Latent Stage

Definition

The fourth stage in Freud's psychosexual stages of development where sexual interests are suppressed while children focus primarily on activities related to schoolwork and same-sex friendships.

Related terms

Fixation:

An obsessive interest or feeling about someone or something. In psychoanalytic theory, this can occur when a person is stuck at an early stage of psychosexual development.

Sublimation:

A defense mechanism where socially unacceptable impulses are transformed into socially acceptable actions or behavior.

Ego Defense Mechanisms: Psychological strategies brought into play by various entities to cope with reality and maintain self-image.