Sigmund Freud's theory of Psychoanalysis changed the world of Psychology not only through Freud's own contributions, but that of many of his followers. Those who studied Freud's theory either developed their own theories, or to contribute to the original theory in improved ways. Erik Erikson, one of these theorists, stayed authentic to Psychoanalysis as Freud developed it. However, the focus changes from the study of the adult to the study of the child. The emphasis shifts from the id to the ego. There is an expansion of psychoanalysis as a therapeutic tool and greater appreciation of the role of society and culture in the development of personality (Engler, 2009). In my paper, I will be looking at how Erikson built his theory, and will be especially …show more content…
Engler says that for Erikson, children are trying to understand and relate to the world and to others. In effect, Erikson made explicit the social dimension implied in Freud's work (Engler, 2009). There are a total of eight stages. The first four correspond to Freud's first four psychosexual stages, while the last four are all subdivisions of Freud's genital stage. Every psychosocial stage is based on a major conflict revolving around two opposing emotions, one positive and the other negative. This conflict revolves around an important period of time, called a life crisis, during which a person either progresses or regresses. If a person manages to successfully navigate through the life crisis and if they are able to successfully resolve the conflict between the two polarities overall, both components are integrated into their