Erikson Flashcards
Erik Erikson (1902-1994)
neo-freudian, germany, become a teacher in the shcool of vienna, study psychology with the freud’s daughter, 1933 : emmigrates to USA, become a teacher at Harvard University and practice child psychoanalysis in private clinic, wrote Childhood and society
theory of Erikson
Believed the ego develops as it successfully resolves social crises. Maintained that personality develops in a predetermined order and each stage completed builds upon the previous stage.
difference btwn Erikson and Freud
Unlike Freud’s theory of psychosexual stages, Erikson’s theory psychosocial development, how social interaction and relationships played a role in the development of human beings) describes the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan.
First to recognize the life span nature of development.
psychosocial dilemma
a conflict between personal impulses and the social world.
healthy development and satisfying life is due to ….
…. successful passage of stages
Stage 1 (birth - 1yo)
Trust VS mistrust
Trust: Building blocks that are necessary to construct the trust for success in life.
- stability
- consistency
-warmth, love, and physical care
Mistrust:
-Inadequate or unpredictable care by parents who are cold, indifferent and rejecting
- Increased sense of fear and anxiety
- General feeling of mistrust in the world around them
based on visual contact, touch and hope
Stage 2 (1-3yo)
Autonomy VS shame and doubt
Children at this stage are focused on developing a greater sense of self-control (do things for themselves).
Try new skills, involves “accidents”
Independence and self-confidence = autonomy
Over protective, criticized = lack self-esteem, doubt abilities to do things on their own.
develop a sense of personal control over physical skills
based on will
stage 3 (3-5yo)
Initiative vs guilt
Gain self-esteem and learn to cooperate with peers
Children begin to assert their power and control over the world through social interaction.
Parents reinforce initiative by giving child freedom to play, ask questions, use imagination, choose activities.
Parents that criticize prevent play or discourage child’s question = feelings of guilt.
A healthy balance between initiative and guilt is important.
Development of confidence to initiate, replacing it instead with an unhelpful fear of being wrong or unapproved.
Child begins to plan activities, make up games (take initiative in creating play situations).
Based on purpose
Stage 4 (6-12yo)
Industry vs inferiority
Elementary school years. Learn skills valued by society outside of family.
New challenges: Learning to read and write, to do sums, to make things on their own.
Children begin to develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments and abilities.
Main goal of this stage is the individual’s ability to rely on themselves
Child will learn about: friendship, self-evaluation, team work
Sense of industry: praise for educational achievements (reading, writing, painting, etc.)
Sense of inferiority: Child’s efforts are not praised, inadequate.
- If children are encouraged and reinforced for their initiative, they begin to feel industrious and feel confident in their ability to achieve goals.
- If it is restricted by parents or teacher, the child feels inferior (doubting his own abilities) and may not reach his/her potential.
Basecd on competence
Stage 5 (adolescence)
Identity vs role confusion
Children are exploring their independence and sense of self
This is a major stage in development where the child has to learn the roles he will occupy as an adult (sexual and occupational). It is during this stage that the adolescent will re-examine his identity and try to find out exactly who he or she is.
Development of social relationships is important
Concerned with appearances
People who fail to develop a sense of identity: role confusion. Uncertainty about where they are going. Risk of “identity crisis”
- Adolescence is a stage at which we are neither a child nor an adult (role-confusion)
- Begin to look at the future in terms of career, relationships, families, housing, etc.
- Young people struggle to belong and to be accepted.
- Can also develop strong devotion to friends and causes.
based on fidelity
Stage 6 (young adulthood)
Intimacy vs isolation
The major conflict centers on forming intimate, loving relationships with other people.
After establishing stable identity: ready to share meaningful love with others.
Developing intimacy and willingness to express feelings and share experience.
Success in establishing Intimacy: 1. Close intimate friendships 2. Feeling secure in relationships.
Failure to establish Intimacy: 1. Loneliness 2. Feeling or being uncared for (Isolation), depression.
Explore relationships leading toward longer term commitments with someone other than a family member.
based on love
Stage 7 (middle adulthood)
Generativity vs stagnation
Generativity: adults strive to create or nurture things that will outlast them (caring about yourself, your children, and future generations). (ex. teaching, coaching, mentoring).
Importance of welfare of others and society as a whole.
If they do not feel productive or that they have accomplished their goals, they feel like they are losing the meaning of life – (mid-life crisis: feels bitter, trapped, unfulfilled).
- Establish our careers, settle down within a relationship, begin our own families and develop a sense of being a part of the bigger picture.
- Raising our children, being productive at work, and becoming involved in community activities and organizations.
- Failing to achieve these objectives, we become stagnant and feel unproductive.
Based on care
Stage 8 (late adulthood)
Ego integrity vs despair
Seeing Your Life as Productive/Successful: contemplate accomplishments - Develop integrity (self-respect).
Seeing Your Life as Unproductive/Unsuccessful: - Dissatisfied with life - Develop despair, feel like a failure and cannot go back in time (can lead to depression/hopelessness, fear of death).
Slow down our productivity, and explore life as a retired person - contemplate our accomplishments.
- Erik Erikson believed if we see our lives as unproductive, feel guilt about our pasts, or feel that we did not accomplish our life goals, we become dissatisfied with life and develop despair.
Based on wisdom
The strenghts of psychosocial theory
Provides a broad framework from which to view development throughout the entire lifespan.
Allows us to emphasize the social nature of human beings and the importance influence that social relationships have on development.
Supporting research: Other research also suggests that people who form strong personal identities during adolescence are better capable of forming intimate relationships during early adulthood.
Limitation of psychosocial theory
Major weakness of psychosocial theory is that the exact mechanisms for resolving conflicts and moving from one stage to the next are not well described or developed.
