In Freud's psychosexual stages, which stage centers on the mouth for pleasure?

In Freud's psychosexual stages, which stage centers on the mouth for pleasure?

• A. Oral Stage
• B. Anal Stage
• C. Phallic Stage
• D. Latency Stage

Answer: (A)

In Freud’s psychosexual framework, each stage ties pleasure to a specific erogenous zone, shaping personality as that zone is explored in early development. The tongue-and-mouth area is the focus of the first stage, where infants derive pleasure from activities like sucking, biting, and nursing. This oral stage runs from birth through about 18 months, and early experiences with feeding and comfort can influence later traits such as trust, dependence, and coping styles. The other stages move the source of pleasure to other parts of the body and different kinds of experiences: the anal stage centers on bowel control and the associated sense of autonomy; the phallic stage involves the genitals and the development of gender identity and early family dynamics; and the latency stage is a calmer period where sexual energy is sublimated into social, school, and friendship activities. Because the question specifies pleasure centered on the mouth, the correct match is the stage where oral activities are primary for exploration and gratification.

In Freud’s psychosexual framework, each stage ties pleasure to a specific erogenous zone, shaping personality as that zone is explored in early development. The tongue-and-mouth area is the focus of the first stage, where infants derive pleasure from activities like sucking, biting, and nursing. This oral stage runs from birth through about 18 months, and early experiences with feeding and comfort can influence later traits such as trust, dependence, and coping styles.

The other stages move the source of pleasure to other parts of the body and different kinds of experiences: the anal stage centers on bowel control and the associated sense of autonomy; the phallic stage involves the genitals and the development of gender identity and early family dynamics; and the latency stage is a calmer period where sexual energy is sublimated into social, school, and friendship activities. Because the question specifies pleasure centered on the mouth, the correct match is the stage where oral activities are primary for exploration and gratification.