What is the primary source of pleasure during Freud's Oral Stage of development?

During Freud's Oral Stage of development, the primary source of pleasure is the mouth. This stage occurs from birth to about 18 months, and it is characterized by an infant's primary interaction with the world through oral activities such as sucking, biting, and chewing. These activities not only provide nourishment but also serve as mechanisms for exploring and learning about the environment. Freud proposed that fixation at this stage could lead to oral-related behaviors in adulthood, such as smoking, overeating, or nail-biting, demonstrating how foundational these early experiences are in personality development.

The other options—such as the anus, the genitals, and the surroundings—pertain to different stages of development. The anal stage, which focuses on bowel and bladder control, comes after the oral stage, while the phallic stage concentrates on the genitals. Environmental factors might provide sensory experiences, but they do not drive the pleasure-seeking behaviors that define the oral stage. Thus, the mouth is central to this critical phase of early development.