Discover Freud's classic study of a five-year-old boy who developed a fear of horses and his father. Explore Freud's theory, The review of Little Hans takes place in the period of the phallic stage, around - 4 years, when children are obsessed with the penis, the sexual differences between, Freud studied the case of Little Hans, a child of five years who was afraid of horses and chariots, to support his theories on psychosexual development and Oedipus. How Freud Used a Boy's Fear of Horses to Support His Theory of the Oedipus Complex Listen to this episode of Mind Changers, a series that explores the history of psychology and psychiatry. Hans' symptom, like all neurotic symptoms in the psychoanalytic view, was a metaphor. It was a transposition of an unconscious fear that children experience around the age they are afraid of. In German-speaking areas of Europe, Hans has been a common name since the late Middle Ages. During this period it was also broadcast in the Netherlands and Scandinavia. The name has been used in various forms, such as Johann, Hannes and Hansel, which is a diminutive meaning "little Hans". Hans has also been used in other cultures. The case of Little Hans continues to be the subject of exploration and debate within psychoanalytic theory and its exploration of child development. Freud in 1909 offered the case study of Little Hans as evidence of the Oedipus complex. . The Electra complex. The Electra complex describes the female version of the Oedipus complex. It involves a girl, as she ages, who becomes unconsciously sexually attached to her father and increasingly hostile towards her mother.