According to Freud, what influences personality development through early childhood?

Freud's theory posits that personality development is heavily influenced by experiences during the early stages of childhood, specifically through his proposed psychosexual stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. Each stage represents different challenges and experiences that shape an individual's personality and behaviors. For example, how a child navigates conflicts and gratifications associated with these stages can leave lasting impacts on their character, leading to particular traits or behaviors in adulthood.

Freud believed that unresolved conflicts during these stages could lead to fixations that manifest as certain personality traits or neuroses later in life. Thus, experiences related to these psychosexual stages are foundational in the formation of personality according to Freud’s psychodynamic theory. This framework emphasizes the significance of early childhood experiences over later experiences or societal influences in shaping an individual’s personality.