| Stage | Age | Erogenous Zone | Focus | Types of Conflict | Results of Fixation |
|---|
| Oral | Birth–1½ years | Mouth | Sucking, chewing, and gumming | Weaning | Smoking, drinking, nail biting, talking more than usual |
| Anal | 1½–3 years | Anus | Eliminating bodily waste and controlling bodily functions responsible for them | Toilet training | Rule-bound, stingy, chaotic, destructive |
| Phallic | 3–6 years | Genitals | Sexual feelings and awareness of self | Autoeroticism | Promiscuity, flirtation, vanity, or overdependence, and a focus on masturbation |
| Latency Period | 6 years–puberty | Period during which children develop mentally, socially, and physically | |
| Genital | Puberty and beyond | Genitals | Reawakening of sexuality, with focus on relationships | Sexuality and aggression | Inability to thrive in adult activities such as work and love |
| According to Freud, psychological and sexual development proceeds through distinct stages. Each stage is characterized by a certain pleasure area, or “erogenous zone,” and a conflict that must be resolved. If resolution is not achieved, the person may develop a problematic “fixation.” |