Final answer:
Freud's phallic stage is the period in psychosexual development when sexual desires become conscious. This stage occurs roughly from ages 3 to 6 and is followed by the latency period until the reawakening of sexual interests during the genital stage at puberty.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sigmund Freud explains that the stage in which sexual desires become conscious is called the phallic stage. This is the third stage of psychosexual development, occurring roughly between the ages of 3 and 6 years. During this period, the erogenous zone is the genitals and the major conflicts involve the Oedipus complex in boys and the Electra complex in girls, according to Freudian psychology.
Following the phallic stage, there is a latency period where sexual feelings become dormant and children focus on developing skills and engaging in activities with same-sex peers. It is only after this latency period that individuals enter the genital stage at puberty, where there is a resurfacing of sexual desires directed towards socially acceptable partners. In Freud's theory, those who navigate these stages successfully without fixation are considered to be well-balanced and healthy adults.