Which framework emphasizes psychosexual stages of development in explaining unconscious conflicts?

Which framework emphasizes psychosexual stages of development in explaining unconscious conflicts?

• A. Humanistic
• B. Behavioral
• C. Psychoanalytic
• D. Cognitive

Answer: (C)

Psychoanalytic theory centers on unconscious conflicts that originate in early childhood and uses psychosexual stages to explain how personality develops. Freud proposed stages—oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital—through which the libido moves, and unresolved conflicts at any stage can shape behavior and manifest as psychological symptoms later on. This emphasis on unconscious processes and early experiences distinguishes it from other frameworks, such as humanistic (focus on conscious experience and growth), behavioral (observable behavior and learning), and cognitive (thinking and information processing).

Psychoanalytic theory centers on unconscious conflicts that originate in early childhood and uses psychosexual stages to explain how personality develops. Freud proposed stages—oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital—through which the libido moves, and unresolved conflicts at any stage can shape behavior and manifest as psychological symptoms later on. This emphasis on unconscious processes and early experiences distinguishes it from other frameworks, such as humanistic (focus on conscious experience and growth), behavioral (observable behavior and learning), and cognitive (thinking and information processing).