Question

Outline the similarities and differences of psychoanalytic and psychosocial theories. State at least five similarities and differences

Answer 1

The psychoanalytic theory was propounded by Sigmund Freud, and the psychosocial theories are a deviation from the psychoanalytic perspective and the latter have given more emphasis on the social aspect of one's life. One of the most prominent psychosocial theorist is Erikson, who has given the psychosocial staes of human development as opposed to the psychosexual development given by Freud. Some of the differences are given below.

One of the difference can be found in Carl Jung's theory, where the purpose of the 'ego' is to find the social masks/ personas, which are appropriate. Whereas as per Freud, the purpose of the 'ego' is to maximise the gaining of the experience of pleasure, while balancing the id and the superego.

Another difference is that, as per the psychoanalytical theory, the emphasis is on the biological forces, whereas in the psychosocial theories, the emphasis is on the social aspects that drives the person.

Yet another difference is that in the psychoanalytical theory, the early childhood experiences are seen to be extremely important, probably the years that eventually shape the tendencies to behave throughout the rest of the life. On contrary, in psychosocial theories, the early chilhood years are important, but importance is also given to the latter stages of life. For example- Erikson's theory spans all across the life, starting from infancy till old age.

As per the psychoanalytic theory, it is assumed that seeking pleasure is the ultimate goal of almost all the behaviors of the individual. Whereas, as per the psychosocial theories, there are other motives that people tend to live by and try to achieve. For example, in the second last stage of Erikson's theory, the individual has a conflict between generativity versus stagnation, whereby one would feel generative if they contribute to the society and benefit them.

The last difference, for this answer, between the psychoanalytic and psychoanalytic theory is that in the former, emphasis is given on the relationship with the same sex or the opposite sex parents; whereby the child has feelings for the opposite sex parent and jealousy with the same sex parent, and this jealousy is later resolved which helps resolve the complexes the child has, whether oedipus complex or the electra complex. In the psychosocial theories, a certain degree of importance is given to the parents and the immediate caregivers, but it is also acknowledged that the people live in a social setting hence other relationships people have and other people they socialise with are equally important.