Psychoanalysis Human Development and Behavior 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Freud's psychosexual stages, what is the central conflict of the anal stage?
- Oedipal rivalry with the same-sex parent
- Control and autonomy around toilet training (Correct answer)
- Oral gratification through feeding
- Genital exploration and pleasure
Correct answer: Control and autonomy around toilet training
The anal stage centers on the child's developing sense of control and autonomy through the retention or expulsion of feces during toilet training.
Question 2: According to Mahler, what developmental achievement marks the end of the 'symbiotic' phase?
- Object permanence as described by Piaget
- The infant's gradual differentiation of self from caregiver (Correct answer)
- Successful resolution of the Oedipus complex
- Formation of the superego
Correct answer: The infant's gradual differentiation of self from caregiver
Mahler's symbiotic phase ends as the infant begins differentiation, recognizing that the caregiver is a separate entity from the self.
Question 3: Which Freudian concept describes the redirection of sexual energy toward socially acceptable achievements?
- Projection
- Reaction formation
- Sublimation (Correct answer)
- Displacement
Correct answer: Sublimation
Sublimation is the defense mechanism by which unacceptable impulses, particularly sexual ones, are redirected into socially valued activities like art or work.
Question 4: In Erikson's model, which stage is characterized by the tension between 'industry' and 'inferiority'?
- Preschool age (3–5 years)
- School age (6–12 years) (Correct answer)
- Adolescence (12–18 years)
- Early adulthood (18–40 years)
Correct answer: School age (6–12 years)
Erikson's fourth stage, occurring during school age, revolves around the child's sense of competence and productivity versus feelings of inadequacy.
Question 5: What does Winnicott mean by the term 'holding environment'?
- Physical restraint used in residential treatment
- The analyst's office layout and décor
- The caregiver's reliable, empathic care that supports the infant's development (Correct answer)
- An infant's physical positioning during feeding
Correct answer: The caregiver's reliable, empathic care that supports the infant's development
Winnicott's 'holding environment' refers to the consistent, attuned emotional and physical care a caregiver provides, allowing the infant to develop a sense of safety.
Question 6: The concept of 'basic trust vs. mistrust' in Erikson's theory is most closely associated with which developmental period?
- Latency period
- Toddlerhood (18 months–3 years)
- Infancy (birth–18 months) (Correct answer)
- Early childhood (3–6 years)
Correct answer: Infancy (birth–18 months)
Erikson's first psychosocial stage, basic trust vs. mistrust, unfolds during infancy and depends on the consistency and reliability of caregiving.
Question 7: In Freudian theory, 'fixation' refers to which developmental phenomenon?
- The permanent resolution of an unconscious conflict
- Arrested development at a particular psychosexual stage due to unresolved conflict (Correct answer)
- A child's refusal to progress to the next cognitive stage
- The crystallization of adult personality after the latency period
Correct answer: Arrested development at a particular psychosexual stage due to unresolved conflict
Fixation occurs when excessive frustration or gratification at a psychosexual stage prevents full psychological progression, leaving residual conflicts that influence adult behavior.
Psychoanalysis Human Development and Behavior 2
In Freud's psychosexual stages, what is the central conflict of the anal stage?