Freud's psychosexual theory is defined as which of the following?

• A. Psychosexual stages
• B. Behaviorist conditioning
• C. Humanistic needs
• D. Cognitive development

Answer: (A)

Freud's psychosexual theory is defined by the idea that personality develops through a fixed sequence of stages in which sexual energy (libido) is focused on different erogenous zones. Each stage—oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital—shapes later behavior and personality, especially if conflicts at a stage are unresolved. The term captures the stage-by-stage focus of the theory and how early experiences influence adult traits.

This differs from behaviorist conditioning, which explains learning purely through reinforcement and punishment; from humanistic needs, which centers on growth and self-actualization (Maslow's hierarchy); and from cognitive development, which looks at how thinking evolves with age (Piaget).