Final answer:
An erogenous zone is a specific area of the body associated with pleasure and sexual arousal. According to Freud's theory, each stage of development focuses on a different erogenous zone, and if a person becomes fixated in a stage, it can influence their behavior and personality later in life.
Step-by-step explanation:
An erogenous zone is a specific area of the body that is associated with pleasure and sexual arousal.
According to Freud's psychosexual theory of development, children's pleasure-seeking urges are focused on different erogenous zones at each stage of development.
For example, the oral stage is associated with pleasure from sucking and chewing, while the phallic stage is associated with pleasure from exploring the genital area.
This theory states that if a child does not successfully navigate through a stage, they may become fixated in that stage, meaning that they continue to seek pleasure through the erogenous zone associated with that stage in adulthood.
This can influence their behavior and personality later in life.
For example, if a person is fixated in the oral stage, they may have oral fixation habits such as smoking or overeating.