Erik Erikson:

Psychosocial Development
By: John Russell V. Morales
Overview of the Post-Freudian
Theory
Erik Erikson the person who
termed identity crisis.
His post freudian theory extended
freuds infantile developmental
stages.
Erikson suggested that at each
stage a specific psychosocial
struggle contributes to the
formation of personality.
According to him from
adolescence on, that struggle
takes the form of an identity
crisisa turning point in
ones life that may either
strengthen or weaken
personality.
Aspects of his Post-Freudian
Theory
Unlike earlier psychodynamic
theorists who severed nearly
all ties to Freudian
psychoanalysis, Erikson
intended his theory of
personality to extend rather
than repudiate Freuds
assumptions and to offer a
new way of looking at things
(Erikson,1963, p. 403).
Erikson regarded his post-
Freudian theory as an
extension of psychoanalysis.

Erikson placed more emphasis
on both social and
historical influences as
foundation for his life-cycle
approach to personality.

Biography
born on June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt,
Germany
studied art and a variety of languages
during his school years.
Instead of going to college he travelled
around Europe, where he kept a journal of
all his life experiences along the way
after traveling he then went to art school in
1927, where he then began to teach art and
other subjects to children of Americans who
had come to Vienna for Freudian training
after teaching the children in Vienna he
then was admitted into the Vienna
Psychoanalytic Institute 1933 moved to the
United States.
There he became Bostons first child analyst
and received a position at the Harvard
Medical school.
Moved to California to the Center for
Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
at Palo Alto and later Mount Zion Hospital in
San Francisco where he was a clinician and
psychiatric consultant.
.continued
Erik Erikson's early work focused chiefly on
testing and extending Freudian theory in
relation to the effect of social and cultural
factors upon human psychology, in addition
he focus more on how society affects
childhood and development.
1950 moved to Massachusetts, where he
taught and worked for ten years.
In the same year he wrote his first book,
which is said to be his most important one
called Childhood and Society, it was in this
book he first explained his eight stages
theory of human development.
He also wrote many other books that talked
about his interest in humanistic and society
perspectives.
He later retired from clinical practice but did
not stop his research and his writing
Died on May 12th 1994 at the age of 91.
The Ego in the Post-Freudian
Theory
Taken from the analogy, the
ego has no strength of its
own but must borrow its
energy from the id. Moreover,
the ego is constantly
attempting to balance blind
demands of the superego
against the relentless forces
of the id and the realistic
opportunities of the external
world.

Freuds belief about ego:
that, for psychologically
healthy people, the ego is
sufficiently developed to rein in
the id, even though its control
is still tenuous and id impulses
might erupt and overwhelm the
ego at any time.
But in contrast,
Erikson held that our ego is a
positive force that creates a
self identity,
a sense of I. As the center of
our personality, our ego helps
us adapt to the
various conflicts and crises of
life and keeps us from losing
our individuality to the
leveling forces of society.
He saw the ego as a partially
unconscious organizing agency
that synthesizes our present
experiences with past self-
identities and also with
anticipated images of self.

He defined the ego as a
persons ability to unify
experiences and actions in an
adaptive manner.
Three interrelated aspects of
Ego
Body Ego - a way of seeing
ourselves different from other
people.
Ego Ideal - the image we
have of ourselves
in comparison with an
established ideal.
Ego Identity - image we
have of ourselves in the
variety of social roles.
Although adolescence is
ordinarily the time when these
three components are
changing most rapidly,
alterations in body ego, ego
ideal, and ego identity can
and do take place at any
stage of life.
Societys Influence
Although inborn capacities are
important in personality
development, the ego
emerges from and is largely
shaped by society.
To Erikson,
the ego exists as potential at
birth, but it must emerge
from within a cultural
environment.

Different societies, with their
variations in child-rearing
practices, tend to
shape personalities that fit
the needs and values of their
culture.
pseudospecies: that is, an
illusion perpetrated and
perpetuated by a particular
society that it is somehow
chosen to be the human
species.
Epigenetic Principle

Psychosocial Development
Theory
Psychosocial development theory is based
on eight stages of development
Eriksons theory is based on the idea that
development through life is a series of stages
which are each defined by a crisis or challenge
The early stages provide the foundations for
later stages so Erikson says that if a child does
not resolve a crisis in a particular stage, they will
have problems in later stages
For example, if an adolescent does not establish
their own identity, they will have difficulty in
relationships as an adult
Stage 1 Infancy (HOPE)
birth to 1 year
(infancy)
basic conflict is trust
vs. mistrust
the important event
is feeding and the
important relationship
is with the mother
the infant must
develop a loving,
trusting relationship
with the
mother/caregiver
through feeding,
teething and
comforting
failure to resolve this
conflict can lead to
sensory distortion,
and withdrawal

Stage 2 Early Childhood (Will)

age 1 to 3 years
(toddler)
Basic conflict is
autonomy vs.
shame/doubt
The important event is
toilet training and the
important relationship
is with the parents
The childs energy is
directed towards
mastering physical
skills such as walking,
grasping and muscular
control
The child learns self
control but may
develop shame, doubt,
impulsivity or
compulsion if not
handled well.
Stage 3 Play Age
(Purpose)
age 3 to 6 years
(preschool)
basic conflict is initiative vs.
guilt
the important event is
independence and the
important relationship is
family
the child continues to
become more assertive in
exploration, discovery,
adventure and play
the child may show too
much force in this stage
causing feelings of guilt
failure to resolve this
conflict can lead to
ruthlessness and inhibition.

Stage 4 Latency
age 6 to 12 years
(school age)
the basic conflict in this
stage is industry vs.
inferiority
the important event is
school and the
important relationships
are teachers, friends
and neighbourhood
the child must learn to
deal with new skills
and develop a sense of
achievement and
accomplishment
failure to do so can
create a sense of
inferiority, failure and
incompetence
Stage 5 Adolescence
age 12 to 20 years (adolescent)
the basic conflict is identity vs. role
confusion
the important event is
development of peer relationships
and the important relationships
are peers, groups and social
influences
The teenager must achieve a
sense of identity in occupation,
sex roles, politics and religion. In
addition, they must resolve their
identity and direction.
Failure to make these resolutions
can lead to the repression of
aspects of the individual for the
sake of others (fanaticism)

Stage 6 Young Adulthood
age 20 to 40 years
the basic conflict in
young adulthood is
intimacy vs. isolation
the important event is
parenting and the
important relationships
are lovers, friends and
work connections
in this stage, the
individual must develop
intimate relationships
through work and social
life
failure to make such
connections can lead to
promiscuity, exclusivity
and isolation
Stage 7 Middle Adulthood
age 40 to 65 years
the basic conflict is
generativity vs. stagnation
the important event is
parenting and the
important relationships are
with children and the
community
this stage is based on the
idea that each adult must
find a way to satisfy,
support and contribute to
the next generation; it is
often thought of as giving
back
failure to resolve this stage
can lead to overextension
or rejectivity

Stage 8 Maturity
age 65 to death
the basic conflict is
ego integrity vs.
despair
the important event is
reflection on and
acceptance of the
individuals life
the individual is
creating meaning and
purpose of ones life
and reflecting on life
achievements
failure to resolve this
conflict can create
feelings of disdain
Application of Stage 3
(initiative vs. guilt)
Students need to understand appropriate social
rules and how to work well together. They are
learning their own independence and how that
applies to being a part of a family, class, etc. In
the classroom, teachers can help facilitate this
stage (developing initiative) through:

active play including fantasy and role playing
(puppet shows, skits, house centre, etc.)
Centres that allow students to learn how to play
appropriately together
teacher acting as role model to allow students to
have someone to lead them, but also allowing
students to take on small responsibilities

Application of Stage 4
(competence vs. inferiority)
Students need to master the formal academic skills in order
to feel as though they are capable of accomplishments. The
child must learn teamwork, an understanding of their
potential contributions, and continue to learn to self-
discipline to achieve. The teacher and classroom play a vital
role in this stage and competence can be fostered through:
collaborative approach to classroom expectations and rules
of interacting with others (all students make a contribution
to this)
group projects and assignments that teach students how to
contribute to a group working towards a common goal
providing a variety of learning opportunities for fundamental
skills including addressing all learning styles
assigning appropriate levels of homework to give students a
sense of accomplishment without overwhelming them- too
much homework means students will be unable to finish it,
causing them to develop a sense of inferiority
hands on projects that emphasize the individuals strengths
Application to Sara Porter
Ms. Mercer recognizes that Sara needs to develop survival skills This
directly relates to stage 4 (the stage Sara is currently in) which includes
children developing and mastering new skills at school by the end of the
stage.
Sara does not seem to have developed an understanding of her role in
collaborative learning during the group reading time. Stage 4 calls for
students to recognize the process involved in working with a group and
collaborating.
When Ms. Mercer tells Sara she did not get 100% on her math activity,
Sara seems upset and as though she has given up on trying. In stage 4,
students should be developing a sense of achievement and
accomplishment in regards to their school work.
Because Sara seems to be strong in art (shown in the science title page
activity), Ms. Mercer should emphasize Saras strengths to help her feel
as though she is a valuable part of the class and to give her a sense of
achievement.
Sara is in grade six which puts her at the end of stage 4 and about to
enter stage 5. Erikson says that if an individual does not over come the
conflict in a particular stage, they will struggle with that conflict in the
following stages. In this case, it is essential that Ms. Mercer fosters a
sense of achievement, accomplishment and helps Sara master her
survival skills or Sara may chronically struggle with feelings of
inferiority and failure.
References
Boeree, C. G., Dr. (1997, 2006). Erik Erikson
Retrieved October 23, 2008, from
http://webspace.ship.edu//.html
Erik Erikson [Slide show]. (n.d.). Retrieved October
22, 2008, from http://www.slideshare.net//erikson-
312257
Erik Eriksons psychosocial theory of development.
(n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2008, from
http://www.businessballs.com/_erikson_psychosocial_
theory.htm
Gerhardt, K. (2008, September 17). Developmental
psychology, chapter two, Erik Erikson. Lecture
presented at Nipissing University - Brantford Campus.
Stages of social-emotional development. (n.d.).
Retrieved October 23, 2008, from
http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com//.shtml