Bruno Bettelheim and Psychosocial DevelopmentThe psychological aspect of the human mind is one of the most mysterious and unpredictable entities known to man. Bruno Bettelheim is an Austrian-born American child psychologist and writer who has gained international recognition for his egregious views on the psychological development of children. Bettelheim firmly believed that fairy tales helped shape a child's unconscious and conscious mind, as well as the child's entire psyche as a whole. In addition, Bettelheim also believed that fairy tales helped the child in his search for identity and meaning in life. As a child psychologist who dealt with troubled children on a daily basis, Bettelheim cared greatly about children and sought to educate others about the fairy tales that allow a child to deal with their inner problems, as they do not was dissatisfied with much of the literature exposed to children. (Zips). On the other hand, Erik Erikson, a psychoanalyst with a doctorate in child psychology, has gained international recognition for his theory on human development. Erikson's theory suggests that at every stage of life, from infancy to puberty, there is a psychological struggle that a child must overcome to successfully develop a stable personality and mature in a positive way ("Erik Erikson "). Through Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Development, Bruno Bettelheim's focus on children, and his fundamental belief in The Uses of Enchantment that fairy tales enable children to overcome psychological problems by understanding their conscious and unconscious selves can be credited by observing the three most important steps of Erikson's theory. Bettelheim believed that the mental condition of autism is passed on to children because of...... middle of paper...... consciousness can be credited by observing the three most important stages of the theory of Erikson. Although the psychological aspect of the human mind is considered surprisingly mysterious, a child's mind is even more mysterious in the sense that it can seemingly expand infinitely. Works Cited Andersen, David C. “Erik Homburger Erikson: Biographical Essay.” Biographical Resource Center. Gale of wind. Internet. March 5, 2010. “Erik Erikson.” Biographical Resource Center. Gale, 1988. The web. March 11, 2010. Heisig, James W. “Bruno Bettelheim and Fairy Tales.” Literary Resource Center. Gale, 1994. The web. February 11, 2010. Tatar, Maria. Classic fairy tales. New York: WW Norton and Company, 1999. Print.Zipes, Jack. “On the use and abuse of folk tales and fairy tales with children: the moralist magic wand of Bruno Bettelheim. » Literary Resource Center. Gale, 1979. The web. March 11. 2010.