Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Biology and the oedipus complex

R C Friedman, J I Downey

    The Psychoanalytic Quarterly
    |April 1, 1995
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    The Oedipus complex may not be universal. Its components, like competitive urges influenced by testosterone and seen in play, warrant separate examination in psychological development.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Psychoanalysis and human sexuality.

    Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association·2002
    Same author

    Psychoanalysis and sexual fantasies.

    Archives of sexual behavior·2000
    Same author

    The psychobiology of late childhood: significance for psychoanalytic developmental theory and clinical practice.

    The Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis·2000
    Same author

    Internalized homophobia and gender-valued self-esteem in the psychoanalysis of gay patients.

    Psychoanalytic review·1999
    Same author

    Homosexuality, psychopathology, and suicidality.

    Archives of general psychiatry·1999
    Same author

    Private psychotherapy patients of psychiatrist psychoanalysts.

    The American journal of psychiatry·1998
    Same journal

    Lucy LaFarge (1948-2025).

    The Psychoanalytic quarterly·2026
    Same journal

    Freud in His Psychosocial Generation: Durkheim, Simmel, Weber, and Du Bois.

    The Psychoanalytic quarterly·2026
    Same journal

    Editor's Note.

    The Psychoanalytic quarterly·2026
    Same journal

    Chodorow Comment.

    The Psychoanalytic quarterly·2026
    Same journal

    Solace.

    The Psychoanalytic quarterly·2026
    Same journal

    On Being and Knowing: A Response to Thomas Ogden's "Ontological" Model.

    The Psychoanalytic quarterly·2026
    See all related articles

    Area of Science:

    • Behavioral Neuroscience
    • Developmental Psychology
    • Psychoanalytic Theory

    Background:

    • Recent findings challenge the universality and significance of the Oedipus complex in psychological development.
    • Freud's Oedipus complex construct requires re-evaluation in light of contemporary behavioral and neuroscientific data.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To deconstruct Freud's Oedipus complex into its constituent parts for a more nuanced understanding.
    • To investigate the biological underpinnings and developmental manifestations of specific components of the Oedipus complex.
    • To propose an alternative developmental framework, considering play as a distinct developmental line.

    Main Methods:

    • Review of recent observations in behavioral and neurosciences.
    • Analysis of Freud's Oedipus complex construct.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of biological factors, such as testosterone's effects on the brain.
  • Observation of childhood rough-and-tumble play behavior.

    • Main Results:

    • The incestuous wish component of the Oedipus complex is not universally present in all individuals.
    • The competitive urge in boys towards other males, including the father, appears biologically based.
    • This competitive urge is linked to testosterone's effects on the brain and is evident in childhood play.

    Conclusions:

    • The Oedipus complex, as a singular construct, may be less significant than previously thought.
    • Components of the Oedipus complex, particularly the competitive drive, have biological bases and distinct developmental pathways.
    • Play behavior should be considered a separate and important developmental line, distinct from the Oedipus complex.