The Electra complex is associated with which gender?

The Electra complex is associated with which gender?

• A. Boys
• B. Girls
• C. Both
• D. Neither

Answer: (B)

The Electra complex describes a girl’s psychosexual dynamics during the phallic stage, where she experiences unconscious attraction to her father and rivalry with her mother. This is the female counterpart to the Oedipus complex in boys, and its progression leads a girl to identify with the mother and develop a sense of female gender identity. Because it specifically centers on girls’ developmental path, it is associated with girls rather than boys, aligning with traditional psychoanalytic theory and common exam usage.

The Electra complex describes a girl’s psychosexual dynamics during the phallic stage, where she experiences unconscious attraction to her father and rivalry with her mother. This is the female counterpart to the Oedipus complex in boys, and its progression leads a girl to identify with the mother and develop a sense of female gender identity. Because it specifically centers on girls’ developmental path, it is associated with girls rather than boys, aligning with traditional psychoanalytic theory and common exam usage.