Freud’s psychosexual stages

Definition

Freud's psychosexual stages refer to his theory that human development occurs in a series of stages, each characterized by a focus on a different erogenous zone. These stages are oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital.

Related terms

Erogenous zones: Areas of the body that are particularly sensitive and pleasure-giving.

Fixation:

A concept in Freud's theory where an individual becomes "stuck" at one particular stage due to unresolved conflicts or overindulgence during that stage.

Oedipus complex: A psychoanalytic term referring to a child's feelings of desire for their opposite-sex parent and jealousy towards their same-sex parent.