FREUD
...se when the person doesn't meet the parent's or society's standards. If these standards are rigid, the person grows up with a rigid inflexible personality like the anal retentives Freud talks about in his stages of development. Freud’s theory of development comes from his observations of adults' recollections in therapy of their lives. He did not observe children directly. Although Freud's theory has been roundly criticized for its lack of scientific character, it does stand however as a grand metaphor for describing personality. Freud's theory has three main parts, the stages of development, the structure of the personality, and his description of mental life. Again, only from adult recollections did these stages emerge. The first stage is the Oral Stage. It runs from birth to age 2. In the oral stage infants and toddler explore the world primarily with their most sensitive area, their mouths. They also learn to use their mouths to communicate. The next stage is the Anal Stage. In the anal stage, children learned to control the elimination of bodily wastes. The Phallic Stage (3-5 years of age) is probably the most controversial. The word phallic means penis-like. In this stage, children discover their sexual differences. The controversy comes from Freud's description of the Oedipus (for males) and Electra (for females) complexes, with their attendant concepts of castration anxiety and penis envy, respectively. These complexes lead to normal differentiation of male and female personalities. The phallic stage is followed by a Latency Period in which little new development is observable. In this stage, boys play with boys, and girls with girls, typically. Sexual interest is low or non-existent. The final stage is the Genital Stage. It starts around 12 years of age and ends with the climax of puberty. Sexual interests are re-awaken at this time,...