Freud suggests that the anal stage of development, theorized to happen between the ages of 1 to 3, includes phase of anal retention that Freud describes as having psychological consequences of behavior as a personality trait. A child in this stage concerns themselves with the attainment of completing the toilet.
The approach that a parent takes to toilet training can shape personality traits in the future. If a child experiences toilet training that is overly strict, Freud suggested they may develop an anal-retentive personality, and unique personality traits were majorly described as excessive orderliness, stubbornness, rigidity, perfectionism and a very high need of control.
An example of this is a child who experiences toilet training failure with the emphasis of complete cleanliness, will become a highly more disorganized adult and has the tendency to become very meticulous and organized. These traits in some sense can have adaptability, but they can do more harm by rigidly expressed, which will add to the stress, anxiety, and relationship difficulty. While Freud’s theories may have been debunked, the residual effects the anal-retentive phase has in psychoanalysis is prominent. Mentioning having anal retention attributes raises the need to highlight the notion of perfectionism and obsessive compulsive attributes, rigidity of personality.