Feist−Feist: Theories of
Personality, Seventh
EditionII. Psychodynamic
Theories(^52) 2. Freud: Psychoanalysis © The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2009
children form groups or cliques, an impossibility during the infantile period when
the sexual drive was completely autoerotic.
Genital Period
Puberty signals a reawakening of the sexual aim and the beginning of the genital pe-
riod.During puberty, the diphasic sexual life of a person enters a second stage,
which has basic differences from the infantile period (Freud, 1923/1961b). First,
adolescents give up autoeroticism and direct their sexual energy toward another per-
son instead of toward themselves. Second, reproduction is now possible. Third, al-
though penis envy may continue to linger in girls, the vagina finally obtains the same
status for them that the penis had for them during infancy. Parallel to this, boys now
see the female organ as a sought-after object rather than a source of trauma. Fourth,
the entire sexual drive takes on a more complete organization, and the component
drives that had operated somewhat independently during the early infantile period
gain a kind of synthesis during adolescence; thus, the mouth, anus, and other
pleasure-producing areas take an auxiliary position to the genitals, which now attain
supremacy as an erogenous zone.
This synthesis of Eros, the elevated status of the vagina, the reproductive ca-
pacity of the sexual drive, and ability of people to direct their libido outward rather
than onto the self represent the major distinctions between infantile and adult sexu-
ality. In several other ways, however, Eros remains unchanged. It may continue to be
repressed, sublimated; or expressed in masturbation or other sexual acts. The subor-
dinated erogenous zones also continue as vehicles of erotic pleasure. The mouth, for
example, retains many of its infantile activities; a person may discontinue thumb
sucking but may add smoking or prolonged kissing.
Maturity
The genital period begins at puberty and continues throughout the individual’s life-
time. It is a stage attained by everyone who reaches physical maturity. In addition to
the genital stage, Freud alluded to but never fully conceptualized a period of psy-
chological maturity,a stage attained after a person has passed through the earlier de-
velopmental periods in an ideal manner. Unfortunately, psychological maturity sel-
dom happens, because people have too many opportunities to develop pathological
disorders or neurotic predispositions.
Although Freud never fully conceptualized the notion of psychological matu-
rity, we can draw a sketch of psychoanalytically mature individuals. Such people
would have a balance among the structures of the mind, with their ego controlling
their id and superego but at the same time allowing for reasonable desires and de-
mands (see Figure 2.3). Therefore, their id impulses would be expressed honestly
and consciously with no traces of shame or guilt, and their superego would move be-
yond parental identification and control with no remnants of antagonism or incest.
Their ego-ideal would be realistic and congruent with their ego, and in fact, the
boundary between their superego and their ego would become nearly imperceptible.
Consciousness would play a more important role in the behavior of mature
people, who would have only a minimal need to repress sexual and aggressive urges.
46 Part II Psychodynamic Theories