Concept

Freud's Theory of Psychosexual Development

According to Sigmund Freud, personality develops during early childhood and is profoundly shaped by these formative experiences. He viewed development as a discontinuous process, proposing that individuals must pass through a series of psychosexual stages. Central to this theory is the idea that a child's pleasure-seeking urges are focused on different erogenous zones at each stage. Freud believed that if a child lacks proper nurturance and parenting during a particular stage, they can become fixated, which influences their personality and behavior in adulthood.

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Updated 2026-04-22

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