The Oedipus complex is a concept that was defended by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, which refers to a phase of a child’s psychosexual development, called the phallic phase, in which he begins to feel desire for his mother and hatred and jealousy for his father. This complex occurs in boys, while in girls it is called the Electra complex.
According to Freud, the phallic phase occurs between the ages of 3 and 6, which is when a change occurs in the child’s behavior that causes him to idealize his mother and develop a feeling of love for her at the same time as there is jealousy of his mother. his father, who comes to be considered a rival.
For psychoanalysis, this is a determining phase for your behavior in adulthood, especially in relation to your sexual identity and behavior.
How to identify the Oedipus complex
The Oedipus complex is part of a child’s psychosexual development, and the characteristics can be noticed from the age of 3, the main ones being:
- Feeling of great affection for the mother;
- Negative feelings towards the father, which may include feelings of hatred;
- Greater interest in the sexual organ;
- Excessive jealousy when parents are together;
- Aggressive attitudes towards the father, as he sees him as a rival;
These characteristics may disappear naturally as the child develops, because they realize that their mother does not respond to their feelings in the way they would like, starting to behave in a similar way to their father.
Phallic phase of the Oedipus complex
The phallic phase of the Oedipus complex corresponds to the period in which a change occurs in the child’s behavior, in which there is the development of unconditional love for the mother at the same time as there is a feeling of hatred towards the father.
During this phase, the child begins to direct his interest and curiosity towards his genital organ, which can be noticed by his parents, as he manipulates it frequently, which is often disapproved by them, making him retreat to this love and desire for the mother, due to what Freud calls “fear of castration”. Therefore, it is recommended that parents allow their children to be curious, without reprimanding them.
As time passes, the boy understands that his mother cannot respond to the love he feels and, therefore, begins to identify himself as his father, imitating his behaviors with the aim of developing skills that will enable him to find the woman to replace him. your mother and who responds to your love. This way, the boy becomes less dependent on his mother and becomes interested in other women.
What is the unresolved Oedipus complex?
According to Freud’s theory, the child who cannot resolve the Oedipus complex is the one who has failed to identify with his father, that is, who does not imitate the behaviors of his gender and, therefore, does not develop behaviors that seek replace the maternal figure. Therefore, Freud determines that, when the Oedipus complex continues into adulthood, it can result in male homosexuality, problems related to sexual relations and the couple.
