Freud said that between the ages of 3 and 6, children have what is called the “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 a functional sex change, which triggers the conflict between erotic attraction, aversion, competition, distrust and 'anxiety. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not 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 controversial idea was the Oedipus complex. The complex name Oedipus comes from a Greek myth, which tells of a young man named Oedipus who killed his father in order to marry his mother. Young boys develop sexual desires towards their mothers and reject their fathers. They also believe that if the father finds out about their feelings towards their mother, they will take their mother away from them. Boys love their penises at this stage and develop castration anxiety. Little boys try to solve this problem by copying their father's behaviors, called identification. They adopt the attitudes, values ​​and behaviors of their fathers. On the other hand, girls always want to have a penis. They envy the penis and always wish they were a boy. They don't like their mother, but later they identify their mother's behaviors and copy them to reduce their anxiety. There is a concrete example: Chris is a four-year-old boy. He loves his parents, but he doesn't want his father to stay close to his mother. He wants to stay with his mother all the time to protect her. Plus, he wants to make sure his mother is safe. He's afraid of the dark. He says that in the dark a big ghost will come and take him and his mother to a cave for breakfast. This can be interpreted as the great ghost of his father. Dad is big and he knows that Dad spends time alone with his mother at night when it's dark. Little Chris is not allowed in his father's study room, and that room is dark during the day because it is closed when Dad is not home. The dads' study room therefore represents the cave. I suggest that this phobia could be treated if they could keep the study room open during the day and let the boy play or read there with Dad. Moreover, if parents could keep little Chris in their room for a while, then he would get rid of his doubts. Dad keeping a close relationship with Chris is also very important. Keep in mind: This is just a sample.Get a custom paper from our expert writers now.Get a custom essayIn conclusion, a Greek myth about a young man called Oedipus who killed his father is considered to be part of the phalic stage in developmental psychology; the stage where boys have the Oedipus complex and girls have the Electra complex. Both appear between 3 and 6 years old and have relationships with the child's parents..