Marissa's workspace is always chaotic and overflowing with stacks of overdue projects. She is chronically late to social events. The psychoanalytic interpretation would be that she is fixated at the _______ stage.

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Marissa's workspace being chaotic and overflowing with stacks of overdue projects is a classic example of an anal fixation. According to psychoanalytic theory, anal fixation occurs when a person's needs during the anal stage are not met properly, resulting in either an anal expulsive or anal retentive personality. An anal expulsive personality is messy, disorganized, and careless, while an anal retentive personality is overly neat, perfectionistic, and rigid. Marissa's behavior suggests an anal expulsive personality. The phallic stage is characterized by the Oedipus complex and sexual urges while the latent stage occurs between the ages of 6 and puberty where sexual impulses are repressed. The oral stage is characterized by the focus on the mouth and the dependence on caregivers.

Marissa's Workspace Is Always Chaotic and Overflowing with Stacks of Overdue