Erik Erikson: Psychosocial Development

I. Erik Erikson• A. A student of Sigmund Freud (had pictures of Freud’s kid in his wallet).

• B. Modernized Freud’s Theory.1. Freud- by the time you are 6 or 7, tour personal growth is essentially over.2. Erikson- expanded the ideas of stages of development into a broader framework, called the life cycle.a. Each stage of this period has a positive and a negative

dimension (this helped balance and clarify Freudian theory).b. Although Erikson viewed childhood as especially significant,

he saw development continuing throughout one’s entire lifetime.

II. Psychosocial Development

• A. Epigenetic Principle- personality itself goes through structural elaborations in accord with a ground plan (i.e. development is not random, but proceeds according to the outline).1. Ground plan- merely a map of potential; it is not automatic development.2. Environment factors (e.g. social feedback) play an important role in development.

B. The stages of development are consequential-one must come before the next, or else…..

STAGES

Stage AgeInfancy 0-1Early childhood 2-3Play Age 4-5School age 6-11Adolescence 12-20Young adult 21-35Middle age 36-

65Old age 65+

CrisisTrust vs. Mistrust Autonomy vs. Doubt Initiative vs. Guilt Industry vs. Inferiority Identity vs. Role Confusion

Intimacy vs. IsolationGeneratively vs. Self-Absorption

Integrity vs. Despair

Resolution Hope

Will

Purpose

Competence

Fidelity