Psychological Schools of Thought - Essay Example

Introduction Psychological schools of thought are crucial in understanding human behaviour and human thought. Many psychologists want to explain how people acquire new information, how people learn to live with one another or why people make the choices that they do. The essay shall focus on two schools of thought that are both considered as developmental theories; these are Erikson's school of thought and Freud's school of thought. The latter author was largely responsible for the theory of psycho-social development while the former author was well known for his theory of psycho analysis. These particular schools of thought have been chosen because both of them fall in a similar category. Categories of schools of thought There are numerous schools of thought in the field of psychology. However, these schools of thought can be categorised into a series of categories. For instance, behavioural schools of thought are those ones that focus on acquisition of behaviour. Usually, these schools of thought are applicable in therapeutic settings to assist individuals in the process of acquiring new skills. (Flax, 2003) In close relation to the latter category is the cognitive school of thought. In this particular category, more focus is placed in internal processes. For example there is a lot of reference to the processes of motivation, decision making, attention or the thinking process. One of the most well known authors in this category is Piaget through his cognitive development theory. The latter category also contains all theories of intelligence and cognitive psychology. Developmental theories are also important as schools of thought. The latter theories are particularly useful in trying to understand development, human growth and learning. Through developmental schools of thought, it is possible for one to understand society and individuals. Examples of schools of thought that fall in this category include Freud's psychosexual development, Piaget's cognitive development theory, social learning theory, attachment theory and Erickson's psychosexual development. The paper will focus on Freud's and Erickson's school of thought in subsequent portions. Another category of psychological schools of thought is the humanist one. Humanistic psychology mostly dwells on those forms of behaviour that may be deemed as abnormal. This category also focuses on psychological problems in society. Some of the major psychologists associated with these schools of thought include Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. Maslow came up with his hierarchy of needs idea while other psychologists examined aspects such as self efficacy. The latter category is also made up of personality types. Most of the schools of thought found in this category are those ones that revolve around assessment of the behaviours or feelings that make those particular individuals unique. In other words, through this aspect, it is possible to understand the subject of one's personality. Some of the most prominent characters in this category include Freud and Erickson through their personality theories. (Flax, 2003) Comparison of Freud and Erikson's schools of thought As it has been stated earlier, Freud was identified with the theory of psychoanalysis. Consequently, Freud was responsible for the psycho-analytic school of thought. On the other hand, Erikson was associated with the psychosocial school of thought. There were a number of similarities and differences between these two writer's works. First, the work will begin with a comparison of some of their similarities then it will contrast their works. Similarities in their work Freud and Erikson were quite similar to one another because both of them were dwelling on the issue of development. Additionally, they both focused on the stages that individuals go through in their developmental aspects. These stages were instrumental in later aspects of life because they were the foundation that determined an individual's outcome. The first phase of the psychosocial school of thought is somewhat similar to the psycho-analytic school of thought. Erikson asserts that the quality of the ego at this point is defined by hope. He also adds that developmental tasks to be conducted here are related to social attachments. In other words, a child learns how to identify motor development. They are also able to understand the issue of causality in context. (Stevens, 2005) The latter phase is quite similar to Freud's descriptions of the pre-oedipus age. This is because at that stage, children are still learning the basics. They are not yet fully sexualised and are still not able to distinguish their own gender with that of others. Erikson is quite similar to Freud in this regard because he asserts that the latter stage can affect how an individual turns out in future life. For example, if trust is not well developed here, then such individuals are likely to avoid engaging in healthy relationships. This is because such people may lack the ability to trust others. They also lose the virtue of hope which is fundamental in establishing trust with one another. It should also be noted that this stage is critical in life because if an individual does not have hope, then it becomes very difficult for them to be able to deal with obstacles in their lives. Also, such person may have difficulties when they have to deal with failures. Consequently, this phase in the psychosocial school of thought is quite fundamental. Similarly, Freud asserts that when a child does not understand their differences properly, then they are likely to have gender problems in the future. In other words, both of the theorists are able to relate future problems with occurrences at very early stages of human beings life. Erikson believed that children develop their sense of intimacy and isolation at the young adulthood stage. At that point, people deal with isolation or intimacy. Also, at this stage, the major question that must be answered is whether one is loved by another or not. At this phase, people are capable of developing and sustaining their own relationships. However, there is another counterpart in the stage know as distantiation. At this point, people are ready to get rid of whichever challenges come their way as long those challenges are seen as threats to their overall independence. (Flax, 2003) The latter stage is somewhat similar to what Freud refers to as the unconscious. The unconscious is the platform against which individuals are able to link their childhood behaviour with their adulthood behaviour. This may occur at a stage in life in which one has fully understood himself/herself. In other words, it may occur at the young adulthood stage. According to Erikson, when people reach the age of forty to sixty, they are concerned with their "generativity". At this point, they are required to transfer their ideals to the next generation. This is usually associated with old age. On the other hand, the last phase of an individual's life is the late adulthood phase that occurs after sixty years. At this point, one is likely to be battling with despair or disappointment. Usually, such adults are dealing with the life they have lived and whether their lives led to independence or whether they caused remorse and such kinds of feelings. Depending on how one answers the question, then they can either feel fulfilled or they can despair with their lives. These last stages of Erikson's theories can be compared to one of the principles which had been argued in the psychosexual school of thought. According to Freud, one can understand the way life is when one looks at how the human mind thrives to avoid more needs, hustles or challenges. In other words, Freud believed that the ultimate wish among many human beings was to be at peace with themselves and to have no more goals. This same interpretation can be applied to Erikson's last phase of development because at that point, people no longer have more goals but are seeking to be at peace with themselves. (Stevens, 2005) One of the major similarities between these two theories is the fact that both of them can act as guides that assist in the process of dealing with certain psychological issues. For instance, according to Erikson, one is likely to develop greater problems when they had been forced to deal with lack of trust and harmony during their toddler years. Additionally, through Freud's assertions, it is possible to understand why certain people resort to become juvenile delinquents, criminals and the like by studying their pasts. Through the theories of the latter authors, psychologists can now understand the fact that people's actions and behaviours are guided by these stages. The way one weighs failures and successes highly depends on their past Both these schools of thoughts have solicited a lot of criticisms. Most people wonder whether there is the need to look at the stages laid out in Erikson's work sequentially or whether these are stages that can overlap with another. Additionally, Freud has also solicited his own share of criticisms with regard to his life and death explanations and his incestuous explanations of development. Erikson explains that at the age of three to five years, children develop intuition or guilt. At this point, they realise that the world works in a certain manner. Consequently, most of them have difficulties in making initiatives because of the fact that they are battling with guilt. At this stage, it is possible to find children who may feel guilty about things that do not necessarily solicit guilt among adults. The latter phase can be likened to the Oedipus stage in Freud's school of thought because this is the point when boys and girls realise that they cannot pursue any incestuous relationship with their parents i.e. They also develop a sense of guilt. Contrasts in their work The latter theorists differed substantially in their work owing to the fact that most of Freud's work revolved around understanding abnormal behaviour. On the other hand, Erikson was mostly concerned with normal behaviour. Freud asserted that neurotic behaviour was not meaningless. On the other hand, Erikson largely focused on what is supposed to happen at a particular age. While Freud and Erikson both discussed the various stages that people go through, their approaches were radically different. (Flax, 2003)For instance, in the psychosocial theory; after the age of eighteen months, one finds that they have to cope with the issue of autonomy and shame. This stage usually occurs between eighteen months and three years of age when a child is a toddler. At that point, children learn about the aspect of autonomy and shame. Children develop shame when they become self conscious. Doubts set in when they realise that all issues have rules that must be followed. It is likely that a child may be asking themselves whether they really need assistance from others. The quality of the ego at this stage is that of having a strong will. Erikson explains that at this point, children have the ability to distinguish their own identities from their parents. Consequently, this can lead to power struggles between themselves and other types of individuals. Also, children at this point may develop better forms of autonomy if they are given support by their parents rather than excessive demands from them. As it can be seen in this stage, Erikson largely focuses on other developmental aspects other than sex. He attributes one's ability to perceive shame as a result of their social interaction. However, the same thing does not apply to Freud. Freud largely focuses his explanations on the sexual aspects. For instance in the Pre-Oedipal stage of development, Freud asserts that this is the point at which children may develop an erotogenic zone, here, they get satisfaction from the sensation created by food or other types of products which they are forced to consume. Additionally, children may also develop sexual drives when they eliminate things from their body. This sub-stage is called the anal stage. At this point, children develop a sense of possession and control as most of them learn how to expel or keep in faeces. (Flax, 2003) In his psycho social school of thought, Erikson first talks about certain early personality issues such as anxiety and trust. He believes that this is the inner conscious and is highly responsible for the way in which an individual turns outs to be in the future. The first aspect that Erikson sights in terms of a psychosocial crisis is where a person chooses trust or mistrust. An infant usually learns to trust because of their mothers and fathers who are very influential at that phase. At this stage, infants need not feel rage or anxiety when their mothers leave them because they are sure about the certainty of the situation. Trust and mistrust may be inculcated into a child at this stage through the quality of relationships that they have with their mother. It should be noted that this stage lasts for a period of eight months. (Stevens, 2005) Freud differs from Erikson in his descriptions at some point owing to the fact that Freud also addresses the issue of anxiety. While the latter talks about anxiety in terms of absence or presence of trust, Freud looks at it from a totally afferent perspective. According to the author, one's ego has to cope with so many other external forces. These include biological forces brought about by the id and societal aspects brought about by the superego. One may sometimes be unable to cope with the conflicting demands of these three aspects. Consequently, this may make someone to feel threatened or to feel overburdened by those challenges. This is what is manifested as anxiety. Consequently, the latter author deals with this element very differently. Freud differs from Erikson dramatically owing to the fact that Erikson places more emphasis on certain positive aspects of one's personality. However, Freud's focus is on the negative. For example Erikson explains that at school going age or between the ages of six to early teens, children deal with the issue industry and inferiority. At this point, competence (a positive element) is the most important ego quality. This stage is very important in an individual's life because through it, they are able to understand some of the issues that revolve around their capabilities. Through this stage, children are able to grow more and they also learn what their limitations are. (Stevens, 2005) The latter stage is also very crucial to a child's development because of the fact that most of them usually develop a sense of place and time. This also means that when children are not allowed to be dependent, they develop low self esteem. However, when they are given too much industry, then chances are that they will develop lower levels of esteem amongst themselves. Erikson therefore addresses both sides of the coin critically. However, when one looks at the way Freud discusses his issues; one can see that there is a radically different viewpoint. Freud explains genderisation of children through a negative perspective. For instance, he asserts that in the Oedipus stage, children are often faced with the dilemma of having to cope with their incestuous love for their parents. However, after reality has downed on them, such children may realise that they cannot be intimate with their parents and this makes them embrace their roles as they should be. It should also be noted that the role which parents play in life is addressed by both schools of thought. However, the manner in which they deal with them differs dramatically. According to Erikson, Parents are seen as the sources of balance that are needed in order to reinforce these importance aspects of the go. Through parental advice, it is possible for children to develop self control and they will also assist them in the decision making process. Also, most children may be prevented from taking future initiatives in their adult lives if their parents do not play supporting roles in this kind of approach. (Stevens, 2005) Also, parents are instrumental in creating a sense of responsibility among their children. In contrast, Freud believes that parents play the role of reinforcing one's limits through discouraging incestuous relationships. It should also be noted that Freud is also quite different from Erikson owing to the fact that most of his work revolves around the masculine species. Freud had very intelligible explanations for male development but left a lot of loopholes in female development. According to Freud, in the Oedipus phase, boys are driven to become well behaved because of the fear of being castrated. On the other hand, females are already castrated because they do not have a penis. Consequently, it is difficult to understand their developmental stages through Freud's argument of fear of castration. (Flax, 2003)This means that Freud failed to come up with a theory that applies to all genders. On the contrary, this is not the case with Erikson. Erikson considers all development regardless of the fact that one is either male or female. His assertions can be applied universally and this makes many Freud critics appreciate Erikson's assertions a little more. Conclusion The latter two schools of thoughts have drawn a lot of comparisons because they are both developmental theories. However, they differ from one another because one author focuses on abnormal behaviour while the other dwells on normal behaviour. One author looks at the role of sexuality in development while another looks at social development. Lastly, one author largely focuses on development that occurs in set sequences while another author is more haphazard in his approach. References Flax, J. (2003): A psycho-analytic perspective on metaphysics and epistemology; Routledge Stevens, R. (2005): Erik Erikson - An introduction; St. Martin's Press Read More