What are the stages of psychosexual development according to Freud?

• A. Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital
• B. Trust, Autonomy, Initiative, Industry, Identity
• C. Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, Formal Operational
• D. Oral, Anal, Genital, Latency, Phallic

Answer: (A)

Freud's theory describes five stages of psychosexual development, each tied to a different erogenous zone and a developmental task that can shape personality. The stages, in the correct sequence, are oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital. This order matters because each stage builds on the previous one and influences later behavior and character as conflicts are resolved or unresolved, leading to specific adult tendencies. The other options pull in stages from different theories—Erikson’s psychosocial stages or Piaget’s cognitive stages—or mix Freud’s stages up, placing genital before latency or misordering phallic and genital, which does not fit Freud’s model.