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
The opposite-sex parent refers to the parent of the opposite gender from the child, typically in reference to Freudian theory. It is a central concept in psychoanalysis and plays a role in the Oedipus complex.
Related terms
Oedipus complex: In Freudian theory, this term refers to a child's unconscious desire for sexual involvement with the opposite-sex parent and rivalry with the same-sex parent.
Electra complex: Similar to the Oedipus complex, this term refers specifically to girls developing feelings of desire for their fathers and competition with their mothers.
This is both a therapeutic technique and a theoretical framework developed by Sigmund Freud. It aims to bring repressed or unconscious thoughts and emotions into conscious awareness.