Chapter 9 - Erikson Flashcards
How did Erikson’s theory differ from Freud’s?
- elaborated on psychosexual stages beyond childhood
- more emphasis on social & historical influences
What is an identity crisis?
Turning point in one’s life that may either strengthen or weaken personality
How did Erikson define ego?
A person’s ability to unify past, present, and future experiences and actions in an adaptive manner
- body ego
- ego ideal
- ego identity
What is a pseudospecies?
An illusion held by a society that it is somehow chosen to be more important than other societies
What is the epigenetic principle?
The notion that one component grows out of another in its proper time and sequence
What are the basic tenets of Erikson’s stages of development?
- growth follows epigenetic principle
- new elements do not entirely replace previous ones
- there is a syntonic and a distonic element at every stage
- conflict of these elements results in a basic strength
- too little basic strength at any stage results in a core pathology
- an identity crisis occurs at every stage (esp. adolescence onwards)
- events in earlier stages do not cause later development
What the key features of Erikson’s infancy stage?
- mode: oral-sensory
- crisis: basic trust vs basic mistrust
- basic strength: hope
- core pathology: withdrawal
What are the key features of Erikson’s early childhood stage?
- mode: anal-urethral-muscular
- crisis: autonomy vs shame & doubt
- basic strength: will
- core pathology: compulsion
What are the key features of Erikson’s play age?
- mode: genital-locomotor
- crisis: initiative vs guilt
- basic strength: purpose
- core pathology: inhibition
What are the key features of Erikson’s school age?
- mode: latency
- crisis: industry vs inferiority
- basic strength: competence
- core pathology: inertia
What are the key features of Erikson’s stage of adolescence?
- mode: puberty
- crisis: identity vs identity confusion
- basic strength: fidelity
- core pathology: role repudiation as defiance or diffidence (extreme lack of self-trust or self-confidence; shyness or hesitancy to express oneself)
What are the key features of Erikson’s young adulthood stage?
- mode: genitality (mutual trust & stable sharing of sexual satisfactions)
- crisis: intimacy vs isolation
- basic strength: love
- core pathology: exclusivity
What are the key features of Erikson’s adulthood stage?
- mode: procreativity
- crisis: generativity vs stagnation
- basic strength: care
- core pathology: rejectivity (self-centeredness, provincialism, or pseudospeciation)
What are the key features of Erikson’s stage of old age?
- mode: generalized sensuality
- crisis: integrity vs despair
- basic strength: wisdom
- core pathology: disdain
What were Erikson’s two main methods of investigation?
- anthropological studies
- psychohistories
