Freud vs. Erikson
The Development of the Human Mind Two of the most influential psychologists who helped shape the way we understand the development of the human mind were Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson. Comparing and contrasting these two brilliant psychologists is easy; deciding which of the two theories were more accurate, either psychosexual or psychosocial, is the difficult part. I absolutely agree with Erikson’s psychosocial theory for numerous reasons. I believe that the impact of the social experience is spread across the whole lifespan. I also agree that there are barriers between the stages of life that need to be resolved before progressing into the next stage. And that once you develop past a certain stage you can’t go back to it. The psychosocial theory that Erikson established considers the influence of external factors, such as society and family. Erikson’s theory states that every person must go through a series of stages over their entire life; unlike Freud who believed development ended at the genital stage. I believe that in this aspect of the two theories Erikson is more accurate, because your mind is constantly developing till the day you die. For example, you’re a seventy-eight year old man and your wife has passed away. Would you lose your drive to live or would you reflect on the times you had throughout life. That is the barrier that needs to be resolved: Integrity vs. Despair. Either you struggle in finding the purpose of life or you gain that fulfillment by realizing you had a meaningful life. The second reason can be found in both Erikson’s and Freud’s theories that state that the barriers between the stages need to be resolved before entering a new stage. For example with Freud’s theory the oral stage has to be resolved before entering the anal stage. If not resolved a fixation might occur. And that person who is fixated at the oral stage may seek the oral stimulation through smoking, drinking, or eating. Lastly once a barrier is broken and you