Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual theory and Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory are two important psychoanalytic theories on human development that could be used as a basis in the explanation of human development. Even though both theories have similarities, there are also differences. I also feel that these must be used only as a base in understanding human development. Though Erikson’s theory were greatly influenced by Freud’s theory and based on many of his ideas, he had his own ideas on development. We will now discuss in further detail. Both Freud and Erikson recognize the importance of the unconscious development. Freud and Erikson explained that personality develops in a series of predetermined stages. They also both separate development into stages of a person’s life and utilize similar age groups for these development stages. Freud separated the development into 5 stages whereas Erikson used eight stages. Unlike Freud’s theory of psychosexual stages, Erikson’s theory describes the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan. Freud was an id psychologist whereas Erikson was an ego psychologist. Erikson emphasized the role of culture and society and the conflicts that can take place within the ego itself, whereas Freud emphasized the conflict between the id and the superego. According to Erikson, the ego develops as it successfully resolves crises that are distinctly social in nature and is based on social and environmental factors Freud on the other hand