Comparison and Contrast Between Two Theorists Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson

Compare and Contrast Two Theorists Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson
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Compare and Contrast Two Theorists Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson
Developmental stage concepts classify a children's development into various stages, marked by qualitative variations in behavior. There are multiple viewpoints about how physical and psychological growth progresses throughout a lifetime. Discontinuous and continuous development are the two primary psychological developmental theories. Aside from individual variations, developmental psychologists accept that growth occurs in a logical sequence and multiple areas simultaneously. The paper compares the two theorists by analyzing theories and perspectives about various life stages to understand the differences in the definition of personality.
Erik Erickson and Sigmund Freud Theories
In the history of psychology, there is evidence that the creation and development of the human brain is a contentious and complex issue. Many scholars have unique observations, hypotheses, and viewpoints centered on whether creation occurs in a discontinuous or continuous manner. Notably, developmental psychology is a branch of psychology concerned with the study of child development. The fundamental concept of stage theories is that development is a discontinuous process involving distinct phases marked by qualitative differences in behavior.
Besides, it is also believed that stage form is consistent across individuals, but the duration of each step varies. Many hypotheses have been proposed to understand the dynamic mechanism. Erik Erickson and Sigmund Freud were among the influential theorists who established diverse arguments about child psychology. First, human evolution is based on psychosexual theories from a Freudian viewpoint. The psychosexual theory explains that personality growth phases are based on the development and growth of sexual desires. Erikson, on the other hand, is regarded as a Neo-Freudian theorist who pioneered psychosocial theory. Erikson's models have eight major conflicts that arise in a person's life.
Erikson and Freud's theories are significant psychoanalytic theories on human growth and can effectively describe the developmental consequences. Erikson's approach is founded on many of Freud's concepts. Based on Erikson, the unconscious plays an important role in creation, according to both views. The two theorists also use similar age classifications for development stages and classify growth into individual health stages. While both theories stress the significance of early impressions, there are major variations between Erickson's and Freud's ideas. Freud based his argument on how sensitive feeding is to a child while Erikson centered his view on how responsive caregivers are to a child's welfare.
In Freud's theory, the oral phase is the first phase of psychosexual development. Chewing, sucking, and tasting are the main sources of gratification for a child at this development stage. However, the oral phase problem can result in oral fixation. On the other hand, the first level of Erikson's theory is “mistrust versus trust” (Erikson, 1963). Children start to distrust or trust their guardians during this point. Whether children build a sense of confidence in the environment around them is defined by the treatment they receive from adults. Children who may not receive consistent and appropriate treatment may grow up to distrust others.
Although Erikson's and Freud's theories vary in various ways, they also concentrate on how a child acquires a sense of mastery and independence. Freud conceptualized the anal stage as the second phase of psychosexual development. Controlling the bladder gives children a sense of competence and superiority at this time. Children who excel at this level gain trust in their performance and abilities (Grzybowski & Żołnierz, 2020). Those experiencing difficulties during this stage can establish an anal fixation and tend to be overly tidy or messy as adults. On the other hand, Erikson conceptualized autonomy versus shame and doubt about the second phase of psychosocial development. Children become increasingly mobile during this time. They achieve self-sufficiency by maintaining control over things like toilet training, feeding, and speaking. A child helped at this point becomes more self-reliant and self-assured. Many that are unfairly criticized or excessively regulated tend to question their abilities.
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