Phallic Stage (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 phallic stage is a critical period in a child's psychosexual development, according to Freudian theory.
- During the phallic stage, children typically experience increased curiosity about their own genitals and those of others.
- Freud believed that the phallic stage was a time of significant psychological development, as children began to understand the differences between males and females.
- The phallic stage is often associated with the Oedipus complex, in which children develop feelings of desire for the opposite-sex parent.
- According to psychoanalytic theory, unresolved conflicts during the phallic stage can lead to various psychological issues later in life.