Anal stage

The main social context for the experience is the process of toilet training, where anal pleasure becomes associated with the control of bowel movements.

If issues are not resolved in a stage, then fixation can occur, potentially resulting in neurotic tendencies or psychological disturbance.

The anal stage, in Freudian psychology, is the period of human development occurring at about one to three years of age.

As mentioned before the ability for the children to be successful in this stage is solely dependent upon their parents and the approach they use towards toilet training.

[6] The parents help make the outcome of this stage a positive experience which in turn will lead to a competent, productive, and creative adult.

During this stage children test their parents, the authority figures, on how much power they really have as opposed to how much room the child has to make his or her own decisions.

[7] Negative parent-child interactions in the anal stage, including early or harsh toilet training, can lead to the development of an anal-retentive personality.