According to Freud, what can result from over or undergratification of sexual needs during psychosexual stages?

Freud's psychosexual development theory posits that personality is shaped during early childhood as children navigate through different psychosexual stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. Each stage is characterized by the individual's focus on specific erogenous zones.

According to Freud, when a child's sexual needs are either overgratified or undergratified during these stages, it can lead to distinct personality outcomes. For example, if a child experiences excessive gratification during the oral stage, they may develop an oral fixation, potentially resulting in a personality that exhibits dependency and passivity in adulthood. Conversely, insufficient gratification can lead to an obsessive focus on control and orderliness. Each of the psychosexual stages has its conflicts, and how these conflicts are resolved is fundamental in shaping the individual's personality traits and behaviors.

Understanding this framework emphasizes the importance Freud placed on early experiences and their lasting impact on adult personality, thereby illustrating why different personality outcomes are a direct consequence of the dynamics of gratification during these stages.