According to psychoanalytic theory, when does gender typing primarily occur in a child's development?

• A. During the latency stage, when sexual impulses are dormant
• B. During the genital stage, as adolescents form mature sexual relationships
• C. During the phallic stage, as children resolve the Oedipus or Electra complex
• D. During the oral stage, as infants develop trust with caregivers

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that psychoanalytic theory, developed by Freud, divides psychosexual development into distinct stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital.
2. Recognize that gender typing refers to the process by which children learn and adopt behaviors, attitudes, and roles considered appropriate for their gender in their culture.
3. Identify that according to Freud, the phallic stage (approximately ages 3-6) is when children experience the Oedipus complex (for boys) or Electra complex (for girls), which involves unconscious sexual desires for the opposite-sex parent and rivalry with the same-sex parent.
4. Note that resolving these complexes during the phallic stage leads to identification with the same-sex parent, which is crucial for the development of gender identity and gender-typed behaviors.
5. Conclude that gender typing primarily occurs during the phallic stage because this is when children internalize gender roles through the resolution of these complexes, rather than during the oral, latency, or genital stages.