In Freudian theory, a healthy outcome of castration anxiety is

• A. Identification with the same-sex parent
• B. Repression of forbidden desires
• C. Increased aggression
• D. Withdrawal from relationships

Answer: (A)

During the phallic stage, boys experience the Oedipus complex, a conflict between desire for the mother and fear of the father’s punishment (castration anxiety). A healthy resolution to this anxiety is identification with the same‑sex parent. By identifying with the father, the child imitates his behaviors, adopts his values and norms, and internalizes a sense of moral authority. This process helps form the superego and solidifies gender identity, guiding future behavior and social development.

Repression of forbidden desires is a defense mechanism Freud discusses, but it isn’t the outcome that leads to healthy development in this context. Increased aggression or withdrawal from relationships don’t capture the transformative identification that anchors moral and gender development after resolving the Oedipus complex.