According to Freud, at what age does the oral stage of development occur?

Freud's theory of psychosexual development posits that the oral stage occurs from birth to around one year of age. During this stage, an infant's primary interaction with the world is through the mouth, which is a source of pleasure and comfort. Activities such as sucking, biting, and chewing are central to this phase, as the child derives satisfaction and learns about their environment through oral exploration.

This stage is crucial for the infant's development, as it lays the foundation for later stages and influences personality traits. For instance, Freud suggested that fixation at this stage could lead to issues in adulthood, such as dependence or aggression, depending on how successfully an individual navigated this early development phase.

The other age ranges provided refer to subsequent stages in Freud's theory: the anal stage occurs from about 1 to 3 years, the phallic stage from 3 to 6 years, and the latency stage from 6 to 12 years. Thus, identifying the oral stage as occurring from birth to 1 year correctly reflects Freud's developmental timeline.