A colleague, Alex, is under a lot of stress at work. You notice that he chain-smokes, constantly chews on his pens, and often overeats during his lunch break. According to the principles of psychosexual development, an unresolved conflict from which period of early life is most likely the underlying cause of Alex's behaviors? Explain your reasoning.

Applying Psychodynamic Theory to Behavior

Based on the principles of how unresolved conflicts in the earliest stage of life (from birth to approximately one year) can influence adult personality, provide a psychoanalytic explanation for the behaviors described in the case study below.

Explaining Adult Behaviors with Psychoanalytic Theory

In Freudian theory, an oral fixation can develop if the conflicts of the oral stage, particularly weaning, are not properly resolved. This fixation may manifest in adulthood through mouth-related habits such as smoking, overeating, drinking, or nail-biting. These behaviors are considered attempts to alleviate anxiety stemming from the unresolved developmental issues.

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The oral stage is the first phase of psychosexual development, occurring from birth to approximately one year of age. During this period, an infant's primary source of pleasure is centered on the mouth, involving activities like sucking and eating. A key developmental conflict arises during this stage with the process of weaning from a bottle or breast. Freud theorized that improper handling of this transition by caregivers could lead to unresolved issues.

Oral Stage of Psychosexual Development

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Oral Fixation

Based on the principles of psychosexual development, which early developmental period is most likely the source of this client's behaviors, and what specific conflict from that period could be unresolved?

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