latency phase
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Definition
Noun: - (Psychoanalysis) The latency phase: In Freudian psychoanalytic theory, this is the fourth stage of psychosexual development, typically occurring from around age 5 or 6 until the onset of puberty. During this period, a child's sexual drives and interests are considered to be dormant, subdued, or sublimated into other activities such as learning, social relationships, and skill development.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- According to Freudian theory, the latency phase is characterized by a relative quiescence of sexual impulses.
- During the latency phase, children often focus their energy on education and forming friendships with peers of the same sex.
Advanced Usage
- "to be in the latency phase": to be within this specific developmental period.
- The therapist noted that the child's behaviors were consistent with being in the latency phase.
- Concept of Sublimation: A key mechanism associated with this phase, where psychic energy is redirected toward socially acceptable activities.
- Freud suggested that the latency phase involves the sublimation of libidinal energy into intellectual and social pursuits.
Variants and Related Words
- Latency period (n): A synonymous term for the latency phase.
- The concepts of the latency period and the latency phase are used interchangeably in psychoanalytic literature.
- Psychosexual stages (n): The series of developmental stages in Freudian theory, of which the latency phase is one.
- The latency phase follows the phallic stage and precedes the genital stage.
Synonyms
- Latency period: The period of dormant sexual interest in childhood.
- Latency stage: Another term for this developmental phase.
Related Idioms/Phrases
- "A period of latency": A more general phrase sometimes used to describe any dormant or inactive period, influenced by the psychoanalytic term.
- After the initial controversy, the issue entered a period of latency before resurfacing years later. (Note: This is a conceptual extension, not a clinical synonym.)
Noun
- (psychoanalysis) the fourth period (from about age 5 or 6 until puberty) during which sexual interests are supposed to be sublimated into other activities