Final answer:
During the phallic stage of Freudian psychosexual development, children develop the Oedipus complex, comprising desires for the opposite-sex parent and hostility towards the same-sex parent.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Freud, during the phallic stage of psychosexual development, children develop the Oedipus complex, which is a desire for the opposite-sex parent along with hostility toward the same-sex parent. For boys, this entails a desire for the mother and rivalry with the father. Girls experience a comparable dynamic in the form of the Electra complex, although Freud himself later rejected this term. The Oedipus complex involves a boy's fear of punishment from his father for these feelings, known as castration anxiety. This is successfully resolved when the boy begins to identify with his father. Failure to resolve can result in a fixation and a personality that may be characterized as vain and overly ambitious The theory of psychosexual development is a central element of Freudian theory and highlights the importance of childhood experiences in shaping adult personality. Freud's theory has been both influential and controversial in the field of psychology.