Growth and Development Q 28
A clinical instructor asks a nursing student to report about the psychosexual stages of development by Sigmund Freud. Which of the following explains the latency period. Select all that apply.
A. No psychosexual development takes place during this stage
B. Energy is directed to physical and intellectual activities
C. This stage begins at puberty and constitutes mature adult sexuality
D. Males have a tendency to develop Oedipus Complex
E. Children spend more time interacting with same-sex peers
Correct Answer: A, B, & E
At the latency stage, sexual drives are dormant. The stage begins around the time that children enter school and become more concerned about school work, hobbies, and peer relationships. Children also usually engage in activities with peers of the same sex, which serves to consolidate a child’s gender-role identity.
Option A: During this stage, the superego continues to develop while the id’s energies are suppressed. Children develop social skills, values, and relationships with peers and adults outside of the family.
Option B: The latent period is a time of exploration in which the sexual energy is repressed or dormant. This energy is still present, but it is sublimated into other areas such as intellectual pursuits and social interactions. This stage is important in the development of social and communication skills and self-confidence.
Option C: This refers to the genital stage where it begins in puberty. Adolescents develop mature sexual feelings and experience pleasure from sexual relationships with others.
Option D: This refers to the phallic stage when children discover physical sexual differences. Children develop an incestuous desire for the opposite-sex parent (Oedipus Complex).
Option E: The development of the ego and superego contribute to this period of calm. The stage begins around the time that children enter into school and become more concerned with peer relationships, hobbies, and other interests.