Question

Gordon's 5-year-old son has recently become very possessive of his mother, pushing Gordon away whenever he tries to hug his wife. Freud would probably suggest that the little boy's behaviors reflect:

Answer 1

Freud would probably suggest that the little boy's behaviors reflect Oedipus complex.

Explanation:

According to Freud, children view their same sex parent as a rival for the opposite sex parent's attention and affection. The desire is kept out of conscious awareness through repression, but Freud believed that it still had an influence over a child's behavior and played a role in development.

The oedipal complex occurs during the Phallic Stage of development (age 3-6) in which the source of libido is concentrated in the erogenous zones of the child's body. Envy and jealousy is aimed at the father, the one of the mother's affection and attention. Freud offered the Little Hans case study as evidence of the Oedipus complex.