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Psychological Development Across the Lifespan

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages

What does the latency stage refer to?

After the drama of the phallic stage, the child goes into a period of relative calm. This covers the period from about age six to puberty. The sexual or libidinal impulses go underground at this stage; they lie latent. Instead, libidinal energy is translated into nonsexual pursuits, such as school, peer relationships, games, etc. Libido does not rise up again until puberty.