Final answer:
The Oedipus complex refers to a boy's desire for his mother and feelings of rivalry toward his father during the phallic stage of psychosexual development. Girls experience an analogous Electra complex. These dynamics are significant in Freud's theory, as they contribute to personality development and potential adult fixations if unresolved.
Step-by-step explanation:
Oedipus Complex in the Phallic Stage of Psychosexual Development
The concept of the Oedipus complex is a central element in Sigmund Freud's theory of psychosexual stages of development, particularly within the phallic stage, which typically occurs between the ages of 3 and 6 years. In this stage, the erogenous zone for children is the genitals, and a conflict arises as a boy feels a desire for his opposite-sex parent, typically his mother, and experiences jealousy and hostility towards his same-sex parent, often his father. This situation is termed the Oedipus complex and is marked by the boy's fear of punishment from the father (castration anxiety) and resolved when the boy begins to identify with the father, subconsciously wanting to possess the mother.
Girls encounter a similar situation termed the Electra complex, proposed by Carl Jung, where they desire attention from their father and compete with their mother. Successful resolution of these conflicts is crucial for personality development, and failure to resolve can lead to fixations that affect adult behavior. Following the phallic stage, children enter a sexually dormant stage known as the latency period before reaching the final genital stage at puberty, where mature sexual interests develop.