9/18/2014

PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

ERIK ERIKSON
Mauva McCarthy
9/18/2014
Erik Erikson: 1902 t0 1994
Born in Germany, an illegitimate child of
Danish parents

This fact bothered him all his life

Dropped out of high school and spent time
traveling in Europe and studying art





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Met Sigmund Freud and studied Psychoanalysis with Freuds
daughter, Anna Freud



Studied young people in different cultures



Became interested in how young people acquire a personal
identity and how society helps shape it




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Because his theory integrates personal, emotional and social
development, it is often called psychosocial theory

Erikson is an ego-analyst relationship between
individual and the world or the self and the world

Completed his training at the time Hitler came to power
and to escape the tension in Europe he went to the United
States
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Eriksons work is based on five assumptions:

People, in general have the same basic needs

Personal development occurs in response to these needs

Development proceeds in stages

Movement through the stages reflects changes in an individuals
motivation

Each stage is characterized by a psychosocial challenge that
presents opportunities for development
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Erikson described the time that an individual experiences a
psychological challenge as a crisis

A positive resolution of a crisis means a favourable ratio of
positive to negative psychosocial traits emerges

A negative resolution results in individuals seeing the world as
unpredictable and threatening





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This does not mean that people who successfully resolve the
crisis never have negative thoughts or distrust another person

In general, they see the best in others and have a positive
orientation towards life
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Trust vs Mistrust (Birth 1Year)
Developing a sense of trust, or confidence in the honesty
and justice of others
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Trust is fostered by consistency, continuity and
sameness of experience as the infants basic needs
are satisfied. If the infants needs are met and if
parents communicate genuine affection, the child
will emerge from this stage thinking of the world as
a safe and dependable place

If care is inadequate, inconsistent or harsh, the child
will emerge with a sense of the world being an
untrustworthy place

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Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt
(1-3 Years)
Securely attached children next face the challenge of autonomy,
or doing things on their own
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Child learns to feed and dress themselves and toilet training
begins

The key challenges the child faces during this stage relates to exerting
independence


Toddler has developed the capacity to move about and do many things
on their own








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If they are allowed to use these emerging skills under judicious
guidance from adults, they develop a sense of independence


If they experience an environment in which adults do not allow them or
punish them for exploring their environment, they are likely to develop a
sense of shame and doubt about their own behaviour

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Initiative vs Guilt (3-6 Years)
Initiative is characterized by an exploratory
and investigative attitude that results from
meeting and accepting challenges
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Preschool children encounter a widening social world, and a lot
more challenges
Children are asked to assume responsibility for their bodies, their
behaviour, their toys and their pets
Children make enormous cognitive leaps, and those developing
abilities provide the impetus for exploration in all areas of their
lives
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Children who are given the freedom to explore and experiment
with adults who answer their questions tend to develop initiative
Those who are restricted and whose initiative is considered to be
a problem tend to develop a sense of guilt about pursuing their
interests
Outcomes may be seen later as children are confronted with
school situations in which they are expected to develop their own
ideas (e.g. writing assignments, book reports, or science projects)
and to plan and undertake activities using these ideas
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Industry vs Inferiority (6-12 Years)
Industry is the enjoyment of mastery and
competence through success and
recognition of accomplishment
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As children move into the elementary school years, they direct
their energy toward mastering knowledge and intellectual skills
Because children spend large amounts of time and energy at
school, the influence of peers and teachers is very important
Children want to win recognition and praise through the things
they do
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If children are encouraged to succeed, if those around them
praise their efforts, and if they feel competent, they will develop
a sense of industry/confidence
If challenges are too difficult or result in failure, the child may
develop a sense of inferiority, or if accomplishments involve
only trivial tasks, industry fails to develop
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Identity vs Confusion
In the adolescent years, youths develop a
desire for independence from parents,
achieve physical maturity and are concerned
with the question of Who am I?
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Adolescents experience major physical, intellectual and emotional
changes. Many go through growth spurts and their coordination
doesnt keep up with their bodies
Adolescents experience new sexual feelings and are not
quite know how to respond, they are frequently confused
They are caught in the awkward position of wanting to
assert their independence, yet longing for the stability of
structure and discipline
They write Ms Smith is a b_____ on the bathroom wall
on Wednesday , but on Thursday they decide they really
like her
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An identity achieved adolescent has a firm sense of self
after engaging in exploration, tends to have high self
esteem, is socially skilled and does well in life and
maintain a positive relationship with parents and other
adults
Identity crisis is the feeling of uncertainty about they are and
what they will become. They become highly dependent
upon peer group for support and susceptible to peer pressure.
This is one of the factors underlying the high prevalence of
alcohol and drug use and of gang participation
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Intimacy vs Isolation (Young
Adulthood)
A person with a firm sense of identity is
prepared for intimacy, or giving the self
over to another
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Individuals face developmental task of forming intimate
relationships
A period of finding oneself yet losing oneself in another
Giving for the sake of giving, without expecting something in
return, characterizes a positive resolution of the crisis at this
stage
People who fail to resolve the crisis remain emotionally
isolated, unable to give or receive love freely
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Generativity vs Stagnation
(Middle Adulthood)
The key characteristics of generativity are
creativity, productivity and concern for and
commitment to guiding the next generation
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Generative adults try to contribute to the betterment of society by
working for principles such as a clean physical environment, a safe
and drug-free social world and adherence to the principles of
freedom and dignity for individuals
Teachers who genuinely care about students and their learning
exemplify people who have positively resolved the crisis at this
stage.
An unhealthy resolution leads to apathy, pseudointimacy, or
self absorption
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Integrity vs Despair (Old Age)
People who accept themselves, conclude
that they only have one life to live, live it as
well as possible and have few regrets are
seen as having integrity
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They accept responsibility for the way they have lived and
accept the finality of death
A person filled with regrets for the things done or left
undone, worried that there is no turning back and time is
running out, experiences despair