Erikson Paper

ERIK ERIKSON’s
STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

ERIK ERIKSON’s
EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

INTRODUCTION

The psychosocial development theory of Erik Erikson is one of the best known theories of personality. It will help us understand how a person’s personality is shaped and what made the person who they are today.

The word ‘psychosocial’ is defined in the dictionary as ‘relating to the combination of psychological and social behavior’. The word ‘psyche’ refers to the mind, to thinking, to consciousness. The word ‘social’ relates to how the mind interacts with those around us.

Psychosocial development has a lot to do with the way the people around us affect how we develop as a person. Not so much the way a person is born, and the qualities he is born with. It is the way we interact with people that has been nurturing that leads to their development.

ERIK ERIKSON
Erik Erikson is known as the father of psychosocial development. He was born in Frankfurt, Germany on June 15, 1902. His father, Waldemar Isidor Salomonsen abandoned his mother, Karla Abrahamsen before he was born. When he was three (3) years old, his mother married Dr. Theodor Homberger. He was Erik’s pediatrician. After graduating from high school, he wandered around London hoping to be an artist. At 25, he applied for a teaching position in an American School. Here he met Anna Freud, the daughter of Sigmund Freud. It was in this school where Erikson began learning about psychology.

In 1930, Erikson married Joan Serson with whom had 3 children. In 1933 soon after his graduation from the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute, Erikson and his family left Vienna for Copenhagen because the Nazi’s are coming into power. He then went to the United States and became the first child psychoanalyst in Boston. Erikson was also offered a job at Harvard Medical School. Erikson began practicing child psychoanalysis privately establishing his reputation as a clinician. He moved onto teaching at Yale University and became interested in the influence of culture and society in child development

After his time at Yale, he also taught at University of California Berkeley. It was while he was at Berkeley that he did his studies on the children of a North American tribe.

Erikson made a major contribution in the area of child development by studying groups of Native American children and developed the concept of identity crisis. He was concerned with the relationship between society/culture and child development, which he termed as “psychosocial development”. This interest led him to develop the Eight Stages of Development. According to Erikson, in each stage, the individual encounters a developmental crisis. In order to move on to the next stage, the individual must resolve the crisis.

When he became an American citizen, he officially changed his name to Erik Erikson.

Erikson died in 1994 at the age of 92 years old.

EIGHT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

Erik Erikson’s theory suggest that developmental changes occurs throughout our lives in eight distinct stages. He claimed that growth and change continue throughout the lifespan from birth to late adulthood. The stages emerge in a fixed pattern and are similar in all people. Each stage presents a crises or conflict that an individual must resolve. How we deal with the stages in our life, shape our personalities.

The following table shows Erikson’s Eight Stages of Development:

Age
(Years)
Stage
Psychosocial Crisis
Psychosocial Strength
Environmental Influence
Birth to 18 months
Infancy
Trust vs. Mistrust
Hope, Faith
Maternal
2-3
Toddler or
Early childhood
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
Willpower, Determination
Both parents or adult substitutes
3-6
Preschooler
Initiative vs. Guilt
Purpose,
Courage
Parents, family and friends
7-12
or so
School Age
Industry vs. Inferiority
Competence
School, Neighborhood
12-18
or so
Adolescence
Identity vs. Role confusion
Fidelity,
Loyalty
Peers
The 20’s
Young Adult
Intimacy vs. Isolation
Love
Spouse, partner, friends
Late 20’s to 50’s
Middle Adult
Generativity vs. Stagnation
Care
Family, society
50’s and beyond
Old Adult
Integrity vs. Despair
Wisdom
All humans

STAGE 1: INFANCY

Age: (Birth – 18 months)‏
Psychosocial Crisis: Trust vs. Mistrust
Psychosocial Strength: Hope and Faith
Relationship: Mother
Important Events: Feeding
Task: To develop TRUST without completely eliminating the capacity for MISTRUST.

The first stage is infancy. This is the stage of less than a year of age, from birth to about 18 months old. According to Erikson, at this stage the crisis that an infant must face is the crisis of trust versus mistrust. Infancy is the most fundamental stage of development because the child will emerge feeling the world will be safe or unpredictable.

“Can I trust the person that is providing care for me?”

The most significant social influence is the mother (or primary caregiver). The child will be able to develop a sense of trust through the consistent and regular care provided by the mother. This is achieved by providing a degree of familiarity, consistency, and continuity in the care, the child develop a feeling that the world is a safe place to be, that people are reliable and loving.

But if the child cannot resolve this crisis, the child will leave the infancy stage with a sense of mistrust. The child will be apprehensive and suspicious around people. This sense of mistrust will be carried over to the next stage and the child would have a lot of struggles in the next stages of their life.

STAGE 2: EARLY CHILDHOOD (Toddler)

Age: (2 – 3 years)‏
Psychosocial Crisis: Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt
Psychosocial Strength: Willpower and Determination
Relationship: Parents
Important Events: Toilet Training
Main Task: To achieve autonomy while minimizing shame and doubt.

The second stage is the stage of Toddlerhood of 1 to 3 years of age. In this stage the crisis that child needs to resolve is the crisis of autonomy versus shame and doubt. This stage is important because the child will emerge feeling confident and capable or will have self doubt and shame.

“Can I be a person unto myself? “ Or “Do I develop a sense of shame or sense of doubt in my own behavior?”

The most significant social influence at this stage is the parent. The caregiver should be able to show tolerance and firmness. The child should be able to develop a sense of independence through exploration. This is manifested by the child making choices for himself/herself in regards to her food, toys, and clothes. Erikson believed that toilet training is important in this process. Learning to control one’s body functions will lead to a feeling of control and a sense of independence.

According to Erikson, this is important if we would want the child to build a sense of autonomy. That means that they are confident on their own ability and if they don’t, they acquire a sense of shame and doubt.

STAGE 3: PRESCHOOLER AGE

Age: (3 – 6 Years)
Psychosocial Crisis: Initiative vs. Guilt
Psychosocial Strength: Purpose and Courage
Relationship: Family/Friends
Important Event: Independence
Main Task: Learn INITIATIVE without too much GUILT

The third stage is the stage of preschool of 3 to 6 years of age. The crisis has to do with initiative versus guilt. With the confidence that was formed in the toddlerhood, the child will probably have a good opportunity to develop initiative – ‘the capacity to do the things that I need to do’.

At this stage, the most significant influence in a child’s growth is still the parent. The parent can encourage initiative by encouraging children to try out their ideas. The child is now capable of imagination and initiative is an attempt to make it a reality. This is important because the child will feel capable of leading others or a lack of initiative. The main developmental task at this stage is for the child to develop confident in self starting and self guidance.

STAGE 4: SCHOOL AGE

Age: (7 – 12 Years)‏
Psychosocial Crisis: Industry vs. Inferiority
Psychosocial Strength: Competence
Relationship: Neighbourhood and School
Important Event: School and Neighborhood
Main Task: To develop a capacity for industry while avoiding excessive sense of inferiority. Develop a sense of achievement and competence.

The fourth stage is the school age with ages 7 to 12 years old. The crisis that has to be resolved is of industry versus inferiority. An industry would mean that the child get to work and take responsibility for his own learning. Inferiority would say that ‘I am not good enough to do this’.

The parent and the teachers are the most significant influence in the child’s life. They should be able to encourage good efforts and give positive feedback to the child’s work. The child should be able to develop a sense of achievement, competence as well as the capacity to learn the things that needs to be learned.

STAGE 5: ADOLESCENCE

Age: (12 – 18 Years)
Psychosocial Crisis: Identity vs. Role Confusion
Psychosocial Strength: Devotion and Fidelity
Relationship: Peers, Groups, Influences
Important Event: Peer Relationships
Main Task: Achieve ego identity and avoid role confusion

Stage 5 is the adolescence stage. This is the stage when children are exploring a sense of themselves. If they are encouraged, they develop strong sense of self. If not, they are insecure about the future.

Aside from their parent, the most significant social influence in the child’s life are their teachers and peers. At this stage, the adolescent should be given the freedom to explore options in life, to discover who they are as individuals separate from their family and become members of a wider society. Though identity formation is a life long process, at this stage, the adolescent should be able to establish an identity – to answer the key question of ‘Who am I?’ and to make choices.

STAGE 6: YOUNG ADULTHOOD

Age: in the 20’s
Psychosocial Crisis: Intimacy vs. Isolation
Psychosocial Strength: Affiliation and Love
Relationship: Spouse, Partner and Friends
Important Event: Love Relationships
Main Task: To achieve some degree of Intimacy as oppose to remaining in Isolation.

The sixth stage is the Young Adulthood, aging in their twenties. The crisis that the adult has to resolve is Intimacy versus Isolation. This stage is mostly influenced by peers and intimate friends. The main task at this stage is to search for that ‘someone’ to share life with.

It is important to be able to first establish a sense of identity before true intimacy can be found. An adult can successfully seek out personal relationships if they have mastered the other developmental stages and have a sense of self. If they have not developed a strong sense of self in the previous stages, it can lead to loneliness and depression.

A positive outcome of this stage is the development of loving, sexual relationship and close friendship. The negative outcome will lead to fear of relationship with others.

STAGE 7: MIDDLE AGE / ADULTHOOD

Age: Late 20’s to 50’s Years
Psychosocial Crisis: Generativity vs. Stagnation
Psychosocial Strength: Production and Care
Relationship: Children and Community
Important Events: Work and Parenthood
Main Task: To cultivate the proper balance between generativity and stagnation.

The 7th stage is a course in adulthood when people are concentrating on their families and careers. This happens between the ages of late 20s to the 50s. At this stage, a person has to deal with generativity versus stagnation.

The significant social influence at this stage is the younger generation. The main task of the person is to be able to help and guide the younger generation in developing and leading useful lives. If successful at this stage, adults will feel a desire to be active in their families and communities to nurture the future generations thereby contributing to the continuity of life.

The negative outcome on this stage is the trivialization of one’s activities. The person will feel unproductive and uninvolved as though they did nothing good for the world. Erikson termed this as feeling as stagnation.

STAGE 8: LATE ADULTHOOD

Age: 50’s and beyond
Psychosocial Crisis: Integrity vs. Despair
Psychosocial Strength: Wisdom
Relationship: Society, World, Life
Important Event: Reflection on and acceptance of one’s life
Main Task: Develop ego integrity with minimum despair

The 8th stage is called the late adulthood where people are at their 50s and beyond. The crisis that the person has to face in this stage is Integrity versus Despair. At this stage people will reflect back in their life and feel integrity and wisdom or despair.

“What kind of life have I lived?”

When the person is successful at this stage, there will be a sense of fulfillment about life as oppose to regret over lose of opportunities of life.

STAGE 9 – VERY OLD AGE

AGE : Late (80s and beyond)
Psychosocial Crisis: Despair vs. Hope and Faith

Erik Erikson lived for almost 92 years. In the later part of his life, he tried to modify the Stages of Development. He added another stage, Stage 9 because he realized that the eight stages were not enough to describe the life experiences.

Because of technology and advancement in science, people had lived beyond the age when he first developed this theory. Erik Erikson did some research on other people at his age. After his death, this wife Joan wrote the 9th stage based on the notes of her husband.

The crisis which a person has to face in this stage is Despair versus Hope and Faith. According to Erikson, in this stage the person face a new sense of self over failing bodies and the need for care. If successful, a person will achieve a new sense of wisdom and transcendence.
The following is taken from Joan Erikson's 9th Stage of Psychosocial Development, http://lifetransitionslifecompletion.blogspot.com/p/joan-eriksons-9th-stage-of-psychosocial.html
According to Joan Erikson, during the 9th stage, the person confronts all previous eight stages again but this time all the stages converged at the same time. In this stage, the elderly with the increased loss of physical abilities often begin to mistrust themselves and the environment. Autonomy is whittled away as their children tell them what to do. With increasing age, they often lose their sense of place as they have no more role to play in work or in the family and may be even placed in the retirement home. This situation slowly erodes the carefully formed identity and causes the elders to feel isolated.

The primary difference between the ninth stage and the eight stage is that the 9th stage, the elder no longer has the ‘luxury of retrospective despair over their life’. They are likely to be more involved with what body part will stop working that day. Or what special friend may be gone tomorrow. All this sets them up for despair. However, all is not as bleak as it seems. If the old person can get past the despair the way is made clear for gerotranscendence. Gerotranscendence is the stage at which the elder person is peacefully ready to move on to the next stage of existence.

The ninth stage was written down by Joan Erikson after the death of her husband in the updated version of his book, The Lifecycle Completed.

Summary:

In summary, we see that personality develops in a series of stages throughout the human life span. This is divided into eight (or nine) stages of development. Each stage builds on the successful completion of the earlier stage.

Erikson calls this the Epigenetic Principle. A person is developed through a predetermined unfolding of their personalities in eight stages. The progress through each stage is in part determined by our success or lack of success, in all the previous stage. Each stage involves certain developmental tasks and are referred to by two-terms. He called them ‘crises’. Each stage has a certain optimal time. If a stage is managed well, we learn certain virtue or psychological strength which will help us through the rest of the stages of our lives.

Erikson also explained that in going through this life stages, there is an interaction of different generations. Parents influence a child development and the child also influences the parent’s development as well. This is what Erikson called as mutuality.

Critique on Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory:

A major criticism in this theory is that it is has an ‘anti-female’ bias. Erikson uses the male for as normal for a healthy development. Another is, according to Erikson, the decision not to fulfill the natural procreative urge has serious consequences for development. Thus, he limits "healthy" development to loving heterosexual relationships that produce children. Erikson’s exclusion of single, celibate, homosexual, and other childless lifestyles has been criticized. Furthermore, Erikson's view that childless people have trouble achieving generativity is considered narrow by many psychologists.

Reference:

Erikson, Erik.. “Childhood and Society”. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1963

Boeree, Dr. George.. “Personality Theories”. Psychology Department, Shippenburg University, 2006

Ross, Alan O., “Personality: Theories and Processes”. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc., 1992

Thomas Crandell, Corinne Crandell, James Vander Zanden..“Human Development – 10th Edition”. ISBN 0073532185 Copyright year: 2012
Joan Erikson's 9th Stage of Psychosocial Development, http://lifetransitionslifecompletion.blogspot.com/p/joan-eriksons-9th-stage-of-psychosocial.html