How did Freud categorize the stages of psychosexual development?

Freud categorized the stages of psychosexual development into five distinct stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. Each of these stages represents a different focus of pleasure and conflict as a child grows.

During the oral stage, which occurs from birth to about 18 months, pleasure centers around the mouth, highlighting the importance of feeding and oral stimulation. The anal stage follows, roughly between 18 months and 3 years, focusing on toilet training and the control over bodily functions. The phallic stage, occurring from ages 3 to 6, involves the child discovering the differences between genders and experiencing desire towards the opposite-sex parent, while developing identification with the same-sex parent. Following this is the latency stage, which usually lasts from about age 6 to puberty, where sexual feelings are repressed, allowing the child to focus on social interactions and skills. Finally, the genital stage begins at puberty, signaling the reawakening of sexual interests and the establishment of mature sexual relationships.

This specific categorization by Freud emphasizes how early experiences and conflicts can shape personality and behavior in adulthood, making it a foundational concept in psychodynamic theory and crucial for understanding human development from a psychological perspective.