Oral stage
You don't need to be Editor-In-Chief to add or edit content to WikiDoc. You can begin to add to or edit text on this WikiDoc page by clicking on the edit button at the top of this page. Next enter or edit the information that you would like to appear here. Once you are done editing, scroll down and click the Save page button at the bottom of the page.
| Please help improve this article by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. This article has been tagged since June 2007. |
The oral stage in psychology is the term used by Sigmund Freud to describe the child's development during the first 0 to 18 months of life, in which an infant's pleasure centers are in the mouth. This is the first of Freud's psychosexual stages.
This is the infant's first relationship with its mother; it is a nutritive one. The duration of the oral stage depends on the society; in some, it is common for a child to be nursed by its mother for several years but in others it is much shorter. It holds special importance in some tribal societies where the stomach is considered to be the seat of the emotions. Societies that see this stage as medicinal are commonly found in the Southwest Pacific and Africa, referred to in Hilary Jacobson's book 'Mother Food for Breastfeeding Mothers'.
Oral fixation
An oral fixation (also oral craving) is a fixation in the oral stage of development manifested by an obsession with stimulating the mouth (oral) first described by Sigmund Freud, who thought infants are naturally and adaptively in an oral stage, but if weaned too early or too late, may fail to resolve the conflicts of this stage and develop a maladaptive oral fixation. In later life, these people may constantly "hunger" for activities involving the mouth.
If a child is not fed enough (neglected) or fed too much (over-protected), it may become orally fixated as an adult. It is believed that fixation in the oral stage may have one of two effects. If the child was underfed or neglected, he may become orally dependent and obsessed with achieving the oral stimulation of which he was deprived, learning to manipulate others to fulfill his needs rather than maturing to independence. The overly indulged child may resist growing up and try to return to that state of dependency through crying, acting helpless, demanding satisfaction, and being "needy."
Oral fixations are considered to contribute to over-eating, being overly talkative, smoking addictions, overindulging in confectionery, chewing on straws, and even alcoholism (known as "oral dependent" qualities). Other symptoms include a sarcastic or "biting" personality (known as "oral sadistic" qualities).
Critics of Freud's theories doubt that such a thing as "oral fixation" can explain adult behaviors, and that subscribing to this simplistic explanation can prevent the exploration of other possible causes that may occur. Even psychoanalytically-oriented practitioners have broadened their understandings of fixations beyond simple stage theory.
TYPES OF personalities by ORAL FIXATION
Oral Receptive:
- The Oral receptive personality is preoccupied with eating/drinking and reduces tension through oral activity such as eating, drinking, smoking, biting nails. They are generally passive, needy and sensitive to rejection. They will easily 'swallow' other people's ideas.
Oral aggressive:
- The Oral aggressive personality is hostile and verbally abusive to others, using mouth-based aggression.
References
- Powdermaker, Hortense. "An Anthropological Approach to the Problems of Obesity".
Oral fixation has two possible outcomes.
See also
fr:Stade oral ja:口唇期 no:Oralt stadium
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
