The Latent stage emphasizes which developmental focus?

• A. Latent
• B. Oral
• C. Anal
• D. Genital

Answer: (A)

In Freud’s theory, the latent stage is a period when sexual energy is dormant and the focus shifts to social and intellectual development. From roughly age 6 through puberty, children channel energy into learning, forming friendships, developing hobbies, and strengthening the superego through internalized morals. It’s a time of relative calm where growth happens through school, peer relationships, and mastering skills, rather than through exploration of erogenous zones.

That’s why the emphasis is on social and intellectual development rather than the earlier oral or anal stages or the later genital stage. The oral stage centers on pleasure from the mouth, the anal stage on toilet training and control, and the genital stage on sexual maturation—none of which capture the latent period’s key focus.