phallic stage

stage (stāj)

1. a definite period or distinct phase, as of development of a disease or of an organism.

2. the platform of a microscope on which the slide containing the object to be studied is placed.

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algid stage  a period marked by flickering pulse, subnormal temperature, and varied nervous symptoms.

amphibolic stage  the stage of an infectious disease between the acme and decline in which the diagnosis is uncertain.

anal stage  in psychoanalytic theory, the second stage of psychosexual development, occurring between the ages of 1 and 3 years, during which the infant's activities, interests, and concerns are on the anal zone.

cold stage  the period of chill or rigor in a malarial paroxysm.

first stage of labor  see labor.

fourth stage of labor  see labor.

genital stage  in psychoanalytic theory, the final stage in psychosexual development, occurring during puberty, during which the person can receive sexual gratification from genital-to-genital contact and is capable of a mature relationship with a member of the opposite sex.

hot stage  period of pyrexia in a malarial paroxysm.

latency stage 

1. the incubation period of any infectious disorder.

2. the quiescent period following an active period in certain infectious diseases, during which the pathogen lies dormant before again initiating signs of active disease.

3. in psychoanalytic theory, the period of relative quiescence in psychosexual development, lasting from age 5 to 6 years to adolescence, during which interest in persons of the opposite sex ceases and association is mainly with other children of the same sex.

oral stage  in psychoanalytic theory, the earliest stage of psychosexual development, from birth to about 18 months, during which the infant's needs, expression, and pleasurable experiences center on the oral zone.

phallic stage  in psychoanalytic theory, the third stage of psychosexual development, lasting from age 2 or 3 years to 5 or 6 years, during which sexual interest, curiosity, and pleasurable experiences center on the penis in boys and the clitoris in girls.

second stage of labor  see labor.

third stage of labor  see labor.

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phallic stage

Etymology: L, phallos, penis, stare, to stand

(in psychoanalysis) the period in psychosexual development occurring between 3 and 6 years of age when emerging awareness and self-manipulation of the genitals are a predominant source of pleasurable experience. Fixation at this stage may lead to extreme aggressiveness in adulthood, or it may be a precipitating factor in the development of psychosexual disorders. The Oedipus complex and Electra complex develop at this stage. See also psychosexual development.