Question 1

John has a 6-month-old son and is telling his friend Tom about his son's activities.Tom has just read a book by Sigmund Freud describing child development stages.According to Tom, which stage is John's son in?

Accepted Answer

The oral stage is the first stage in Freud's theory of psychosexual development and occurs from birth to 1 year old. This stage is characterized by the infant's focus on oral stimulation, such as sucking and biting, in order to receive pleasure and reduce tension. John's 6-month-old son is likely still in this stage.

Question 2

Children enter the latency stage at 5 or 6 years of age.What is the next step of development?

Accepted Answer

The latency stage, according to Freud's psychosexual stages of development, lasts from around age 5 or 6 until puberty, after which children enter the genital stage.

Question 3

How does Erikson's psychosocial theory differ from Freud's psychosexual theory?

Accepted Answer

Erikson's psychosocial theory emphasizes social relationships, cultural context, and the role of society in shaping personality development, whereas Freud's psychosexual theory emphasizes the importance of unconscious sexual and aggressive motivations and how they shape personality development.

Question 4

Which theories are common to both Freud and Erikson?

Accepted Answer

Both Freud and Erikson's theories are stage theories, emphasizing different stages of development in the lifespan.

Question 5

According to Freud, during what stage can boys develop strong attachments to their mothers while girls form strong attachments to their fathers?

Accepted Answer

According to Freud, during the phallic stage (around ages 3-6), children become aware of their own gender and may develop strong attachments to their opposite-sex parent (i.e., boys to their mothers, girls to their fathers) as part of the Oedipus and Electra complexes.

Question 6

What term did Freud use to describe his theory of child development?

Accepted Answer

Freud's theory of child development is called psychosexual theory, which suggests that children go through five stages and progress through each stage based on sexual development.

Question 7

According to the textbook, what is Freud's legacy for future thinkers?

Accepted Answer

The textbook states that Freud's emphasis on children's emotional reality and needs has helped guide educators in their understanding of children's behavior. This suggests that Freud's legacy for future thinkers includes an increased awareness and consideration of children's emotional development in educational practice.

Question 8

Which of the following is a characteristic of the superego?

Accepted Answer

According to Sigmund Freud, the superego develops as a result of a child internalizing the moral standards and values of their parents and society. It represents the internalization of the cultural and social norms and moral principles that are learned in early childhood. It is not innate or present at birth, and it is distinct from the id, which represents innate and primitive instincts and desires. Additionally, the superego is not developed to help the child find rational ways of satisfying urges, as this is the role of the ego, which operates according to the reality principle.

Question 9

According to Freud, what word describes the id?

Accepted Answer

According to Freud, the id is the part of the psyche that is entirely unconscious and operates on the pleasure principle.

Question 10

According to Freud, which of the following would NOT cause a child to become "fixated" in a stage of development?

Accepted Answer

Freud's theory of psychosexual development suggests that fixation can occur due to insufficient or excessive gratification during a stage, or conflicts related to gratification. Intrapsychic conflict is a broader concept related to the dynamics between the id, ego, and superego, not specifically a cause of fixation in a developmental stage.

Question 11

Jason is a 15-year-old, but in many ways he seems much younger.He is impatient and egocentric. If you are listening to your MP3 player and Jason wants to hear the song, he might take the player from you. He does NOT seem to appreciate the difference between "yours" and "mine." According to Freudian theory, what level is Jason operating at?

Accepted Answer

Jason's impulsive behavior and lack of consideration for others' possessions suggests that he is operating primarily from the id, which is driven by basic instincts and desires without regard for social norms or moral considerations.

Question 12

Martha is an 8-year-old girl whose sexual impulses are buried.She spends her time focusing on her schoolwork and developing relationships with same-sex friends.According to Freud, what psychosexual stage is Martha in?

Accepted Answer

Martha is in the latency stage, which occurs from age 6 to puberty. During this stage, sexual impulses are dormant or repressed and children focus on developing their social and intellectual skills. Freud believed that same-sex friendships were common during this stage because children were trying to avoid the opposite sex and their potentially threatening sexual desires.

Question 13

According to Freudian psychoanalytic theory, a child may become fixated in the oral stage of development.In Freud's view, what experience can lead to this type of fixation?

Accepted Answer

According to Freud, the oral stage occurs during the first 18 months of life and is characterized by the primary focus on oral sensations such as eating and sucking. An experience of being denied adequate nourishment or being nursed for too long can lead to an oral fixation, meaning the child may have an excessive focus on oral activities later in life such as smoking, overeating, or nail-biting.

Question 14

According to Freud, what controls much of our behaviour?

Accepted Answer

According to Freud's psychoanalytic theory, the unconscious mind holds repressed desires and memories that influence a person's behavior and personality. Therefore, much of our behavior is controlled by our unconscious desires.

Question 15

According to Freudian psychoanalytic theory, a nail-biting adult is "fixated" during which stage of development?

Accepted Answer

According to Freudian psychoanalytic theory, nail-biting is considered an oral fixation and is associated with unresolved conflicts or unmet needs during the oral stage (birth to 18 months), where an individual's primary source of pleasure and satisfaction come from oral activities such as sucking, biting, and chewing. Therefore, a nail-biting adult is said to be fixated during the oral stage.

Question 16

According to one theory, when external limits, such as parental demands, are internalized, they conflict with inner forces.A child's observable behaviour, thoughts, and feelings reflect the outcomes of this conflict.What is the name of this theory?

Accepted Answer

The theory described emphasizes the internal conflicts between external limits and inner forces, which is a central concept in psychoanalytic theory.

Question 17

According to Freud's theory, what behaviour can result from becoming fixated during the anal stage of development?

Accepted Answer

According to Freud's theory, becoming fixated during the anal stage of development (ages 1-3) can result in a personality that is overly concerned with cleanliness and tidiness, or the opposite, being untidy and careless. This is because this stage is focused on toilet training, and if a child experiences too much pressure to conform to societal expectations or too little guidance, they may become fixated on the pleasure or displeasure associated with elimination.

Question 18

What is the correct order of Freud's psychosexual stages?

Accepted Answer

The correct order of Freud's psychosexual stages is oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital.

Question 19

After Mathew had worked at his job for only three weeks and was still on probation, his friend suggested he should skip work and go cycling.Although Mathew wanted to go cycling with his friend, he decided work was the better choice.According to Freud's theory, what was at work?

Accepted Answer

Freud's theory suggests that the ego mediates between the impulses of the id and the moral compass of the superego. In this situation, Mathew's desire to go cycling (id) was in conflict with his sense of responsibility to his new job and desire to succeed (superego). His decision to prioritize work over leisure suggests that his ego was at work in balancing these competing impulses.

Question 20

What is the focus of Freudian psychoanalytic theory?

Accepted Answer

Freudian psychoanalytic theory focuses on emotional and social development, particularly on how unconscious thoughts, feelings, and experiences from childhood shape an individual's personality and behavior.

Quiz 1: History, Theories, and Methods