According to psychoanalysis, latency is a stage in the libidinal evolution of a child.
Latency is a word used to describe a matter or object that is in a latent state. This adjective, for its part, serves to describe the state of something that is hidden, is not visible or that, apparently, is not active.
The idea of latency is present in the field of biology to name the time that passes after a stimulus is released and the appearance of a response to it. The concept is used especially to focus on the period that spans from contracting a disease and the manifestation of the first signs or symptoms .
Latency in psychoanalysis
For psychoanalysis , however, latency is a phase that indicates a certain moment in the libidinal evolution of children . Sigmund Freud distinguished between two periods in sexual development: one that begins at birth and continues until the so-called Oedipus complex and another that begins at puberty and lasts until sexual maturity . The latency period would then be the intermediate moment between both stages.
The most important events that take place in this transition stage are the burial of the Oedipus complex, the formation of the Superego and the development of feelings of modesty and disgust and barriers within the Ego , related to ethics and aesthetics. Latency lasts until the changes of puberty begin, at which time children of both genders are surprised by the alterations in their bodies, in addition to pulsations that they were unaware of, which awaken their sexual desires, which had been repressed for a period of time. long time .
It is worth mentioning that the relationship with sexuality does not disappear absolutely during this period, but rather the energies that until then were dedicated to the genital aspect are channeled through the desire to learn new things, the interest in knowing the social environment and in achieving integration. in some group with which they feel identified. It is a fundamental stage in the development of the human being, which is often overlooked; It is then when we begin to lay the foundations of our morality, when we begin to relate to other people, with families that are not ours, and we learn to empathize with other individuals. Furthermore, language is essential for the processes and phenomena just mentioned to be carried out normally, which indicates one of the fundamental points of training prior to this period.
Development age
Chronologically, latency is usually between seven and twelve years of age. Starting from metapsychology, during this stage the psychic apparatus is transformed , since the Superego is incorporated, an instance that internalizes the figures of the parents along with the limits they expose and the expectations they have placed on their children; The person in charge of satisfying all these demands is the Self. The increase in thinking in contrast to the decrease in impulsivity is notable, since concepts such as honesty, compassion and responsibility come into play, which until then did not exist.
The mental health of the father and mother, or of whoever takes their place in the development of children, is very important, since the correct break with the Oedipus complex and a healthy approach to sexuality will depend on it. On the other hand, the constant exposure to all types of information that we suffer today certainly merits various reviews and evaluations of the concepts raised by Freud.
In computing, latency is the time delay that appears in a network.
Latency in computing
In the computing sector, on the other hand, latency refers to the temporal delays that are recorded in a network .
These delays are caused by the delay in the propagation and transmission of data packets. By adding all the delays, the latency of the computer network is obtained.