Prepare for the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor exam. Study effectively with flashcards, multiple-choice questions, and detailed explanations. Ensure success on your assessment!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


Freud's psychosexual stages have been criticized for being influenced by what social aspect?

  1. Gender roles

  2. Social norms and biases of the era

  3. Cultural variations

  4. Religious beliefs

The correct answer is: Social norms and biases of the era

Freud's psychosexual stages have been criticized for being heavily influenced by the social norms and biases of his time. When analyzing his theories, it's essential to consider the historical context in which they were developed, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Freud was a product of a Victorian society that held many specific beliefs about sexuality, morality, and the roles of women and men. These cultural conditions shaped his perceptions and interpretations of human development. The emphasis on specific psychosexual stages, the concept of repression, and the focus on heterosexual, procreative relationships reflect the prevailing views of his society. This has led many critics to argue that his theories may not adequately reflect the complexities of human sexuality and development across different cultures and social groups. Freud's work did not take into account the variability of experiences beyond those defined by the social norms of his day, which limits the applicability of his theories to broader populations. While other options may play a role in understanding Freud's work, such as gender roles and cultural variations, the strongest critique relates to the overarching influence of the contemporary social norms and biases that informed his observations and conclusions on human behavior and development.