toilet training: taught when,
where, and how excretion is deemed appropriate by society.
 Notice the pleasure and displeasure associated with bowel
movements. Gift/Defy
 Discover ability to control bowel movements.
 Power over their parents.

10. Anal Fixation
• Anal-Expulsive Personality: Parents are too lenient:
the child will derive pleasure and success from the
expulsion.
• Excessively sloppy, disorganized, reckless, careless,
and defiant.
• Anal-Retentive Personality: Receives excessive
pressure and punishment - will experience anxiety
over bowl movements = pleasure to withhold.
• Obsessively clean and orderly, and intolerant of
those who aren't. Very careful, stingy, withholding,
obstinate, meticulous, conforming and passiveaggressive.
• Tight-Arse!

11. Stage 3 : The PHALLIC stage
Age 3 – 5/6
 Erogenous Zone in Focus: Genitals
 Gender Identity Starts!: Pay attention to others’
genitals and notice physical differences between males
and females.
 The main force behind children’s gender development
is their relationships with their parents. The mother is
the first love object for both boys and girls, which for
boys turns to lust at age 3.
Gender Development:
The Oedipus conflict (boys)
The Electra conflict (girls)

12. The Oedipus complex
• All young boys experience this conflict.
• Develop a passionate desire for their mother.
• Fear: castration
• Conflict: between lust for mother & fear of father.
The Electra complex
• All young girls experience this conflict.
• Develop a passionate desire for their father.
• Fear: losing mother’s love.
• Conflict: between lust for father & fear of losing mother's love.

13. The Oedipus complex
• All young boys experience this conflict.
• Develop a passionate desire for their mother.
• Fear: castration
• Conflict: between lust for mother & fear of father.
The Electra complex
• All young girls experience this conflict.
• Develop a passionate desire for their father.
• Fear: losing mother’s love.
• Conflict: between lust for father & fear of losing mother's love.

14. Latency (Age 5/6 - puberty)
• Erogenous Zone in Focus: None
• Interactions with the Environment: Sexual
feelings are suppressed = focus their energy
on other aspects of life: learning, adjusting
to the social environment outside of home,
absorbing the culture, forming beliefs and
values, developing same-sex friendships,
engaging in sports, etc.
• Lasts five to six years, until puberty: capable
of reproduction = sexuality is re-awakened.

15. Genital Stage (puberty +)
• Erogenous Zone in Focus: Genitals
• Gratifying Activities: Masturbation and
heterosexual relationships
• Interaction with the Environment:
Renewed sexual interest and desire, and the
pursuit of relationships.
• Fixations: No fixation. Damaged already
done E.g. attractions to the opposite sex can
be a source of anxiety at this stage if the
person has not successfully resolved the
Oedipal (or Electra) conflict at the phallic
stage.

16. • You have children of the following ages. Using
your knowledge of the psychosexual states
identify the behaviour you would expect to
see them exhibit:
– 16 month old
– 3 year old
– 5 year old
– 14 year old

18. – Describe how the psychodynamic approach explains
gender development.
– Outline the role of the Oedipus complex, Electra
complex and identification in gender development

19. Age
Stage
Physical Focus
18 months –
3 years
Phallic
Period of relative
calm.
Latency
Anus and
expulsion of
faeces.
0 – 18
months
Oral
Genital area and
sexual desire
returns
3 years –
6 years
Genital
Penis.
Puberty –
adulthood
Anal
Mouth, lips,
tongue.
6 years –
puberty

20. Lesson Objectives
By the end of the lesson you …
– Describe (APRC) the study of Little Hans.

21. Age
Stage
Physical Focus
18 months –
3 years
Phallic
Period of relative
calm.
Latency
Anus and
expulsion of
faeces.
0 – 18
months
Oral
Genital area and
sexual desire
returns
3 years –
6 years
Genital
Penis.
Puberty –
adulthood
Anal
Mouth, lips,
tongue.
6 years –
puberty

22. Journal
Activity

23. – Describe (APRC) the study of Little Hans.

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@jamiesflipped