Four-year-old Ed says, "Mommy, when I grow up I want to marry you and be your husband." Given this statement, Ed appears to be experiencing a(n) _____ complex.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ed's statement suggests that he may be experiencing the Oedipus complex, which is a psychoanalytic concept that describes a child's unconscious desire to possess their opposite-sex parent and eliminate their same-sex parent as a rival for that attention. This complex is named after the Greek mythical character Oedipus, who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother.

Four-Year-Old Ed Says, "Mommy, When I Grow Up I Want