# Situation: A 9-year-old boy in grade 4 is admitted to the pediatric ward for a planned operation on his left leg, to be followed by several days of bed rest. He worries about missing school and his basketball games. His mother says that at home he now plays only with boys, teases the girls in his class, and spends his evenings practicing basketball shots. According to Freud, which interpretation fits this pattern?

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## 문제

Situation: A 9-year-old boy in grade 4 is admitted to the pediatric ward for a planned operation on his left leg, to be followed by several days of bed rest. He worries about missing school and his basketball games.

His mother says that at home he now plays only with boys, teases the girls in his class, and spends his evenings practicing basketball shots. According to Freud, which interpretation fits this pattern?

## 보기

1. Phallic; he identifies with males by joining boys' games
2. Phallic; he is working through rivalry with his father
3. Latency; energy goes to skills and same-sex friends **✔ 정답**
4. Genital; teasing girls shows early sexual interest

**정답: 3**

## 해설

Freud's latency stage covers about 6 to 12 years. Sexual drives are quiet, and energy is directed to learning, skills, and friendships with same-sex peers, so avoiding or teasing the other sex is typical. Identification with the same-sex parent and rivalry with the father belong to the phallic stage (3 to 6 years), and mature sexual interest belongs to the genital stage from about 12 years.

## 심화 해설

Freud’s Psychosexual Stage at Age 9

A 9-year-old child falls squarely within Freud’s latency stage, which spans roughly 6 to 12 years. During this period, the intense sexual and aggressive drives of earlier stages become relatively dormant, and psychic energy is redirected toward mastering skills, acquiring knowledge, and forming close bonds with same-sex peers. The boy’s behavior—practicing basketball shots, playing only with boys, and teasing girls—reflects this developmental shift rather than an emerging sexual interest.

In latency, the child consolidates gender identity through identification with same-sex peers and invests energy in competence-building activities such as sports and schoolwork. Teasing girls at this age is not a sign of genital-stage sexual attraction; it is a typical expression of the latency child’s preference for same-sex companionship and a way of maintaining social distance from the opposite sex. The mother’s report that he “now plays only with boys” and “teases the girls” is consistent with the latency pattern of same-sex peer grouping and mild rejection of the other sex.

The other options describe earlier or later stages. Phallic stage (3 to 6 years) is characterized by the Oedipus complex, identification with the same-sex parent, and rivalry with the father—none of which is the central issue for a 9-year-old. Genital stage (from about 12 years) involves mature sexual interest directed toward others, which is not developmentally expected at age 9. The boy’s teasing of girls is better understood as latency-age peer separation, not early sexual pursuit.

| Stage | Age Range | Key Features | Fits This Boy? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Phallic | 3–6 years | Oedipus complex, identification with same-sex parent, rivalry with father | No—no parent-focused rivalry described |
| Latency | 6–12 years | Sexual drives quiet; energy into skills, learning, same-sex friendships; teasing opposite sex typical | Yes—basketball practice, boys-only play, teasing girls |
| Genital | 12+ years | Mature sexual interest, integration of sexual and emotional components | No—teasing is not sexual interest at age 9 |

Key point! The latency stage is defined by the absence of overt sexual drive and the presence of same-sex peer affiliation and skill mastery. When a school-age child avoids or teases the opposite sex, the correct Freudian interpretation is latency, not genital-stage attraction.

Watch out! Do not confuse same-sex peer preference in latency with the phallic stage’s identification with the same-sex parent. In latency, the child identifies with peers and invests in activities; in the phallic stage, the child identifies with the parent and works through family-based rivalry. The boy’s focus on basketball and boys his own age points to latency, not phallic dynamics.

The broader developmental literature supports this interpretation. Human psychosexual development in middle childhood is characterized by the integration of gender identity and social behaviors within same-sex peer groups, with sexual drives remaining relatively quiescent until the hormonal and psychosocial shifts of adolescence reactivate them . The boy’s concern about missing school and basketball games further illustrates the latency child’s investment in competence and peer relationships rather than in romantic or sexual pursuits.

## 임상 시나리오

Freud's Latency Stage: Clinical RecognitionDevelopmental expectations for a 9-year-old
A child aged 6 to 12 years is in Freud's latency stage. Sexual drives are quiet, and psychic energy is redirected toward skill mastery, academic learning, and same-sex peer friendships.

Teasing the opposite sex or avoiding them is a typical latency behavior reflecting same-sex peer grouping, not emerging sexual interest. Activities like practicing basketball shots represent competence-building.

CautionDo not confuse latency behavior with the phallic stage (3 to 6 years, Oedipus complex, parental identification) or the genital stage (from 12 years, mature sexual interest).

## 핵심 개념

- **Latency stage** — Freud's psychosexual stage from about 6 to 12 years when sexual drives are dormant and energy is directed toward learning, skills, and same-sex friendships.
- **Phallic stage** — Freud's stage from 3 to 6 years characterized by the Oedipus complex, identification with the same-sex parent, and rivalry with the father.
- **Genital stage** — Freud's stage beginning around age 12, marked by mature sexual interest directed toward others.
- **Psychosexual development** — Freud's theory that personality develops through a series of childhood stages focused on different erogenous zones.

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