The Oedipal Stage of Development

The Oedipal stage of development isn't really an official stage in Sigmund Freud's explanation of psychological development, it is a complex set of behaviors that are exhibited during that stage. Sigmund Freud believed that sexual drive was a predominant force in a child's psychological development. There were five stages---the oral, phallic, latency and genital stages. The stages begin at birth and run until puberty. The Oedipal Complex is a part of the oral, phallic and latency stages. Resolving it leads to good mental health, according to Freud.

Origins of the Oedipal Stage/Complex

• The Oedipal complex is the development of a child's sexual identity. The details were controversial when Freud introduced the idea in Three Essays on Sexuality in 1905. The Oedipal Complex idea has its origins in the story of Oedipus, written by Sophocles. In the story, Oedipus kills his father and tries to marry his mother. The root of Freud's theory is that children harbor sexual desire toward their parent of the opposite sex. This act leads to the beginning of gender identity in children.

What Is It?

• The Oedipal complex begins during the oral stage when the male child develops a sexual desire to the mother, as does the female child. The female, however, deflects her sexual behavior on the father. Castration theory steps in during the phallic stage, when the male child stops identifying with the mother because of castration fears and the daughter realizes that she is castrated and cannot advance sexual feelings toward the father. The son identifies with the father and the daughter identifies with the mother. In latency, the sexual desires are repressed.

Ages

• The Oedipal complex begins when the child is about 1 year old and ends in latency around age 6. It dominates that child's early year and is thus a large part of the child's overall development. Although many psychologists do not subscribe wholly to the Oedipal Complex, theories do agree that the early childhood development does play a large role in the child's mental health. The repression that is part of the latency stage has a role is masking abuse and trauma that occur during the early years as well. That is why some adults do not exhibit psychological effects of early childhood abuse until they are older.

Abnormal Behavior

• The effects of repressed abuse aren't the only issues that come out of an unresolved Oedipal complex. If a child does not complete the process, abnormal psychological conditions can develop. They include obsessive compulsive disorder, attachments issues, identity disorders, neurotic phobias and panic disorders.