Which framework describes psychosexual stages such as oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital?

• A. Existential Therapy
• B. Psychoanalysis
• C. Humanistic Therapy
• D. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Answer: (C)

Psychosexual stages are part of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality development. In this view, a child’s libidinal energy moves through stages—oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital—each tied to a different area of the body and a set of conflicts to be resolved. How these conflicts are managed shapes later personality, and unresolved issues can lead to fixations that influence behavior in adulthood. Psychoanalysis emphasizes unconscious motives, defense mechanisms, and the impact of early experiences, often explored through talk therapy, dream interpretation, and free association.

Existential therapy centers on meaning and choice; humanistic therapy focuses on growth, self-actualization, and the therapeutic relationship; cognitive-behavioral therapy targets thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. None of these describe a sequential model of psychosexual development.