Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
An Austrian neurologist who founded psychoanalysis. He proposed theories about the role of the unconscious mind, childhood experiences, and sexuality in influencing human behavior and development.
Related terms
Id, Ego & Superego: These are three parts of the psychic apparatus defined by Freud which describes different aspects of personality; Id being primal desires, Ego being realistic/practical aspect and Superego being moral conscience.
Oedipus Complex/Electra Complex: These are controversial theories proposed by Freud suggesting that during certain stages of childhood development children have subconscious sexual attachments towards their opposite-sex parent while viewing same-sex parent as a rival.
According to Freud these are five stages (Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency and Genital) of childhood development each characterized by sexual pleasure in different parts of the body.