ERIK ERIKSON A NEO-FREUDIAN HE BELIEVED THERE IS A STRONG NEED FOR SOCIAL APPROVAL PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CRISES Bullets # 1–2 Erikson was a neo-Freudian. He subscribed to Freud’s argument about the importance in childhood of issues relating to sexuality and aggression, but he also believed that children have a need for social approval. Bullet # 3 According to Erikson, all of us go through certain psychosocial crises at different phases of development in our lives. Freud and Erikson also agreed that learning social rules was a crucial part of development. Bullet # 4 Erikson believed that at each stage of growth and development an individual faces a psychosocial crisis that needs to be resolved before going on to the next stage. He theorized that personality is shaped by how we manage our psychosocial crisis at each stage. Each psychosocial crisis involves a struggle between two opposing tendencies, such as trust versus mistrust.

STAGE ONE EARLY INFANCY/MEETING BASIC NEEDS TRUST VS. MISTRUST FOR EVEN DEVELOPMENT, EACH CRISIS MUST BE MET ON TIME Bullet # 1 Erikson’s first stage encompasses the first year of life, when the infant is totally dependent on adults for basic needs (food, shelter, changing diapers). If basic biological needs are met by caregivers and good emotional attachments are made, the child should develop a trusting relationship. Bullet # 2 If a child’s needs are met by the caregivers, the child learns to count on and depend upon those caregivers, and a generally optimistic personality develops. If a child’s needs and demands are not met, then the child learns not to trust, and a more pessimistic personality develops. Bullet # 3 Not all psychosocial crises are met and handled at the same time. Erikson believed that unless a person resolved a psychosocial crisis at the appropriate stage of growth and development, that person would need to retrace their steps until they could resolve the crisis.

STAGE TWO AUTONOMY VS. SHAME AND DOUBT AGES 1–3 SELF-RELIANCE OR RELIANCE ON OTHERS Bullet # 1 Erikson’s second stage coincides with the time when parents are toilet training and managing a child’s behavior. At this stage, the child begins to take some personal responsibility for feeding, dressing, and bathing. If all proceeds well, the child will develop a sense of autonomy. Bullet # 2 Between the ages of one and three, the child is beginning to do more and more for him/herself. If parents seem never to be satisfied with the child’s progress, conflict develops and the child begins to doubt his/her own abilities and feels a sense or shame or self-doubt. Bullet # 3 Depending on how parents respond to their child’s behavior during this stage of development, the child can either learn to be self-reliant or will tend to be dependent upon others. By age three, a child should be able to walk, talk, feed, bathe, and clothe him/herself. He/she starts to feel very independent.

STAGE THREE INITIATIVE VS. GUILT: AGES 3–6 SELF-ESTEEM: “AM I GOOD OR AM I BAD ?” Bullet # 1 In Erikson’s third stage, the real challenge is for children to develop independence from their parents. Children experiment and take “initiatives” that may, on occasion, cause conflict with their parent’s rules. If the parent is overly controlling, a child may be instilled with feelings of guilt. Bullet # 2 If the conflict between parent and child continues, major self-esteem issues may surface. According to Erikson, parents need to support their child’s independence at the same time they set guidelines and limits. Children will develop a sense of either being “good” or “bad” as they struggle with this psychosocial crisis.

STAGE FOUR INDUSTRY VS. INFERIORITY AGES 6–12 THE CHILD ASKS, “AM I SUCCESSFUL OR NO GOOD?” Bullet # 1 At this stage, the neighborhood and school become parts of a child’s world. Will children be able to be productive (industrious) in school or will they develop feelings of inferiority? Bullet # 2 The ages for stage four roughly coincide with the elementary school years, usually from age 6 up to the onset of puberty. Bullet # 3 The child needs to recognize that good work and good behavior brings rewards. If children do not learn these lessons, they may feel worthless and incompetent.

STAGE FIVE IDENTITY VS. ROLE CONFUSION EARLY TEENS/PEER PRESSURE QUESTION: “WHO AM I?” Bullet # 1 According to Erikson, by adolescence the main psychosocial crisis centers around identity. Teenagers may ask themselves, “Who am I? What am I going to become?” Bullet # 2 The early teens are difficult times due to surging hormones and questions about relationships and the future. Children are bombarded with many different messages about what they should be like. Peer pressure is very strong at this stage of development. Bullet # 3 Some people never resolve this psychosocial crisis (or when they do they are much older). According to Erikson, one of life’s great struggles is figuring out “what you want to be when you grow up.”

STAGE SIX INTIMACY VS. ISOLATION CHOOSING TO SHARE YOUR LIFE WITH ANOTHER OR LIVE ALONE Bullet # 1 In stage six, a person has to decide whether to enter into a meaningful personal relationship or to be a “lone wolf.” They either broaden their world to include someone else or they drift towards isolation. Bullet # 2 The question a person asks themselves at this stage is “Shall I share my life with someone else or live alone?” This is the main psychosocial crisis that needs to be resolved.

STAGE SEVEN GENERATIVITY VS. STAGNATION MIDDLE AGE/MID -LIFE CRISIS QUESTION: “AM I SUCCESFUL IN MY LIFE?” Bullet # 1 As adults begin their careers (which today can span 40 years or more before a person retires), a major psychosocial crisis develops. Erikson used the term “generativity” to describe creativity in one’s work, life, and career. In stage seven, a person has to decide how much effort to put into their career and family. Bullet # 2 According to Erikson, mid-life crises can be nearly as difficult and critical as the identity crises adolescents face. This seems to be the time in a person’s life when they are most concerned about making a difference or contributing to society in general. Bullet # 3 Middle-aged adults begin questioning the decisions and choices that they have made in their lives. They feel a need to determine whether they have achieved “success” in their lives.

STAGE EIGHT INTEGRITY VS. DESPAIR OLDER ADULTS QUESTION: “HAVE I LIVED A FULL AND COMPLETE LIFE?” Bullet # 1 Stage eight presents the last psychosocial crisis we must all pass through: integrity versus despair. Bullets # 2 –3 As we get older, we begin to ask ourselves, “What will be left of me when I am gone? Will people remember me in a favorable light? Have I left some lasting contribution?” In many ways, this stage is a continuation of the one which preceded it, but since people at this stage are elderly, they have less time available to “make their mark” and create a lasting legacy.

STAGE EIGHT( CONTINUED) FEELINGS OF ABANDONMENT AND ISOLATION CRITICISMS OF ERIKSON’S THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT For many older adults (especially those in nursing or convalescent homes), stage eight creates a real feeling of abandonment and despair. People at this stage no longer feel connected to family and friends. Erikson has been criticized because his model of human development is too “ideal” and chronological. Many people mature and work out different psychosocial crises at different times in their lives. For example, some people are “late bloomers” who make their contributions at a later stage in their development than would be expected in Erikson’s model.