Final answer:
The genital stage is the final stage of Freud's psychosexual development theory, starting at puberty and focusing on mature sexual interests and the ability to form well-balanced adult relationships. It involves the redirection of sexual urges towards socially acceptable partners. The stage is accompanied by puberty's physical changes, facilitated by a release of hormones that lead to sexual maturation.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is the Genital Stage?
According to Sigmund Freud's theory of psychosexual development, the genital stage, which starts at puberty and lasts until adulthood, is the last stage. People go through a resurgence of sexual impulses at this stage, which Freud thought were originally meant for the parent of the opposite sex during the previous phallic stage. Then, these impulses are focused on partners who are socially acceptable and who frequently resemble the parent of the other sex. It takes maturity and well-adjusted to navigate through previous psychosexual stages without fixations and develop adult sexual interests. The genital stage, which comes after the dormant phase of latency, is characterized by the emergence of secondary sex traits brought on by hormonal shifts that indicate sexual maturity and the capacity for reproduction.
The body experiences major changes throughout puberty, which is strongly linked to the start of the genital stage. The maturation of the reproductive system and the development of secondary sex characteristics are driven by the release of hormones from the hypothalamus, anterior pituitary gland, and gonads, respectively. These hormones include gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, and estrogen. Among other physiological developments, these changes include the advent of body hair, rise in height, and the development of the reproductive organs.