Psychoanalytic theory examines how an individual's childhood experiences and subconscious

influence personality development. Explore Freud's psychosexual theory and Erikson's

psychosocial theory, which are two of the more prominent psychoanalytic theories. Compare the
two theories to understand similarities and differences, psychosexual vs. psychosocial stages of
development, and the analyses used in the theories. Updated: 08/27/2021

Example for Comparison

Mary has a 3-month-old daughter. Mary bottle feeds her child and follows a strict schedule for
feeding times. The child is not allowed to have a pacifier. Mary is an affectionate parent, and all
of her child's needs are met. How could the actions that occur in the child's life now affect her
later development?

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Similarities between Freud and Erikson

Sigmund Freud's psychosexual theory and Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory are two important
psychoanalytic theories on human development that could be used to explain the developmental
effects of this scenario. In this lesson, we will examine what these two theories have in common
and how they differ.
Erikson's theory followed Freud's and was based on many of Freud's ideas. Because of this, the
two theories have similarities. Both theorists recognize the importance of the unconscious on
development. They also both separate development into stages of a person's life and utilize
similar age categorizations for these developmental stages.

Differences between Freud and Erikson

However, there are several differences that exist between the names of the stages and the
developmental issues that are encountered during each stage. Part of the reason for this is that
each psychologist had his own unique view of what drives a person's development. Freud's
psychosexual theory emphasizes the importance of basic needs and biological forces, while
Erikson's psychosocial theory is more focused upon social and environmental factors. Erikson
also expands his theory into adulthood, while Freud's theory ends at an earlier period.

Psychosexual vs. Psychosocial Stages

Now, let's briefly look at Freud's psychosexual stages and Erikson's psychosocial stages
alongside each other.
First we will examine the first year of life. Freud called this the oral stage of development
because he believed that oral stimulation was the primary means of development at this time.
Erikson called this stage of development trust vs. mistrust. Both believe that a child develops
their sense of trust at this stage of development.
Next, let's discuss the first through third years of life. Freud called this the anal stage of
development, and Erikson called this autonomy vs. shame and doubt. Both believe that a sense
of independence is learned at this stage of development, and that toilet training is an important
focus of this independence. Parental attitudes at this time can also have a lasting effect.
Ages three through six is referred to as the phallic stage by Freud and the initiative vs.
guilt stage by Erikson. Freud believed this stage was where a child identifies with the same-sex
parent and develops self-esteem. Erikson felt that this was the stage where a child begins to exert
power and control over their environment. This is the point where you will start to see more
differences in the two theories.
The next developmental stage occurs at ages seven through 11. Freud calls this stage of
development latency and believes that this is an intermediary stage of development where the
child forms interactions with their environment. Erikson refers to it as industry vs. inferiority.
He believes that children begin to demonstrate their ability to succeed.