What is the Oedipus and Electra complex?

These are concepts of the psychodynamic theory proposed by Sigmund Freud. Boys expereince the Oedipus complex, and girls experience the Electra complex. Both sexes experience this unconsciously during the phallic stage of their psychosexual development which is between ages 3-5. Freud believed that during the Oedipus complex, boys begin to have a sexual attraction towards their mother and they envy their father. They then suppress their feelings for their mother as they are scared that their father will find out, instead begin to imitate their father and that is how they develop their gender identical to their father. The same happens for girls, but opposite, and this is called the Electra complex.

Answered by Rafay S. Psychology tutor

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