Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments (AEPA) Practice Exam

In Freud's theory of psychosexual development, adolescence is associated with the genital stage. This stage typically begins around the onset of puberty, where individuals become more aware of their sexuality and start forming sexual relationships. During this period, the focus of pleasure shifts to the genitals, and it is characterized by the maturation of sexual interests and the development of intimate relationships.

The genital stage represents a crucial point in a person's development as they move towards balancing their desires and social norms, integrating previous developmental experiences from the earlier stages. The successful navigation of this stage is believed to lead to healthy sexual and emotional relationships in adulthood.

Other stages, such as the latent stage, focus more on developing skills and social relationships without a strong focus on sexual concerns. The phallic and oral stages encompass earlier developmental experiences that set the groundwork for later behavior, but it is during the genital stage that the adult form of sexuality begins to flourish.