Psychoanalytic and Psychosocial Social Theories of Personality

Psychoanalytic and Psychosocial Social Theories
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Psychoanalytic and Psychosocial Social Theories
I. Introduction
a. Current Problem: Analysis of psychoanalytic and psychosocial social theories
b. Key Terms: Psychoanalytic, psychosocial, personality, Freud, and Erickson
II. An overview of psychoanalytic and psychosocial social theories of personality
i) Freud’s psychoanalytic theory
a) Definition: Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality demonstrates that human behavior develops in stages, with each marked by particular internal psychological conflict (Zhang, 2020).
b) Fundamental Structures: Freud proposed that personality develops due to three critical structures of the human mind; the id, ego, and superego.
c) Role of Conflicts: As conflicts among the three fundamental structures continue, individuals strive to find balance among each factor, which then establishes how they behave.
i) The id seeks instant gratification of basic physical needs. It is the most primitive of the three structures and functions unconsciously.
ii) The Superego entails social rules and morals. Here a child learns what culture entails, especially what is right and wrong.
iii) The ego balances between the interests of the id and the superego. It is the most pragmatic part of personality. Freud indicated that the three are always in constant conflict, and personality is a result of these struggles.
ii) Erickson’s psychosocial theory
a) Definition: is Erikson's theory of psychosocial development focuses on social relationships and the mental processes that demonstrate the individuals and their connections to the social world.
b) Fundamental Structure: The theories demonstrate that personality development is a result of the ongoing interactions between people and their social environments (Çelik & Ergün, 2016).
c) The influence of society: Societies are organized to lead individuals to a certain ideal of adulthood.
III. Freud versus Erickson Theories