PSYB20H3 Chap.3 Psychoanalytic Theories of Freud and Erikson
Psychoanalytic Theories of Freud and Erikson
Freud's two structures
Sigmund Freud's psychosexual theory makes two separate claims, and PSYB20H3 tests both. The first describes the structure of personality: the id, unconscious and innate, present at birth; the ego, conscious and rational, developing by about one year; and the superego, the moral compass, developing between three and six.
The second describes a sequence of stages, each with a different focus of gratification. Many review items attach a correct description to the wrong stage, so the stages need to be learned with their ages.
The five psychosexual stages
The oral stage runs from birth to one year and centres on the mouth and feeding. The anal stage centres on voluntary urination and defecation.
The phallic stage, from three to six, is when the Oedipus and Electra complexes emerge. Latency runs from six to eleven, and the genital stage begins around twelve. Freud's lasting contributions are the idea of unconscious motivation and attention to the later consequences of early experience.
His theory is criticised for lacking evidence that early conflicts shape adult personality and for overemphasizing sexual instincts at the expense of culture.
Erikson's revision
Erik Erikson, a neo-Freudian, kept stages and crises but replaced sexual drives with social and cultural influences and extended the theory across the whole lifespan in eight stages.
He viewed children as more active and adaptive than Freud did, and his theory has become more popular.
Its strengths are its emphasis on the child's active role and its relatability; its limitations are that it is descriptive and leaves unclear how development actually occurs.
Matching the two theories by age
Erikson's early crises line up with Freud's stages: basic trust versus mistrust in infancy, autonomy versus shame and doubt alongside the anal stage, and initiative versus guilt from three to six.
Industry versus inferiority is the school-age crisis of mastering social and academic skills, identity versus role confusion belongs to adolescence, and the sequence ends with ego integrity versus despair.
Being able to move between the two lists in either direction is a common test requirement.
Writing the comparison
Short-answer questions in the review sessions ask for separate similarities and differences, each worth a point. Reliable similarities are that both are psychoanalytic stage theories, both stress early experience, and both involve resolving conflicts or crises.
Reliable differences are sexual versus social focus, early childhood versus lifespan, and an unconscious, driven child versus an active one. Write each idea as its own sentence so a marker can count it.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Id, ego and superego
- 02
Oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital stages
- 03
Contributions and criticisms of Freud
- 04
Erikson's eight psychosocial stages
- 05
Trust, autonomy, initiative and industry
- 06
Identity and ego integrity
- 07
Comparing Freud and Erikson
Worked example · free
Place a preschooler in both theories
- 1Age five falls in Freud's phallic stage, which runs from three to six.
- 1The superego, the moral compass, develops between three and six.
- 1Erikson's crisis for ages three to six is initiative versus guilt.
Key terms
- Superego
- The superego is the moral compass of Freud's personality structure, developing between about three and six years of age.
- Neo-Freudian
- A neo-Freudian is a theorist who keeps Freud's psychoanalytic framework while revising its emphasis, as Erikson did with social influences.
- Industry Versus Inferiority
- Industry versus inferiority is Erikson's school-age crisis, in which a child must master important social and academic skills.
- Psychosexual Stage
- A psychosexual stage is one of Freud's five periods, each defined by a different focus of gratification.
- Ego Integrity
- Ego integrity is the positive outcome of Erikson's final crisis, set against despair.
Psychoanalytic Theories of Freud and Erikson FAQ
When do the id, ego and superego develop?
The id is present at birth and holds unconscious, innate drives. The ego, which is conscious and rational, develops by about one year of age. The superego, the moral compass, develops between three and six. Exam options often shift these ages by a stage, so learn each component with its age.
How did Erikson change Freud's theory?
Erikson kept stages and crises but placed far less emphasis on sexual urges and far more on social and cultural influences. He also extended development across the lifespan in eight stages and viewed children as more active and adaptive. His theory is valued for being relatable but criticised for being descriptive.
Which Erikson crisis corresponds to Freud's anal stage?
Autonomy versus shame and doubt corresponds to the anal stage, when Freud says voluntary toilet control becomes the focus. The pairing works because both theories describe the same toddler years, one through bodily control and the other through a growing sense of independence and the risk of shame.
Exam move
Draw two parallel timelines from birth to twelve and fill in Freud's stages above and Erikson's crises below without notes. Then write one similarity and one difference per line until you have three of each, each in its own sentence, and time yourself at one minute per point.
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