Video:What Is the Anal Stage of Psychosexual Development?

Transcript:What Is the Anal Stage of Psychosexual Development?

Hello my name is Dr. Jean Leahy. I'm a clinical psychologist in private practice in Chicago, and I'm here today with About.com. Today we're going to talk about the second stage of psychosexual development by Freud, the Anal Stage.

During Anal Stage Children Struggle with Toilet Training

Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist who development the psychosexual stages of personality development. The anal stage is the second stage of psychosexual development and it occurs between 1 and 3 years of age. The child's focus at that time in his life is on bowel and bladder control. In Freud's theory of development, there is always a struggle at every developmental phase. At this stage, the important struggle is around toilet training. Freud believed the relationship with the child's caregivers was paramount to personality development.

Independence is Established with a Successful Anal Stage

In the anal stage, it is important that parents are patient with the child and reward the child when he makes attempts to control bowel and bladder movements. If this stage is negotiated successfully, children have a sense of independence and autonomy, they feel effective, they understand the importance of cleanliness, punctuality, and keeping things in order. If the parents are critical and shaming in this phase, it can cause the child to feel that he does not have a sense of independence. On the flip side, if the parents are too lenient in the anal stage, that can lead to wasteful, messy, and unproductive adults.

The anal stage is the second stage in Freud's psychosexual Theory of Personality. It is important that each individual master the stages in order before proceeding to the next stage. Thanks for watching! If you want to learn more, visit us on the web at About.com.