Personality psyc research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Personality psyc - Research Paper Example Jung believed that personality formation was due to archetypes in the unconscious mind that contributed to the development and balance of the psyche. Erikson's theory of psychosocial development places a strong emphasis on social development in conjunction with sexual factors. In contrast to Erikson, Jung believed that personality formation was shaped by memories and feelings that are stored in the individual's unconscious mind. Similar to Freud, Jung felt that there is a connection between the conscious and unconscious mind. In comparison, Erikson placed a stronger emphasis on environmental factors that affect the individuals' personality development. According to Dacy, Lennon & Kathleen (1998), "The whole (conscious and unconscious mind) then becomes an unusual believed that this process lends continuity to human existence while providing progressive advances to the human journey" (213). Both Erikson and Jung emphasized the development of the ego in different ways. Jung believed that the ego was the unconscious mind (Boeree, 2006). Erikson's theory of personality development concurs with Jung's on the notion of the ego. However, Erikson believed that parts of the ego are able to work independently of both the super ego and the id. In further, Erikson believed that the ego was able to adapt to situations. ... According to Boerre (2006), "It is the reservoir of our experiences as a species, a kind of knowledge we are all born with. And yet we can never be directly conscious of it." The collective unconscious effects the way people behave as the collective unconscious stores unconscious memories and feelings. Jung observed that the collective unconscious is similar in individuals regardless of cultures. For example, near death experiences are described summarily by individuals of different cultures. In many cases people that have a near death experience describe a happy place or seeing their passed loved ones. Erikson concluded that the individual's personality was formed based upon the resolution with eight psychosocial stages of development. Through the completion of the stage which is developmentally appropriate the individual either learns to accept the task or develops neurosis. In comparison to Freud's psychoanalytic theory, Erikson believed that the personality is continuously forming. Throughout each of the eight stages a new virtue is learned. The various virtues include hope, willpower, purpose, competence, love, care, wisdom and fidelity. However, the ego is never fully developed. According to Clifton (1995), "Developing trust is the first task of the ego and it is never complete." The first task of the ego is developed in trust vs. mistrust, Erikson's first stage of psychosocial development. At the resolution of this stage the new baby will either develop trust or mistrust. Differences: Jung's Archetypes in the unconscious mind/Erikson Jung believed that people had archetypes. Archetypes are parts of the collective unconscious. Archetypes further explain the unconscious drives people experience. Jung believed that