Sigmund Freud is very well known among those in the field of psychology, especially for his views on the development of humans known as psychosexual development. The followers of the Humanistic approach to psychology have differing opinions on the way humans develop and believe that free will and the idea of responsibility and purpose are responsible for shaping who we are (Goodwin, 2005).
Freud’s psychosexual development consists on five stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. Each stage plays a role on a child’s development but is sometimes denied by cultural restraints as stated by Williams and Gagnon (1998). The oral stage, from birth to one and a half years of age, according to Freud is when the child will develop an attachment to the mother whom breast feeds and provides nourishment. This attachment can carry on unconsciously throughout the child’s life. The second stage, known as the anal stage, usually between one and three years of age, is primarily based on the toilet training phase. The child is fighting between two choices, whether he/she should satisfy their pleasurable desire to “let go” of their bowel movements or to “hold on” and exhibit self control. Freud’s third stage of psychosexual development is the phallic stage. This is when children between three and six years of age usually develop sexual feelings towards their parent of the opposite sex and end with their frustrated realization of their impossible desires. The latency stage is Freud’s fourth stage, this is when children between five and twelve years of age take a step back from their growing sexual desires and instead look to other figures in their lives for guidance and to learn about responsibilities and consequences of their actions. Freud’s fifth and final stage of psychosexual development is the genital stage, when children hit adolescence and are leaving their dependent life as a child and becoming an adult (Garcia, J.L., 1995).
Freud strongly believed that childhood experiences play a large role in the way adults behave and that many mental problems’ roots are hidden amongst childhood experiences (Goodwin, 2005). He believed that each one of his defined stages will leave a lasting impression on the child, whether it was conscious or not, and would therefore shape who they were to become (Garcia, J.L., 1995).
Humanists such as Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers rejected the idea that events that occurred early on in ones life place restraints on who a person can develop into. Instead they felt that everyone had freewill to make their own life decisions and become who they want to be based on what they felt was their purpose in life (Goodwin, 2005). In order to become the person you are supposed to be, humanists believed in a concept known as self actualization, the point when you are fully satisfied with whom you are and have reached your full potential and are then able to help others since you no longer have a concern to become who you want to be (Greene, L. & Burke, G., 2007). You are able to reach this level of self actualization in part due to the idea of free will; you have nothing shaping who you become except you yourself.
I believe we develop our self concept through a combination of both a sampling of Freud’s views and the humanist’s views as well. Although I believe we have free will to become who we want to be based on our desire to feel as though we have a purpose in life, I also think that some of the experiences we have earlier in life have an effect on who we want to be. As a child if you are constantly exposed to a loving stay at home mother, you may develop the desire to be the same later in life, but that is still your choice to make.
References
Garcia, J.L. (1995). Freud’s psychosexual stage conception: A developmental metaphor for counselors. Journal of Counseling & Development, 73, 498-502.
Greene, L. & Burke, G. (2007). Beyond self-actualization. Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, 30, 116-128.
Goodwin, C.J. (2005). A History of Modern Psychology. John Wiley & Sons, Inc..
William, S. & Gagnon, J. (1998). Psychosexual development. Society, 35(2), 60-67.
