Erik Erikson

ERIK ERIKSON

                Erikson’s psychosocial theory is very powerful for self-awareness and improvement and for teaching and helping others. It emphasizes the sequential significance of the eight character-forming crisis stages, the concept also asserts that humans continue to change and develop throughout their lives and that the personality is not exclusively formed during early childhood years. This is a helpful and optimistic idea and many believe it is realistic too. It certainly a view that greatly assists encouraging oneself and others to see the future as an opportunity for positive change and development, instead of looking back with blame and regret.

            Before we discuss more theories propagated by Erik Erikson, let me provide a brief biography.  Erik Homburger Erikson was born on  June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt-am-Main Germany to Karla Abrahamsen . His natural father departed before  birth and his mother subsequently married to Dr. Theodor Homberger who is Erikson’s pediatrician.  He is a Dane by parentage and a German by upbringing, he is an American by choice. He spent several  years traveling, trying to “find himsel”, eventually returning home at the age of 25 to settle down and teach art.  Upon the invitation of a friend, Peter Blos, he went to Vienna to teach art, history and various other subjects. In Vienna,he became acquainted with Anna Freud and other prominent psychoanalysis who helped him obtain analytical training.

                He studied the Montessori system which influenced his interest in play therapy and child analysis. The growth of Fascism in Europe led Erikson and his family to leave for the United States. They settled in Boston where he became the city’s first psychoanalyst. He spent the latter part of his life writing books, teaching and researching. He works on in-depth psychological biographies and on child and adult development are essentially psychoanalytic in nature.

                Erikson extends the study of developing child beyond puberty, emphasizing that the ego continue to acquire new characteristics as it meets new situations in life. He selected the ego as the tool by which a person organizes outside information, tests perceptions, selects memories, governs action adaptively and integrates the capabilities of orientation and planning. This positive ego produces a sense of self in a state of heightened well-being. This state of well being is when what one thinks and does is close to what one wishes and feels he or she ought to be and do.

                He propagated the eight stages of the psycho-social development of personality. These are as follows:

1.       Trust vs.  Mistrust ( Birth – 1 year )

The infant will develop a healthy balance between trust and mistrust if fed and cared for and not over-indulged or over-protected. Abuse or neglect or cruelty will destroy trust and foster mistrust. Mistrust increases a person’s resistance to risk-exposure and exploration. If the infant is insulated from all and any feelings of surprise and normality or unfailingly indulged, this will create failure to appreciate reality. Infants who grow up with trust are more able to hope and have faith that things will be ok.

2.       Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt ( 2-3 years old )

Autonomy means self reliance. This is independence of thought and a basic confidence to think and act for oneself. Shame and doubt mean what they say and obviously inhibit self-expression and developing one’s own ideas, opinions and sense of self.

3.       Initiative vs Guilt (4-5 years old)

Initiative is the capability to devise actions or projects and a confidence and belief that it is ok to do so, even with a risk of failure or making mistakes. Guilt results from being admonished or believing that something is wrong or likely to attract disapproval. Initiative flourishes when adventure and game playing is encouraged, irrespective of how daft it seems to the grown up in charge. Suppressing adventure and experimentatio, or preventing young children doing things for themselves because of time, mess or a bit of risk will inhibit the development of confidence to initiate, replacing it instead with an unhelpful fear of being wrong. The fear of being admonished or accused of being stupid becomes a part of personality.

4.       Industry vs Inferiority ( 6-11 years old)

This stage is a systematic instruction, a movement from play to a sense of work. The child needs to do well and develops a sense of work completion and satisfaction in a job well done. Otherwise, the child develops a sense of inferiority and inequality.

5.       Identity vs Identity Confusion (12-20 years old)

The adolescent is likely to suffer from some confusion roles. Doubts about sexual attractiveness and sexual identity are common at this stage. The inability to develop a sense of identification with an individual or cultural role model that gives direction to one’s life can lead to a period of floundering and insecurity. There is also the possibility of over identification with youth-culture heroes or clique leaders leading to a loss of identity.

6.       Intimacy vs. Isolation (20-24 years old)

Without a sense of intimacy and commitment, one may become isolated and be unable to sustain an intimate relationship. If one’s sense of identity is weak and threatened by intimacy, the individual may turn away from or attack the possibility of a relationship.

7.       Generativity vs Stagnation(25-65 years old)

Generativity includes concern for our children and for the ideas and products that we have created. We are teaching as well as learning human beings. Creations are important to ensure the health and maintenance of ideals and principles. Otherwise, we fall into a state of boredom and stagnation.

8.       Ego Integrity vs Despair (65 years to death)

The sense  of ego integrity includes an awareness of the value of other lifestyles including those that are very different from one’s won. Those who have a sense of integrity are ready to defend the dignity of their lifestyles against criticisms and threats.

                Erikson strongly believed that personality development is sequential and consists of critical periods. Each of the eight stages of psychosocial development is characterized by a crisis which can be resolved positively or negatively. If a crisis is resolved positively, a virtue will be gained,  which will strengthen the ego and the person will live his or her later years with hope, purpose, competence, fidelity, love, care and wisdom. The turning point arises from physiological needs, maturation and social demands made upon the person at a particular stage of development.