Freud proposed that personality development in childhood takes place during five psychosexual
stages, which are the oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages. During each stage sexual
energy also known as libido is expressed in different ways and through different parts of the
body. These are called psychosexual stages because each stage represents the fixation of libido
on a different area of the body. As a person grows physically certain areas of their body become
important as sources of potential frustration, pleasure or both. Freud believed that life was built
round tension and pleasure. Freud also believed that all tension was due to the build-up of libido
and that all pleasure came from its discharge. In describing human personality development as
psychosexual Freud meant to convey that what develops is the way in which sexual energy of the
id accumulates and is discharged as we mature biologically. The ego and superego develop in
order to exercise this control and direct the need for gratification into socially acceptable
channels. Gratification centers in different areas of the body at different stages of growth,
making the conflict at each stage psychosexual. Therefore, this essay will shade more light on
Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual personality child development with their fixation consequences
on each stage.
However, in the first stage of psychosexual development, the libido is centered in a baby's
mouth. During the oral stages, the baby gets much satisfaction from putting all sorts of things in
its mouth to satisfy the libido, and thus its id demands. Which at this stage in life are oral, or
mouth orientated, such as sucking, biting, and breastfeeding. Freud said oral stimulation could
lead to an oral fixation in later life. We see oral personalities all around us such as smokers, nail-
biters, finger-chewers, and thumb suckers. Oral personalities engage in such oral behaviors,
particularly when under stress (Freud, 1905).
Psychologically, Sigmund Freud proposed that if the nursing child's appetite were thwarted
during any libidinal development stage, the asnxiety would persist into adulthood as a neurosis.
Dino (2016) stipulated that, an infantile oral fixation would be manifest as an obsession with oral
stimulation, yet, if weaned either too early or too late, the infant might fail to resolve the
emotional conflicts of the oral, first stage of psychosexual development and they might develop a
maladaptive oral fixation.
During the anal stage of psychosexual development the libido becomes focused on the anus, and
the child derives great pleasure from defecating. The child is now fully aware that they are a
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, person in their own right and that their wishes can bring them into conflict with the demands of
the outside world. Freud believed that this type of conflict tends to come to a head in potty
training, in which adults impose restrictions on when and where the child can defecate. The
nature of this first conflict with authority can determine the child's future relationship with all
forms of authority. Early or harsh potty training can lead to the child becoming an anal-retentive
personality who hates mess, is obsessively tidy, punctual and respectful of authority. They can
be stubborn and tight-fisted with their cash and possessions (Freud, 1905). This is all related to
pleasure got from holding on to their faeces when toddlers, and their mum's then insisting that
they get rid of it by placing them on the potty until they perform! Not as daft as it sounds. The
anal expulsive, on the other hand, underwent a liberal toilet-training regime during the anal
stage. In adulthood, the anal expulsive is the person who wants to share things with you. They
like giving things away. In essence, they are 'sharing theirs, an anal-expulsive personality is also
messy, disorganized and rebellious.
According to Freud, the anus is the primary erogenous zone and pleasure is derived from
controlling bladder and bowel movement. The major conflict issue during this stage is toilet
training. A fixation at this stage can result in a personality that is too rigid or one that is too
disordered (Cherry, 2012). Hence, fixations at this point in development can lead to what Freud
called anal-retentive and anal-expulsive personalities.
Freud (1905) stated that, the phallic stage is the third stage of psychosexual development,
spanning the ages of three to six years, wherein the infant's libido (desire) centers upon their
genitalia as the erogenous zone. The child becomes aware of anatomical sex differences, which
sets in motion the conflict between erotic attraction, resentment, rivalry, jealousy and fear which
Freud called the Oedipus complex. This is resolved through the process of identification, which
involves the child adopting the characteristics of the same sex parent. The most important aspect
of the phallic stage is the Oedipus complex. This is one of Freud's most controversial ideas and
one that many people reject outright. The name of the Oedipus complex derives from the Greek
myth where Oedipus, a young man, kills his father and marries his mother. Upon discovering
this, he pokes his eyes out and becomes blind. This Oedipal is the generic term for both Oedipus
and Electra complexes.
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stages, which are the oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages. During each stage sexual
energy also known as libido is expressed in different ways and through different parts of the
body. These are called psychosexual stages because each stage represents the fixation of libido
on a different area of the body. As a person grows physically certain areas of their body become
important as sources of potential frustration, pleasure or both. Freud believed that life was built
round tension and pleasure. Freud also believed that all tension was due to the build-up of libido
and that all pleasure came from its discharge. In describing human personality development as
psychosexual Freud meant to convey that what develops is the way in which sexual energy of the
id accumulates and is discharged as we mature biologically. The ego and superego develop in
order to exercise this control and direct the need for gratification into socially acceptable
channels. Gratification centers in different areas of the body at different stages of growth,
making the conflict at each stage psychosexual. Therefore, this essay will shade more light on
Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual personality child development with their fixation consequences
on each stage.
However, in the first stage of psychosexual development, the libido is centered in a baby's
mouth. During the oral stages, the baby gets much satisfaction from putting all sorts of things in
its mouth to satisfy the libido, and thus its id demands. Which at this stage in life are oral, or
mouth orientated, such as sucking, biting, and breastfeeding. Freud said oral stimulation could
lead to an oral fixation in later life. We see oral personalities all around us such as smokers, nail-
biters, finger-chewers, and thumb suckers. Oral personalities engage in such oral behaviors,
particularly when under stress (Freud, 1905).
Psychologically, Sigmund Freud proposed that if the nursing child's appetite were thwarted
during any libidinal development stage, the asnxiety would persist into adulthood as a neurosis.
Dino (2016) stipulated that, an infantile oral fixation would be manifest as an obsession with oral
stimulation, yet, if weaned either too early or too late, the infant might fail to resolve the
emotional conflicts of the oral, first stage of psychosexual development and they might develop a
maladaptive oral fixation.
During the anal stage of psychosexual development the libido becomes focused on the anus, and
the child derives great pleasure from defecating. The child is now fully aware that they are a
1|Page
, person in their own right and that their wishes can bring them into conflict with the demands of
the outside world. Freud believed that this type of conflict tends to come to a head in potty
training, in which adults impose restrictions on when and where the child can defecate. The
nature of this first conflict with authority can determine the child's future relationship with all
forms of authority. Early or harsh potty training can lead to the child becoming an anal-retentive
personality who hates mess, is obsessively tidy, punctual and respectful of authority. They can
be stubborn and tight-fisted with their cash and possessions (Freud, 1905). This is all related to
pleasure got from holding on to their faeces when toddlers, and their mum's then insisting that
they get rid of it by placing them on the potty until they perform! Not as daft as it sounds. The
anal expulsive, on the other hand, underwent a liberal toilet-training regime during the anal
stage. In adulthood, the anal expulsive is the person who wants to share things with you. They
like giving things away. In essence, they are 'sharing theirs, an anal-expulsive personality is also
messy, disorganized and rebellious.
According to Freud, the anus is the primary erogenous zone and pleasure is derived from
controlling bladder and bowel movement. The major conflict issue during this stage is toilet
training. A fixation at this stage can result in a personality that is too rigid or one that is too
disordered (Cherry, 2012). Hence, fixations at this point in development can lead to what Freud
called anal-retentive and anal-expulsive personalities.
Freud (1905) stated that, the phallic stage is the third stage of psychosexual development,
spanning the ages of three to six years, wherein the infant's libido (desire) centers upon their
genitalia as the erogenous zone. The child becomes aware of anatomical sex differences, which
sets in motion the conflict between erotic attraction, resentment, rivalry, jealousy and fear which
Freud called the Oedipus complex. This is resolved through the process of identification, which
involves the child adopting the characteristics of the same sex parent. The most important aspect
of the phallic stage is the Oedipus complex. This is one of Freud's most controversial ideas and
one that many people reject outright. The name of the Oedipus complex derives from the Greek
myth where Oedipus, a young man, kills his father and marries his mother. Upon discovering
this, he pokes his eyes out and becomes blind. This Oedipal is the generic term for both Oedipus
and Electra complexes.
2|Page
