According to Freud’s personality theory, in which stage of development, a person experiences Oedipus or Electra complex?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Phallic stage
Option (1) Oral stage — Incorrect. In the first stage a newborn’s instincts are focused on the mouth, the infant’s primary pleasure-seeking centre; pleasure comes through eating.
Option (2) Anal stage — Incorrect. Around ages two and three the child learns to respond to some demands of society, chiefly control of urination and defecation.
Option (3) Phallic stage — Correct. At around ages four and five the focus is on the genitals and children become aware of the differences between males and females. Here the boy experiences the Oedipus complex (love for the mother, hostility towards the father and fear of punishment), and the girl goes through its counterpart, the Electra complex.
Option (4) Genital stage — Incorrect. This is the last stage, in which the person attains maturity in psychosexual development.
Note 1: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2026 on 21-05-2026 (Slot 1).
Note 2: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 08-06-2023 (Slot 1), and in CUET (UG) 2025 on 21-05-2025 (Slot 1) and 28-05-2025 (Slot 1).
NCERT (2025-26): “Stages of Personality Development … Freud claims that the core aspects of personality are established early, remain stable throughout life, and can be changed only with great difficulty. He proposed a five-stage theory of personality (also called psychosexual) development.…” “Phallic Stage : … This stage focuses on the genitals. At around ages four and five children begin to realise the differences between males and females. They become aware of sexuality and the sexual relationship between their parents. During this stage, the male child experiences the Oedipus Complex, which involves love for the mother, hostility towards the father, and the consequent fear of punishment or castration by the father (Oedipus was a Greek king who unknowingly killed his father and then married his mother). A major developmental achievement of this stage is the resolution of the Oedipus complex. This takes place by accepting his father’s relationship with his mother, and modelling his own behaviour after his father. For girls, the Oedipus complex (called the Electra Complex after Electra, a Greek character, who induced her brother to kill their mother) follows a slightly different course.…” |