Erik Erikson

MODULE 7
Erik Erikson’s
STAGES OF PSYCHO-SOCIAL THEORY
OF DEVELOPMENT
ERIK HOMBURGER ERIKSON
1902 - 1994
“Children love and want to be
loved and they very much
prefer the joy of
accomplishment to the triumph
of hateful failure. Do not
mistake a child for his
symptom.”
-Erik Erikson-
 Father of Psychosocial Development
 His theory, Post-Freudian Theory
 Coined the term identity crises, (a turning

point in one’s life that may either
strengthen or weaken one’s personality.)
 A world fame Psychoanalyst,
Anthropologist, Psychohistorian and a
Medical School Professor. Yet he had no
college degree of any kind.
 Intended his theory of personality to
extend rather than repudiate Freud’s
Psychoanalysis and to offer a new “way of
looking things”.
• Regards his theory as the extension of Freud’s
Psychoanalysis.
 • His theory is a reflection of his own background,
that consist of arts, extensive travels, experiences
with varied culture and a lifelong search for his
own identity.
INTRODUCTION
The theory is a basis for broad or complex
discussion and analysis of personality and behavior,
and also facilitating personal development – of self
and others. Why? Because, this can help the teacher
in becoming more knowledgeable and at the same
time understanding of the various environmental
factors that affect his own and his students
personality and behavior.
 Growth takes place according to
epigenetic principle, which states that
a person's development is
predetermined. Also, in every stage of
life there is an interaction of opposites,
a conflict between;
 Syntonic- A harmonious element (e.g.,
Trust) & Dystonic- A disruptive
element. (e.g., Mistrust)
 Erikson conditioned that people must
have these two experiences in order to
grow. At each stage of conflict
between the two elements, a person
develops an ego quality or strength or
 Ego Identity – developed by human
interaction and how an individual
becomes more conscious of themselves
and their surrounding.
 Ego Strength – deals with an individual
becoming competent in different areas
of life, by becoming competent in life
they feel more important.
 Conflict – also referred to as
psychological crisis. This can be a both
vulnerability and strength, as the
individual works toward success or
failure.
PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Refers to the emotional and

psychological changes across the life
cycle that occurs in the context of the
individual’s social environment.
 Erikson’s stages of psychosocial
development are based on (and
expand upon) Freud’s psychosexual
theory.
 Erikson proposed that we are
motivated by the need to achieve
competence in certain areas of our
lives.
 According to psychosocial theory,
we experience eight stages of
development over our lifespan, from
infancy through late adulthood. At
each stage there is a crisis or task
that we need to resolve.
 Successful completion of each
developmental task results in a
sense of competence and a healthy
personality. Failure to master
these tasks leads to feelings of
inadequacy.
PYSCHOSOCIAL CRISIS
Trust vs. Mistrust

 From birth to 1ST year and a half of life,
infants must learn that adults can be
trusted. This occurs when adults meet
a child’s basic needs for survival.
 Virtue: Hope
 Environmental Influence: Maternal
 Question: Can I trust the world?
Trust – Dependable and Reliable

Mistrust – Undependable, unpredictable
and dangerous
Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt
 As toddlers (ages 2–4 years) begin to explore
their world, they learn that they can control
their actions and act on their environment to
get results. They begin to show clear
preferences for certain elements of the
environment, such as food, toys, and clothing.
A toddler’s main task is to resolve the issue
of autonomy vs. shame and doubt by
working to establish independence.
 This is the “me do it” stage.
 Virtue: Willpower
 Environmental Influence: Both parents or adult

substitutes
 Question: Is it okay to be me?
 Autonomy – Secure and Confident self
 Shame – Inadequacy and self doubt
Initiative vs. Guilt

 Once children reach the preschool stage
(ages 4–5 years), they are capable of
initiating activities and asserting control over
their world through social interactions and
play. According to Erikson, preschool children
must resolve the task of initiative vs. guilt.
 By learning to plan and achieve goals while
interacting with others, preschool children
can master this task. Initiative, a sense of
ambition and responsibility.
 These children will develop self-confidence
and feel a sense of purpose. Those who are
unsuccessful at this stage—with their
initiative misfiring or stifled by over-
controlling parents—may develop feelings
of guilt.
 Virtue: Purpose
 Environmental Influence: Parents, family

and friends
 Question: Is it okay for me to do, move and
act?
 Initiative: Creative, constructive
 Guilt: Always being wrong, failed to

explorethe world.
Industry vs. Inferiority
 During the elementary school stage (ages 5–
12), children face the task of industry vs.
inferiority.
 Children begin to compare themselves with
their peers to see how they measure up. They
either develop a sense of pride and
accomplishment in their schoolwork, sports,
social activities, and family life, or they feel
inferior and inadequate because they feel that
they don’t measure up.
 Virtue: Competence (Courage)
 Environmental Influence: School
 Question – Can I make it in the world of people

and things?
Identity vs. Role Confusion
 In adolescence (ages 13–19), children face
the task of identity vs. role
confusion. According to Erikson, an
adolescent’s main task is developing a
sense of self. Adolescents struggle with
questions such as “Who am I?” and “What
do I want to do with my life?” Along the way,
most adolescents try on many different
selves to see which ones fit; they explore
various roles and ideas, set goals, and
attempt to discover their “adult” selves.
 Virtue: Fidelity
 Environmental Influence: Peer Relationship

Intimacy vs. Isolation
 People in early adulthood (20s through early
40s) are concerned with intimacy vs.
isolation. After we have developed a sense of
self in adolescence, we are ready to share our
life with others. However, if other stages have
not been successfully resolved, young adults
may have trouble developing and maintaining
successful relationships with others.
 Virtue: Love
 Environmental Influence: Spouse, lover, friends
 Question: Can I love?
 Intimacy: Strong relationship
 Isolation; Loneliness
Generativity vs. Stagnation
 When people reach their 40s, they enter the
time known as middle adulthood, which extends
to the mid-60s. The social task of middle
adulthood is generativity vs. stagnation.
Generativity involves finding your life’s work
and contributing to the development of others
through activities such as volunteering,
mentoring, and raising children. During this
stage, middle-aged adults begin contributing to
the next generation, often through childbirth
and caring for others; they also engage in
meaningful and productive work which
contributes positively to society.
 Virtue: Care
 Environmental Influence: Family, society

Ego Integrity vs. Despair
 From the mid-60s to the end of life, we are in
the period of development known as late
adulthood. Erikson’s task at this stage is
called integrity vs. despair. He said that
people in late adulthood reflect on their lives
and feel either a sense of satisfaction or a
sense of failure.
 People who feel proud of their
accomplishments feel a sense of integrity,
and they can look back on their lives with
few regrets. They focus on what “would
have,” “should have,” and “could have”
been. They face the end of their lives with
feelings of bitterness, depression, and
despair.
 Question: Is it okay to have been me?
 Integrity: Feeling of wisdom and meaning
 Despair: Regret, Bitterness
References
Child and Adolescent Development, by Acero Ph.D, Javier Ph.D, Castro Ph.D at Chapter 5, Social and
Emotional Development of Adolescents page 94.
Theories of Personality, Fifth edition by Jess and Gregory Feist at Chapter 9, page 232-261 Hand out
on Educational Psychology retrieved from Perspective Development, Chapter 5 Page 133, Table 4.2
Erik
Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages of Development retrieved from

http://www.ppt.net/deyanaflores/eriksons-stages-of- psychosocial-development-16062653
THANK YOU!

Prepared By:
Wilmea A. Buban
CCM Instructor

Erik Erikson

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Erik Erikson

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Erik Erikson

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

MODULE 7

 Coined the term identity crises, (a turning

Refers to the emotional and

Trust vs. Mistrust

 Environmental Influence: Maternal

 Question: Can I trust the world?

Trust – Dependable and Reliable

 Environmental Influence: Both parents or adult

Initiative vs. Guilt

 Environmental Influence: Parents, family

 Guilt: Always being wrong, failed to

 Environmental Influence: School

 Question – Can I make it in the world of people

 Environmental Influence: Peer Relationship

 Environmental Influence: Spouse, lover, friends

 Question: Can I love?

 Intimacy: Strong relationship

 Environmental Influence: Family, society

 Despair: Regret, Bitterness

Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages of Development retrieved from

You might also like