Developmental psychology is a field of research dedicated to understanding child development. Throughout history, many theories have been used to try to explain this complex process. Two of these theorists, Freud and Erikson, were instrumental in creating a foundation on which child psychology could build. From a Freudian perspective, human development is centered on psychosexual theory. Psychosexual theory indicates that the maturation of sexual drives underlies the stages of personality development. Alternatively, Erikson is considered a neo-Freudian scholar who developed psychosocial theory. In Erikson's models, eight major conflicts arise during an individual's life. Developmental psychology is a field of research devoted to explaining the ongoing growth and changes that occur over the lifespan. Throughout history, many diverse theories have been used to attempt to explain the complex process of childhood experiences changing what individuals become as adults. From a Freudian perspective, human development is based on psychosexual theory (Wedding & Corsini, 2014). Psychosexual theory indicates that the maturation of sexual drives underlies stages of personality development (Shaffer et al., 2010). According to Freud, three components of personality (the id, the ego and the superego) are integrated into his five-stage theoretical model. The id was the biological or instinctual component innate from birth. The sole purpose of Id is to satisfy an individual’s internal drives (Wedding & Corsini, 2014). The ego is the conscious part of our personality that mediates between our id and our superego. Throughout development, the ego reflects the child's emerging capacity to...... middle of paper ......hasify the psychosocial factors that influence individualsWorks Cited Barlow, D., Durand, V. and Stewart, S. (2009). Abnormal psychology, an integrative approach. (2nd ed.). United States of America: Wadsworth Friedman, HS and Schustack, MW (2012). Personality: Classical Theories and Modern Research (5th ed.). Boston, MA, USA: PearsonKerig, P. and Wenar, C. (2006). Developmental psychopathology from early childhood to adolescence. (5th ed.). McGraw Hill. Lothane, Z. (2006). Freud's legacy: is it still present? Psychoanalytic Psychology, 23(2), 285-301. doi:10.1037/0736-9735.23.2.285Shaffer, D., Kipp, K., Wood, E., & Willoughby, T. (2010). Developmental psychology of childhood and adolescence. (3rd ed.). United States: Thomson Wadsworth Wedding, D. and Corsini, RJ (eds.). (2014). Current psychotherapies (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage