Nurse Moose
    Mental Health Northern Kentucky University Proctored Exam 4

    A 4-year-old child is preoccupied with her mother's breasts and frequently wants to gently pat them with her hands. Her mother does not visibly react to this; instead, she redirects the child to another activity. The mother is worried that if she shames her daughter about the breast patting, it might "mess her up somehow." According to Erikson, the child's behavior is considered: