Who came up with the Oedipus Complex Theory?

The Oedipus complex is a theory of Sigmund Freud, and occurs during the Phallic stage of psychosexual development.

It involves a boy, aged between 3 and 6, becoming unconsciously sexually attached to his mother, and hostile towards his father (who he views as a rival).

Envy and Jealous are aimed at the father, the object of the mother’s affection and attention. These feelings for the mother and rivalry toward the father lead to fantasies of getting rid of his father and taking his place with the mother.

The hostile feelings towards the father lead to castration anxiety, an irrational fear that the father will castrate (remove his penis) him as punishment.

The resolution of the Oedipus complex typically occurs through the process of identification with the same-sex parent.

Boys identify with their fathers and internalize their values, attitudes, and behaviors, leading to the development of masculine gender identity and the eventual resolution of the complex.

The father becomes a role model rather than a rival. Through this identification with the aggressor, boys acquire their superego and the male sex role. The boy substitutes his desire for his mother with his desire for other women.

Freud (1909) offered the Little Hans case study as evidence of the Oedipus complex.