The Genital stage begins at puberty and is marked by what?

• A. Sexual desires become conscious
• B. Oral pleasures
• C. Anal control
• D. Latency of conflicts

Answer: (A)

In Freudian theory, the Genital stage begins at puberty and is defined by the re-emergence of sexual energy in a mature, outward-directed form. The hallmark is that sexual desires become conscious and are directed toward others, supporting the development of romantic relationships and, later, reproduction. This stage represents the successful integration of earlier development, so energy is channeled into socially appropriate, intimate connections rather than into earlier-stage fixations. The other options describe earlier stages: oral pleasures come from the first stage, anal control from the anal stage, and a period of latent (quiet) conflicts from the latency stage, which is why they don’t characterize the Genital stage.