PSY404 Abnormal Psychology Assignment No.1 Solution Spring Semester 2013


Aslam’s mother started breast feeding him immediately after his birth. After few months, she noticed that he sucks his thumb, toys and blankets. When he turned two, his mother noticed that he started getting pleasure from controlling bowl and bladder movements. She observed that he usually holds back the feces after putting on the pot. When she tried to stop him, he started to play with clays. He usually used to take shower with his sister and noticed the differences in their body parts. Gradually, he became more curious to know about the body parts of the opposite gender. He showed more concern and affection towards his mother as compared to his father. After getting admitted to the school, he preferred to make friends with boys. He showed interest in playing, studying and in such kind of productive activities. When he reached at the age of puberty, he showed more interest in friendship with the girl and started preferring to develop intimate relationship with the opposite gender.
Keeping in view the above mentioned scenario, answers the following questions:
1. Identify every psycho-sexual stage of development in Aslam’s life. Support your answer with the comprehensive justifications.
Marking Scheme: (1 Mark for the identification of psycho-sexual stages of development and 2 Marks for the justification of these stages)
Psycho-sexual stages of development:-

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1. Oral stage (Birth to 18 month)
2. Anal stage (18 month to 3 years)
3. Phallic stage (3 to 6 years)
4. Latency stage (5 to 12 years)
5. Genital stage (6 to 12 years)………(puberty)

Identification of Psycho-sexual stages of development in Aslam’s life:-

1. Oral stage:-
Aslam’s mother started breast feeding him immediately after his birth. After few months, she noticed that he suck his thumb, toys and blankets. It is the Oral stage of development in aslam’s life. In the Oral stage the major source of pleasure is the mouth where the infant sucks and bites.
2. Anal stage:-
When he turned two, his mother noticed that he started getting pleasure from controlling bowl and bladder movements. She observed that he usually holds back the feces after putting on the pot. It is the anal stage of development in aslam’s life. In the anal stage, which extends from one to three years toilet training begins.
3. Phallic stage:-
When she tried to stop him, he started to play with clays. He usually used to take shower with his sister and noticed the differences in their body parts. Gradually, he became more curious to know about the body parts of the opposite gender. He showed more concern and affection towards his mother as compare to his father. It is the phallic stage of development in aslam’s life. Phallic stage begins at the three years and goes up to five years, boys have oedipal complex a wish to have sexual attachment with their mother while girls away from mother and get closer to father an experience labeled as Electra complex.
4. Latency stage:-
When he is getting admitted in the school, he preferred to make friends with boys. He showed interest in playing, studying and in such kind of productive activities. It is latency stage of development in aslam’s life. Latency stage is where interest in sexual drive is less.
5. Genital stage:-
When he reached at the age of puberty, he showed more interest in friendship with girls and started preferring to develop intimate relationship with the opposite gender. It is Genital stage of development in aslam’s life. Genital stage where interest in opposite gender develop tendency to impress the opposite gender is more. One is more preoccupied to make a good impression on opposite gender through one’s looks, dress and conversation. Often you see a young growing up standing in front of the mirror and either trying to focus how to look even better etc.

2. If there is fixation at any one of the developmental stages, how it would influence Aslam’s life in later years? You are supposed to discuss the fixation at any one stage of the psycho-sexual development.

Solution:-

The stages of development represent patterns of gratifying our basic the needs, those needs which are not gratifying appear as fixations or psychopathologies at later adulthood. Each stage of development is important for moral healthy adjustment any fixation at any stage may result in form psychopathology or an immediate behavior.

In the Oral stage the major source of pleasure is the mouth where the infant sucks, bites, through mouth, any fixation at this stage appears in form of nail biting, chewing pencils, paper etc.

In the anal stage, which extends from one to three years toilet training begins. Any conflict or fixation at this stage appears in form of a person who is very neat, clean and strict in following rules / norms.