What is the psychosexual development of school age children (six years to puberty) according to Freud?

Appeared in: RIMS Nursing Officer - 2022

Explanation

The Latency stage corresponds to the school-age period, typically from 6 years until puberty.
During this stage, Freud theorized that sexual energy (libido) is dormant or sublimated.
The child's focus shifts from psychosexual development to social and intellectual development.
Energy is channeled into schoolwork, forming friendships with same-sex peers, hobbies, and sports.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

Option A: The Oral stage occurs from birth to approximately 18 months. The primary source of interaction and pleasure is through the mouth.
Option B: The Anal stage occurs between 18 months and 3 years. The primary focus is on controlling bladder and bowel movements.
Option D: The Genital stage begins at puberty and lasts through adulthood. It is characterized by the maturation of sexual interests.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Freud's theory of psychosexual development as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding developmental theories like Freud's helps nurses anticipate the behaviors of pediatric patients and provide age-appropriate care and communication.
A nurse can use this knowledge to assess if a child's behavior is developmentally appropriate or if it might indicate a stress response or developmental delay.
For a hospitalized school-age child, providing opportunities for learning, hobbies (like drawing or games), and peer interaction (if possible) aligns with the developmental tasks of the latency stage.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key terms in the question: 'psychosexual development', 'school age children (six years to puberty)', and 'Freud'.
This is a factual recall question based on a specific developmental theory.
Recall the five stages of Freud's psychosexual theory in order: Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, and Genital.
Associate the age range 'six years to puberty' with the correct stage.
The Oral stage is for infants, the Anal stage for toddlers, and the Phallic stage for preschoolers. The Genital stage begins at puberty.
Therefore, the period between the Phallic and Genital stages, which corresponds to school age, is the Latency stage.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Freud's theory of psychosexual development
Stem keywords: psychosexual development, school age children, six years to puberty, Freud
Lead-in keywords: What is
Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

Quc4iWVVhOWHqe0KoAhlK

Reference Book

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 1 p. 163-165

E6 Psychology Baron Misra 5e Part 2 p. 86-88

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 2976-2978

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