Which term describes the unconscious sexual feelings toward a parent, typically involving hostility toward the other parent?

• A. Sublimation
• B. Symbiosis
• C. Regression
• D. Oedipus complex

Answer: (D)

During the phallic stage of psychosexual development, a child experiences unconscious sexual feelings for the opposite‑sex parent and, viewing the same‑sex parent as a rival, often feels hostility toward them. This pattern is described by Freud as the Oedipus complex. It specifically ties together the attraction to one parent with the protective, antagonistic feelings toward the other parent, shaping later personality as the child resolves the tension by identifying with the same‑sex parent and internalizing moral norms.

Sublimation involves redirecting those impulses into socially acceptable activities rather than family dynamics. Symbiosis refers to an extremely close, dependent relationship, not to unconscious sexual feelings toward a parent. Regression is reverting to earlier behaviors under stress, not about parental sexual feelings.