A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

During which stage of psychosexual development does Freud believe the Oedipus complex occurs?

1. Anal stage

2. Genital stage

3. Phallic stage

4. Latency stage

The correct answer is: Phallic stage

Freud proposed that the Oedipus complex occurs during the phallic stage of psychosexual development, which typically spans ages three to six years. During this stage, children begin to identify more strongly with their parents and develop a sense of gender identity. The Oedipus complex specifically describes a child's feelings of desire for the opposite-sex parent and jealousy toward the same-sex parent. Freud suggested that this complex is a crucial part of a child's psychosexual development, as it plays a role in the formation of their identity and sexual orientation. In contrast, during the anal stage, which precedes the phallic stage, the focus of pleasure is on controlling bladder and bowel movements. The latency stage follows the phallic stage and is characterized by a period of relative calm, where sexual feelings are repressed as children focus on social skills, friendships, and developing relationships outside of the family. The genital stage occurs after the latency stage and involves the maturation of sexual feelings, but at this point, the Oedipus complex would have already been resolved. Therefore, the phallic stage is the correct context for understanding the emergence of the Oedipus complex in Freud's theory.