Phallic Phase (Noun)
Meaning
(psychoanalysis) the third stage in a child's development when awareness of and manipulation of the genitals is supposed to be a primary source of pleasure.
Classification
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.
Examples
- The psychoanalyst believed that the child's fascination with his genitals was a clear indication that he had entered the phallic phase of development.
- During the phallic phase, children often engage in exploratory behaviors such as touching and manipulating their own genitals.
- According to Freud, the phallic phase is a critical period in a child's psychosexual development, marked by a focus on the genitals as a source of pleasure.
- The child's mother became uncomfortable when she caught him playing with his genitals, a behavior that was typical of the phallic phase.
- In the phallic phase, children typically begin to develop a sense of gender identity and may exhibit behaviors that are stereotypically masculine or feminine.