Freud’s theory of psychosexual development proposes that healthy sexual development follows a series of stages, starting with the oral stage, where the fixation is the mouth. If development during this stage does not progress healthily, it could contribute to the development of an oral fixation. However, there is much debate about the validity of this theory.
The oral stage is the first of a series of stages in the theory of psychosexual development proposed by Sigmund Freud, a well-known 20th century psychoanalyst. Freud believed that healthy sexual development followed a series of stages, starting at birth when people learned about their bodies and developed both positive and negative associations about specific areas of the body. At each stage, various events could contribute to a fixation on a particular area of the body which could manifest itself in the form of a psychological or sexual problem.
In the oral stage, which lasts from birth to about 18 months or two years, the fixation is the mouth. The mouth is the body’s way of taking in sustenance, with babies literally feeding their needs through their mouths. The mouth is also very sensitive, as is the area around the mouth early in development. Many babies like to explore tactile sensations with their mouths, which is why they chew, chew and lick things.
According to Freud, a child who develops healthily during the oral stage learns to trust people and develops a sense of well-being. The oral stage can also facilitate independence and the development of personal boundaries as children begin to learn that their needs can be met. As the oral stage comes to an end, a baby may experience conflict during weaning, then transition into the anal stage, which involves a fixation on the anus and the things that emerge from it.
If development during the oral stage does not progress healthily, Freud believed it could contribute to the development of an oral fixation. Individuals with an oral fixation may continue to bite, chew, lick, and suck on things as a form of exploration into adulthood. Oral fixation has also been credited as the motivating force for smoking, overeating, and other activities involving the mouth. Freud suggested that not meeting a child’s needs during the oral stage could lead to an oral fixation, and that overcoming these needs could have a similar outcome.
There is much debate about the stages of psychosexual development. While many people in the field of psychology study them, as Freud was a huge influence on the field, not all professionals lend credence to this theory. Others believe that while parts of the theory and the ideas behind it may be valid, childhood and sexual development are more complex, and this theory does not adequately explain all of the processes involved in healthy psychological development.
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