Psychoanalytic Theories Explain Development As Unconscious...

Psychoanalytic theories explain development as unconscious processes that are heavily colored by emotion (Santrock 2014). Sigmund Freud was a psychoanalytic theorist who established a psychosexual theory believing that development occurred during life stage conflicts between a source of pleasure and the demands of reality. Many theorists after Freud believed that there was a good basis in Freud’s theory but it relied too much on the idea of sexual instincts. One such theorist was Erik Erikson, who developed a psychosocial theory about development. Erikson believed that human’s motivation lied in a desire to connect with other people. He believed the ability to handle each stage’s social crisis changed a person’s development. Freud and Erikson’s theories are extremely similar in many ways; however Erikson changed the psychoanalytic theory by taking the next step in recognizing the ability of humans to continue to develop throughout their lifesp an. Freud and Erikson both held a belief that human development was influenced by unconscious thought. These theorists and other psychoanalysts believe that behavior is solely the surface characteristic. To truly understand, you must dig much deeper into a person’s mind. It is also believed that the early experiences of development with parents shape development (Santrock 2014). Both theorized that human development involved distinct stages or discontinuity. Erikson studied human development many years after Freud’sShow MoreRelatedContemporary Applications of Schools in Psychology8487 Words   |  34 Pagesï » ¿INTRODUCTION Psychology evolved out of both philosophy and biology. Throughout psychologys history, a number of different  schools of thought  have formed to explain human thought and behavior. These schools of thought often rise to dominance for a period of time. While these schools of thought are sometimes perceived as competing forces, each  perspective  has contributed to our understanding of psychology. Some of the major schools of thought in psychology are Structuralism, Functionalism, Gestalt