Freud’s Theory of Psychosexual Development

genital stage begins at twelve or thirteen and continues throughout adulthood. With puberty, biological maturation can no longer be denied. The repression lifts and the individual becomes intensely conscious of sexual interest. Libido makes a final shift from the phallus to a more general interest in the opposite sex. In normal development, the individual transfers sexual interest away from the parent and toward potential partners who are not members of the family.

Freud‘s outline suggests that much can go wrong with sexual development. There can be too much excitation and arousal associated with one of the stages. Or, conversely, there can be too much inhibition, punishment, or emotional injury associated with one of the stages. Freud indicated that either too much excitation or too much inhibition can induce a