AP Psychology Practice Test 2026 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The female counterpart to the Oedipus complex is called the Electra complex. This term, introduced by Carl Jung, refers to a girl's psychosexual competition with her mother for her father's affection. In contrast, the Oedipus complex, introduced by Sigmund Freud, pertains to a boy's feelings of desire for his mother and jealousy toward his father. The Electra complex reflects similar themes but from a female perspective, highlighting the complexities of familial relationships during the phallic stage of development.

The other choices—identification, superego development, and ego adjustment—represent different concepts in psychology that do not specifically denote the female counterpart to the Oedipus complex. Identification refers to an individual's process of adopting the characteristics of another person, often occurring during childhood, while superego development is about the formation of moral conscience based on societal values. Ego adjustment involves adaptations made by the ego to manage internal conflicts and external demands, which doesn't specifically relate to the dynamics of the Electra complex.