Phallic stage The phallic stage is the third of Freud 's psychosexual stages , when awareness of and manipulation of the genitals is supposed to be a primary source of pleasure . In this stage the child deals with the Oedipus complex , if male , or the Electra complex , if female . According to Freud , this stage first occurs around the age of five and a half years . Female sexuality and criticism of Freud 's theories Main article : Orgasm # Vaginal_versus_clitoral_orgasms Freud believed that it was natural for female children in this stage to focus on the clitoris as their primary organ for sexual pleasure . He believed that upon reaching adulthood and sexual maturity , a female 's primary sexual focus shifts to the vagina . There is considerable criticism regarding this theory , as it portrays adult women who continue to enjoy and/or orgasm from clitoral stimulation as having not reached full sexual maturity . See also Psychosexual development Oral stage Anal stage Genital stage This psychology -related article is a stub . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it . Categories : Psychology stubs | Freudian psychology In other languages : Polski Orgasm # Vaginal_versus_clitoral_orgasms 