Erik Erikson By: Allison Gross

Erik Erikson was a psychosocial theorist who was heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud. He studied the impact of external factors on a child’s developing personality. He believed that humans develop in eight stages starting when they are born to when they die. Erikson believed that the way a child is treated and cared for has more of an impact than the childs genetic makeup.

Erik Erikson was born on June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany Erik Erikson was born on June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He had no college degree, instead traveled Europe recording his experiences in a journal. He died May 12,1994.

Stages Erikson believed people develop in eight different stages throughout life. These stages include: Infancy (birth- 18 months):Trust vs Mistrust This when feeding often occurs because children learn to trust their caregivers.

Stages Early Childhood (2 to 3 yrs): Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt Children develop a sense of personal control over physical skills. Toilet Training often occurs in this stage. Preschool (3-5 years): Initiative vs Guilt Children begin to explore and feel control over their environment. Success leads to a sense of purpose while failure leads to a sense of guilt from power exertion.

Stages School Age (6-11 years): Industry vs Inferiority This is when children begin school and they must adjust to new levels of learning and understanding. Success leads to competence and failure leads to feelings of inferiority. Adolescence (12-18 years): Identity vs Role Confusion This is when social relationships begin to develop along with a sense of self and personal identity. Success gives the ability to stay true to yourself and failure leads to role confusion and a weak sense of self.

Stages Young Adulthood (19-40 years): Intimacy vs Isolation This is when intimate, loving relationships begin to develop. Success leads to strong relationships and failure results in lonliness. Middle Adulthood (40-65): Generativity vs Stagnation Work and Parenthood begin in this stage. Adults begin to nurture things that may outlast them, like having children. Success gives a feeling of usefulness and failure is a shallow involvement in the world.

Stages Maturity (65- death): Ego Integrity vs Despair This is when adults begin to look back at their lives with a sense of fulfillment and reflect. Success will lead to feeling of wisdom and failure may result in regret, bitterness, or despair.

Erikson greatly admired the work of Sigmund Freud Erikson greatly admired the work of Sigmund Freud. They both believed personality develops in stages but Erikson believed it develops over the entire course of a persons life while Freud believed the major influences occurred in early life.

Sources http://psychology.about.com/library/bl_psychosocial_su mmary.htm http://www.learning-theories.com/eriksons-stages-of- development.html http://www.nndb.com/people/151/000097857/erik- erikson-1-sized.jpg http://www.317am.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/per- erik.jpg http://www.nndb.com/people/151/000097857/

Sources http://www.intropsych.com/ch11_personality/erikson.ht ml http://brainmeta.com/personality/erikson.php