Psychosocial theory of

Personality development

Presented by:
Muthukumaran L R
Final year BDS (Aug batch)
Reg.no : 541711057
 Introduction

This theory was given by Erik Erikson in 1963.

It is also known as “Model of Personality development.”

It is well learned and followed theory along with:

● Psychosexual theory - Sigmund Freud (1905) and
● Cognitive theory - Jean Piaget (1952)
 History
Erik H Erikson was a Danish-German-American
developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst.

He is known for his works and theories in social

development of human beings.

He has published a number of books on his theories and

research.

His works include:

● Childhood and society (1950)

● Gandhi’s truth (1969)
Erik H Erikson
● The life cycle completed (1982) (1902 - 1994)
Psychosocial theory by Erik Erikson
 Psychosocial theory
Given by Erik Erikson in 1963.

Through this theory Erikson postulated that society responds to a child’s basic needs or
developmental tasks in a specific period of life and in doing so society ensures child’s healthy
growth and survival in culture and tradition.

Erikson theorized that every individual passes through 8 stages of development in his/her life.

Each stage has 3 important constituents:

● Psychological crisis
● Positive outcome
● Negative outcome
Stages of Personality development
 Stages of psychosocial development

● Stage-1 : Infancy
● Stage-2 : Toddler
● Stage-3 : Early childhood
● Stage-4 : Elementary and middle school years
● Stage-5 : Adolescence
● Stage-6 : Young adulthood
● Stage-7 : Middle adulthood
● Stage-8 : Late adulthood
Stage-1 : Infancy (Stage of trust)

● Age : 0 - 1 years
● At this stage the child depends on his/her
parents for fulfilling the basic needs like
food and sleep.
● Psychological crisis : Trust vs Mistrust
Stage-1 : Infancy (cont.)
● Positive outcome : When the needs are ● Negative outcome : If not met, the child
met consistently and responsively, the will develop a mistrust towards people,
child develops a secure attachment to environment and even towards themselves.
their parents and also learn to trust their
environment in general.
Stage-1 : Infancy (cont.)
● Dental application:
Development of separation anxiety begins
at this age. If treatment is needed at this
stage of life, it is preferable to provide
dental care with the parent present and the
parent holding the child.
Stage-2 : Toddler (Stage of Autonomy)

● Age : 1- 2 years
● Psychological crisis : Autonomy vs Doubt
● In this stage of life, the child takes up their
favorite parent as their role model and; try
and learn to mimic their actions and find
pleasure in doing all their activities on
their own.
Stage-2 : Toddler (cont.)
● Positive outcome : If the parents encourage ● Negative outcome : Parents being overprotective or
the child’s use of initiative and reassure him disapproving can lead to the child beginning to feel
when he makes a mistake, the child will ashamed of his/her behavior. Not showing enough
develop the confidence needed to cope with interest or concern in the child learning a new ability
future situations. The parents are may lead the child to develop a doubt in their abilities
recommended to be “firm but tolerant”, as or consider it impossible to learn.
it helps the child to develop self-control and
self-esteem.
Stage-2 : Toddler (cont.)
● Dental application :

In this stage, the child will normally move away

from the parents, but still go to them in case of
threatening situations. It is preferable to use provide
dental care while the parent is present.

The child will find it pleasurable to do his tasks on

his own in this stage, It is preferable to make the
child think he decides the treatment and not the
parents or dentist to gain his cooperation during
treatment.
Stage-3 : Early childhood (Stage of Independence)

● Age : 2 - 6 years
● Psychological crisis: Initiative vs Guilt
● In this stage of life, the child begins to
learn new abilities like walkind and
speaking, and has an exploratory
mindset towards all aspects in their
environment.
Stage-3 : Early childhood (cont.)

● Positive outcome : If the parents are en ● Negative outcome : If not, the child may
encouraging and are still consistent in develop a sense of guilt and may come to
discipline, the child will learn to accept believe that it is wrong to be
independent.
without guilt that certain things are not
allowed and will not feel shame to use
their imagination in certain situations.
Stage-3 : Early childhood (cont.)

● Dental application :

First dental visit for most children generally

occur at this stage of life. A child at this age will
be intensely curious about the dentist's office and
is eager to learn about the things in there, this can
be used to gain the confidence and trust of the
child to create a positive environment. It is
recommended to form or arrange multiple
appointments with less work and more
explorations to start a good dental experience.
Stage-4 : Elementary and middle school years
(Stage of peer influence)

● Age : 6 - 12 years
● Psychological crisis : Industry vs
Inferiority
● In this stage of life, the child spends
most of his/her waking hours with other
children of their age and this peer group
begins to influence their life.
Stage-4 : Elementary and middle school years (cont.)

● Positive outcome : By being able to discover ● Negative outcome : If the child is allowed
plessure in intelectual stimulations, by being too little success, he/she will develop a
productive and seeking success, they develop sense of inferiority or incompetence.
a sense of competence.
Stage-4 : Elementary and middle school years (cont.)
● Dental application :

Children at this stage always look for skills to learn and

rules that lead to success in any condition, this can be
used to gain the cooperation of the child during treatment.

Effective behavior management can be done by setting

small attainable immediate goals, outlining a clear way to
success and positively reinforcing the child to achieve the
goals.

Children at this age are more motivated by the improved

acceptance and status from the peer groups, this can be
used to motivate and get the child to cooperate during
treatment.
Stage-5 : Adolescence (Stage of transition)

● Age : 12 -18 years

● Psychological crisis : Identity vs Role confusion
● It is that stage of life that marks the transition or
transformation of a child into an adult.
● It is also the stage of life where the child meets the
most complex challenge of all, the “Identity crisis”,
involving developments both in physical and
psychological aspects, along with increase in
responsibilities on the academic side.
● In this stage of life, the values and tastes of the
parents or other authority figures are usually rejected.
Stage-5 : Adolescence (cont.)
● Negative outcome : If not, he/she will sink into
● Positive outcome : If he/she solves the confusion regarding one's place in society and will
conflict successfully, he/she will come of be unable to make decisions and choices in the
this age with a strong identity and will be aspects of his/her life. Inability of a child to
ready to plan their future. separate from a group and make autonomous
decisions indicates the lack or failure of identity
development, which leads to poor self esteem and
poor sense of direction in future.
Stage-5 : Adolescence (cont.)
● Dental application :

Behavior management of adolescents can be challenging. As

the parental authority is generally rejected by the child at this
stage, treatments can be provided only if the child wants them.
Approval of the peer group is considered more important at
this stage of life. Orthodontic treatments are more common at
this age group. Some children may requestnorthodontice
treatment just so they could be “one of the crowd”.

It is important to realize that the treatment is done for the child

and not to the child.

The patients at this stage of life are less likely to understand

the impact of certain things or treatments ilon their personal
health.
Stage-6 : Young adulthood (Stage of relationships)

● Age : 19 - 40 years
● Psychological crisis : Intimacy vs Isolation
● The most important event in this stage of life
according to Erikson is love and relationships.
● He considered a human to be developmentally
complete only when he/she is capable of
intimacy. Successful development of intimacy
depends on willingness to compromise and even
sacrifice for the relationship, which requires a
strong sense of identity to make these decisions.
Stage-6 : Young adulthood (cont.)

● Positive outcome : The adults who have ● Negative outcome : Poor sense of
achieved a sense of identity can form a close identity will lead to the individual
relationship with others. Success lead to fearing commitment and unable to
affiliations and partnerships both in personal depend on anybody in their
and workspaces to achieve various surroundings. Failure in this stage leads
milestones and goals in life and career. to isolation from others and
accompanied by sets of prejudices and
certain attitudes that may keep others
away rather than bringing them closer.
Stage-6 : Young adulthood (cont.)

● Dental application :

In this stage of life, external

appearance is considered more
important by the patient as it is
necessary for attaining intimate
relationships. Thus, the concentration
is mainly on Orthodontic treatments
and other Esthetic treatments.
Stage-7 : Middle adulthood (Stage of Parenting)

● Age : 40 - 65 years
● Psychological crisis : Generativity vs
Stagnation
● This is the stage of life, where the former
child takes up the mantle of a parent and
influence and nurture the future generation
and also support the network to ensure the
future generation’s success.
Stage-7 : Middle adulthood (cont.)

● Positive outcome : He/She can contribute ● Negative outcome : The person

to the society and development of the develops a self centred personality
future generation by having and nurturing and behaviour and remain
stagnant in future.
children and also by working towards the
better future for the upcoming generations
and ensure the continuity of life.
Stage-8 : Late adulthood

● Age : 65 years to death

● Psychological crisis : Integrity vs Despair
● This the stage of life, in which one has
completed or fulfilled as his/her
responsibilities and begins to reflect upon
one’s own life.
Stage-8 : Late adulthood (cont.)

● Positive outcome : A person who has ● Negative outcome : The person who failed
successfully resolved all the psychological to resolve any crisis of the previous stage
will have a feeling of despair. This is often
crisis in all seven previous stages, achieves a expressed as disgust and unhappiness on a
sense of fulfilment and integrity. They will broad scale. They have a constant fear that
also have a sense of unity with self and death may occur before a life change that
others, and will accept death with integrity. can lead to integrity can occur.
 Stage Appropriate age Positive outcome Negative outcome

1. Trust vs Mistrust 0 - 1 years Feelings of trust from Fear and concern regarding
environmental support others

2. Autonomy vs Doubt 1 - 2 years Self sufficiency if exploration is Self doubt and lack of
encouraged independence

3. Initiative vs Guilt 2 - 6 years Discovery of ways to initiate Guilt from actions and thoughts
action

4. Industry vs Inferiority 6 - 12 years Sense of competence Feelings of inferiority

5. Identity vs Role confusion 12 - 18 years Sense of uniqueness Confusion of role in life

6. Intimacy vs Isolation 19 - 40 years Development of successful Fear of relations and

relations commitments

7. Generativity vs Stagnation 40 - 65 years Sense of contribution to life Trivialization of one's life

8. Integrity vs Despair 65 years - Death Sense of accomplishments Sense of regret