(2) Freud's Psychosexual stages

Psychosexual stages

at each stage, the libido is invested in one body part called the 'erogenous zone', which is source of gratification and focus of pleasure 

• Oral 
• > 0-18m, when only id is present
• > earliest pleasure on feeding, pleasure centres are mouth, tongue, lips 
• > chewing, biting, sucking in absense of food
• > 'cathexis', baby invests libidinal energy in person giving the pleasure
• > baby must receive sufficient oral stimulation so needs are met and trust developed
• > fixation:
• -- can occur if fed too much or not enough, person 'seeks out' oral stimulation later
• -- may engage in neurotic behaviours, eg. thumb sucking, nail biting
• -- oral overindulgence leads to 'oral receptive character', where they are dependent, trusting, accepting and gullible
• -- oral underidulgence leads to 'oral aggressive personality', where person is sadistic, exploits, envious, dominating
• Anal
• >18-36m, when ego develops
• > pleasure on bladder and bowel elimination, coping with demands…