NAME: MAHAM JAMIL

ROLL NO: 1420

ASSIGNMENT: MID TERM (Erikson theory)

SUBMIITED TO: DR. SALMA HASSAN

CRITICAL APPRECIATION OF ERIKSON THEORY OF PSYCHO
SOCIAL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT:
 Erikson maintained personality develops in predetermined order through eight stages of
psychosocial development, from infancy to adulthood. During each stage, the person
experiences a psychosocial crisis which could have a positive or negative outcome for
personality development.
 These crises are of a psychosocial nature because they involve psychological needs of
the individual (psycho) conflicting with needs of society (social).
 Successful completion of each stage healthy personality and acquisition of basic
strength. Basic strength are characteristic strengths ego use to resolve subsequent
crises.
 Failure to successfully complete a stages reduced ability to complete further stages
unhealthy personality and sense of self.resovled these stages later time.

STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS OF ERIKSON THEORY:

 Erikson’s stages foundation for discussions on emotional and social development during
the lifespan. Stages or crises occur more than once or at different times of life.

 Erikson’s theory has criticized on stages and assuming that completion of one stage is
prerequisite for next crisis of development.  Focus on social expectations found in
certain cultures, but not in all.

 Erikson’s view that development continues throughout the lifespan is very significant
and received great recognition. Freud’s theory criticized for focusing on more men than
women and also for its vagueness, making it difficult to test rigorously.

STRENGTH:
 Basic psychosocial strength successfully passing through each crisis. Erikson described
success as a 'favourable ratio' (between the two extremes) at each crisis stage.

 Basic strength not simply achieving the positive extreme of each crisis. Basic strength
attained by helpful balance, albeit towards the 'positive', between two extremes.
Helpfully balanced experience leads to positive growth.
  Chief life stage issues and relationships are also re-stated as a reminder as to when
things happen.

 Basic psychological strength and 'basic' strength (same thing), are Erikson's
terminology.

 Erikson identified one basic strength, plus another strength (described below a

'secondary strength') for each stage.

 He identified one clear basic virtue and one secondary strength from this he was able to
(and we can too - he encouraged people to do so) extrapolate other related strengths.

 First disposition in each crisis is also inevitably a related strength that comes from
successfully experiencing each stage.

 Erikson recognized first disposition (e.g., Trust, Autonomy, etc) as an 'Adaptive

Strength.

Weekness:
 One major criticism of Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is that it primarily
describes the development of European or American males. Erikson's theory questioned
as whether his stages must be regarded as sequential, and only occurring within the age
ranges he suggests.
 People search for identity during adolescent years if one stage needs to happen before
other stages can completed. However this processes occur throughout the lifetime in
one form or another he emphasizes phases because these times that conflicts become
most prominent.

 Negative outcomes referred to 'baggage', which although somewhat unscientific, is

actually a very apt metaphor, since people carry with through life the psychological
outcomes of previously unhelpful experiences.

 Negative outcomes arise from repeating or revisiting a crisis, or more realistically crisis,
since we don't actually regress to a younger age, instead we revisit the experiences and
feelings associated with earlier life.

 Research done on Erikson's ideas and theories. Proven difficult to create objectives to
evaluate Erikson's identity theory. Not only do many different threads enter into the
process fest abolishing an identity but each person must create a unique synthesis of all
the disparate parts"
 According to Cole and Cole (1989) one of Erikson's favorite methods for testing his
theory is the biographical case study, using such famous men as Martin Luther and
Mahatma Gandhi. It can be time consuming, expensive and difficult to apply these
methods to an individual experiencing role confusion.

 Critics of Erikson's theory say that his theory is more applicable to boys than to girls, and
that more attention is paid to infancy and childhood than to adult life, despite the claim
to be a life-span theory. However found Erikson's theory offers a useful framework for
analyzing developmental histories

CONCLUSION:
 Empirical research support Erikson theory that positively resolving crises throughout
stages correlate with self-worth his thinking processes called into question some
concept remain ambivalent and fail to meet standards of scientific support.
 Erikson wide variety of phenomena both normal and abnormal, social, cultural historical
factors joint personality development and functioning.
 Erikson ideas not only valid but original and significant.