Theory Application & Psychosexual Stages
Freud believed that children are born with a libido – a sexual urge. There are a number of stages of childhood,during which the child seeks pleasure from a different ‘object’ (McLeod, 2013):
Freud believed that each of these stages needed to be completed in order to be psychologically healthy. Mental abnormality
can occur if a person does not properly complete a stage, causing the person to become 'fixated' in that stage. This theory can be applied to human development because it shows how adult personality is determined by childhood experiences (McLeod, 2013).
Another powerful force in molding personalities of individuals is the Oedipus complex. This complex involves a child's feelings of attachment to their parents and the conflict that arises as children mature and act aggressively toward the parent of the opposite sex (Brizee, 2013). These feelings are largely repressed due to prevailing fear of punishment by the parent of the same sex. The boy's version is derived from Oedipus Tyrannus, in which Oedipus discovers that he was cursed to kill his father and marry his mother (Dolloff, 2006). The Electra complex is the female analog to the Oedipus complex (Dolloff, 2006). This complex describes the female child's erotic desire for the father and simultaneous fear of the mother. The girl feels as if she must compete with the mother for the father's affection, so fear and aggression arise. Children experience these feelings during the phallic phase.
The application of this theory to human development means it is widely referenced in public media. For example, the protagonist Norman Bates from the movie Psycho showed many signs of having an Oedpius complex. Bates' mother took a new lover after Bates' father died years before, prompting feelings of jealousy. Norman acted on these feelings by murdering his mother and her lover. He preserved his mother's corpse and developed multiple personality disorder by assuming his mother's personality (Dolloff, 2006). The feelings that Norman Bates experiences can be shared by any individual (though maybe not to such a crazy extent!). As humans, we are prone to feelings of envy, hatred, and anger. In some circumstances, we are willing to act upon these emotions in order to satisfy our desires. Furthermore, the basic psychological terms that Freud described can be applied to daily human function. People are confronted with the battle between id, ego, and superego everyday, and must find the balance between these three elements in order to function acceptably in society. Defense mechanisms such as repression can be applied to either world or daily events that display the violent and atrocious nature of humans. Rape is evident in daily occurrences and in major wars, and the victims will resort to defense mechanisms in order to protect themselves.
The application of this theory to human development means it is widely referenced in public media. For example, the protagonist Norman Bates from the movie Psycho showed many signs of having an Oedpius complex. Bates' mother took a new lover after Bates' father died years before, prompting feelings of jealousy. Norman acted on these feelings by murdering his mother and her lover. He preserved his mother's corpse and developed multiple personality disorder by assuming his mother's personality (Dolloff, 2006). The feelings that Norman Bates experiences can be shared by any individual (though maybe not to such a crazy extent!). As humans, we are prone to feelings of envy, hatred, and anger. In some circumstances, we are willing to act upon these emotions in order to satisfy our desires. Furthermore, the basic psychological terms that Freud described can be applied to daily human function. People are confronted with the battle between id, ego, and superego everyday, and must find the balance between these three elements in order to function acceptably in society. Defense mechanisms such as repression can be applied to either world or daily events that display the violent and atrocious nature of humans. Rape is evident in daily occurrences and in major wars, and the victims will resort to defense mechanisms in order to protect themselves.