A 6-year-old girl is brought to the pediatrician by her mother because of fecal incontinence. The mother says this behavior usually occurs at school. According to Freud, which stage of psychosexual development has this child failed to progress through?
(A) Anal stage (B) Genital stage (C) Latency stage (D) Oral stage (E) Phallic stage
The correct answer is A. The proper stage se- quence of Freud’s psychosexual theory is oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. Freud’s the- ories of psychosexual development associate pleasure with certain bodily functions. Freud believed that between the ages of 18 months and 3 years, children are preoccupied with anal functions. Encopresis is fecal inconti- nence and can range from mild to severe.
Answer B is incorrect. Freud’s genital stage encompasses adolescents to adults and is characterized by the desire to achieve sexual grati- fication.
Answer C is incorrect. Freud’s latency stage encompasses the ages of 6-12 years and is char- acterized by a suppression of sexual desire.
Answer D is incorrect. Freud’s oral stage en- compasses birth to the age of 18 months. Freud believed that children of this age gain satisfaction from oral functions.
Answer E is incorrect. Freud’s phallic stage encompasses the ages of 3-5 years and is most commonly known as the oedipal phase. Freud believed that at this stage children begin to de- velop sexual fantasies.