Final answer:
Sigmund Freud's theory asserts that personality develops during early childhood, as individuals go through psychosexual stages influenced by their experiences. In contrast, Erik Erikson suggested that personality development is a lifelong process influenced by social relationships.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sigmund Freud, a prominent figure in psychology, posited that personality develops during early childhood. Freud's theory of psychosexual development outlines how childhood experiences influence our personalities and behaviors as adults. He theorized that personality arises from conflicts between different psychosexual stages, characterized by an individual's erogenous focus during those stages—namely the oral, phallic, latency, and genital stages. Moreover, Freud argued that any lack of proper nurture and parenting during any stage could lead to fixation, potentially carrying over unresolved issues into adulthood.
In contrast to Freud, psychologist Erik Erikson theorized that personality development occurs throughout an individual's lifespan. Erikson's psychosocial development theory shifted the focus from Freud's psychosexual stages to the social relationships that are vital at each stage of development.