The Oedipal complex, also known as the Oedipus complex
, is a term used by Sigmund Freud in his theory of psychosexual stages of development to describe a child's feelings of desire for his or her opposite-sex parent and jealousy and anger toward his or her same-sex parent.
What's the opposite of an Oedipus complex?
The Electra complex
is referred to as the female counterpart of the Oedipus complex. Unlike the Oedipus complex, which refers to both males and females, this psychoanalytic term refers only to females. It involves a daughter's adoration for her father and her jealously toward her mother.
What causes the Oedipus complex?
In the young boy, the Oedipus complex or more correctly, conflict, arises because
the boy develops unconscious sexual (pleasurable) desires for his mother
. Envy and Jealous are aimed at the father, the object of the mother's affection and attention.
When is the Oedipus complex resolved?
Freud attributed the Oedipus complex to children of about the ages three to five. He said the stage usually ended
when the child identified with the parent of the same sex and repressed its sexual instincts
.
Does the Oedipus complex exist?
The Oedipus complex, a theory that suggests that every single person has deeply repressed incestuous instincts for their parents since childhood, is no less so. Critics of Freud have noted that, despite the case of Little Hans, there is very
little empirical evidence
to prove the theory's validity.
What happens if Oedipus complex is not resolved?
When the Oedipus complex is not successfully resolved during the phallic stage,
an unhealthy fixation can develop and remain
. This leads to boys becoming fixated on their mothers and girls becoming fixated on their fathers, causing them to choose romantic partners that resemble their opposite-sex parent as adults.
Why did Sigmund Freud marry his mother?
In an effort to understand the nature of hysteria, he imagined that his father had abused him and some of his siblings. … He came to realize that, as
a boy
, he had wanted to marry his mother, and saw his father as a rival for her love. Freud understood his own wishes to be universal among all boys in all cultures.
What is a father complex called?
Father complex in psychology is a complex—
a group of unconscious associations, or strong unconscious impulses
—which specifically pertains to the image or archetype of the father. … These impulses may be either positive (admiring and seeking out older father figures) or negative (distrusting or fearful).
What are the psychosexual stages?
An Overview of the Psychosexual Stages
During the five psychosexual stages, which are the
oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital stages
, the erogenous zone associated with each stage serves as a source of pleasure. The psychosexual energy, or libido, was described as the driving force behind behavior.
What is the male version of an Oedipus complex?
The Electra complex
is a psychoanalytic term used to describe a girl's sense of competition with her mother for the affections of her father. It is comparable to the Oedipus complex in males.
Is the Oedipus complex still used today?
Freud used the term “Oedipus complex” to describe a child's desire for their opposite-sex parent and feelings of envy, jealousy, resentment, and competition with the same-sex parent. It's important to note that there's
very little evidence that the Oedipus (or Electra) complex is real
.
Why did Oedipus sleep with his mother?
He decided to leave Corinth for Delphi, so he could learn of his parentage at the oracle of Apollo.
There he was given the news that he would kill his father and sleep
with his mother. To prevent the oracle from coming true, Oedipus went to Thebes.
Which king was married to his own mother?
Oedipus
, in Greek mythology, the king of Thebes who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother.
When a son is obsessed with his mother?
The
Jocasta complex
is similar to the Oedipus complex, in which a child has sexual desire towards their parent(s). The term is a bit of an extrapolation, since in the original story Oedipus and Jocasta were unaware that they were mother and son when they married.
What does Freud say about mother?
Freud believed the boy's terror was due to feelings of anger he had internalised that related to his parents. Freud
theorised that all small boys select their mother as their primary object of desire
. They subconsciously wish to usurp their fathers and become their mothers' lover.
Is it normal for a son to be attracted to his mother?
Many boys are attracted to their mothers at a young age. Many suppress this attraction and it fades through puberty, and many develop an aversion to thinking about their mother sexually. However, it is
a normal variation of sexual attraction that some retain
and continue to have it as adults.
