Freud said that from 3 to 6 years old children have a so-called “phalic phase”. In both sexes, sensitivity now focuses on the genitals and masturbation and becomes a new source of pleasure. In boys, the Oedipus complex and in girls the Electra complex is explained by Freud as functional changes of sex, which sets in motion the conflict between erotic attraction, antipathy, competition, suspiciousness and anxiety. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The child identifies this process by adopting the behaviors and characteristics of the same-sex parent. Freud's most debated idea was the Oedipus complex. The name Oedipus Complex comes from a Greek myth, according to which a young man called Oedipus killed his father to marry his mother. Boys develop sexual desires towards their mothers and reject their fathers. Furthermore, they think that if their father finds out about their feelings towards their mother, they will take them away. Boys love their penis during this stage and develop castration anxiety. Little boys try to solve this problem by copying their father's behaviors which are called identification. They adopt attitudes, values ​​and behaviors from their fathers. On the other hand, girls always want to have a penis. They envy the penis and always wish to be a male. They dislike their mothers, but later identify their mother's behaviors and copy them to reduce their anxiety. There is an example based on life: Chris is a four-year-old boy. He loves his parents, but doesn't want his father to be near his mother. He wants to always be with his mother to protect her. Plus, he wants to make sure his mother is safe. He is afraid of the dark. He says that in the darkness, a tall ghost will come and take him and his mother to a cave for breakfast. This can be interpreted as the tall ghost of his father. Dad is tall and knows that he spends time with his mother at night alone when it is dark. Little Chris is not allowed to go into dad's study, and this room is dark during the day as it is locked when dad is not home. So dad's study represents the cave. I suggest that this phobia could be cured if the study room could be kept open during the day and the boy could play or read with dad. Furthermore, if parents could keep little Chris in their bedroom for a while, he would get rid of his doubts. The fact that Dad maintains a close relationship with Chris is also very important. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, a Greek myth about a young man called Oedipus who killed his father is seen as part of the Phalic stage within developmental psychology; the phase in which boys have the Oedipus complex and girls have the Electra complex. Both appear between the ages of 3 and 6 and have a relationship with the child's parents.