Final answer:
The psychodynamic theory of personality development attributes our personality to unconscious drives and childhood experiences, as proposed by Freud. Erik Erikson expanded upon this with his psychosocial theory, which suggests that personality develops throughout the lifespan with key social interactions shaping our ego identity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The psychodynamic theory of personality development, primarily established by Sigmund Freud, asserts that our personality is significantly influenced by unconscious drives and early childhood experiences. Freud's psychosexual stages highlight how different areas of pleasure, called erogenous zones, are central to developing personality at various points in childhood. Erik Erikson subsequently extended Freud's ideas into his psychosocial theory of development, emphasizing that personality development continues throughout the lifespan and is greatly affected by social interactions and experiences.
Erikson proposed an eight-stage model of development, each with a crucial psychosocial task, indicating that the journey of personality development spans from birth to death, contrary to Freud's emphasis on childhood. In each stage, individuals face conflicts that act as turning points in development. Successful resolution of these conflicts results in a healthy personality and acquisition of basic virtues.
Unlike Freud, who focused on psychosexual aspects, Erikson gave credit to social factors, suggesting that the way we mediate between innate desires and social expectations plays a significant role in shaping our ego identity. His stages of development include concepts such as trust vs. mistrust and autonomy vs. shame, which delve into how social relationships and challenges shape our sense of self and personal growth. Overall, psychodynamics explores the complex interaction of psychological forces that contribute to our personality composition.