Latent stage is characterized by which of the following?

Latent stage is characterized by which of the following?

• A. Earlier conflicts are repressed
• B. Sexual desires awaken
• C. Oedipus complex emerges
• D. Genital stage begins

Answer: (A)

Latent stage is a quiet period in Freud's psychosexual model where sexual energy is dormant and the focus shifts to skills, friendships, and learning. The defining feature is that earlier conflicts are repressed—sexual tensions from earlier stages are pushed out of conscious awareness and don’t drive behavior. This best matches the statement about repressed earlier conflicts. The other descriptions fit other parts of the theory: sexual desires awaken and the Oedipus complex emerge during the phallic stage, and the genital stage begins at puberty.

Latent stage is a quiet period in Freud's psychosexual model where sexual energy is dormant and the focus shifts to skills, friendships, and learning. The defining feature is that earlier conflicts are repressed—sexual tensions from earlier stages are pushed out of conscious awareness and don’t drive behavior. This best matches the statement about repressed earlier conflicts. The other descriptions fit other parts of the theory: sexual desires awaken and the Oedipus complex emerge during the phallic stage, and the genital stage begins at puberty.