Erik Erikson:

Psychosocial
Theory
 Psychosocial Development

• Refers to the emotional and psychological

changes across the life cycle that occurs
in the context of the individual’s social
environment.
 Concepts and Principles
The Psychosocial Theory

Erikson defined ego as a person's ability to unify experiences

and actions in an adaptive manner .

He identified 3 interrelated aspects of ego

1. Body ego-refers to experiences with our body; a way of
seeing our physical self as different from other people

2. Ego ideal- represents the image we have of

ourselves in comparison with an established ideal

3. Ego identity- is the image we have of ourselves in

the variety of social roles we play
 ELEMENTS

• Ego Identity
• Ego Strength
• Virtue
• Psychological Crisis
• Malignancy
• Maladaptation
 Ego Identity

• Ego identity is developed by human

interaction and how an individual
becomes more conscious of themselves
and their surrounding.
 Ego Strength

• Ego strength deals with an individual

becoming competent in different areas of
life, by becoming competent in life they
feel more important.
 Virtue

If a stage is managed well, we carry

certain virtue or psychological strength.
On the other hand, if we don’t do
well, we may develop maladaptations or
malignancies, as well us endanger al our
future development.
 Conflict

• Conflict is a turning point during which an

individual struggles to attain some
psychological quality. Sometimes referred
to as a psychosocial crisis, this can be a
time of both vulnerability and strength,
as the individual works toward success
or failure.
Malignancy and Maladaptation

Malignancy- involves too little of

positive and too much of negative
aspect of the task, such as a person
who can’t trust other.
Maladaptation- involves too much of the
positive and too little of the
negative, such as a person who
trust too much.
 Erik Erikson and the
8 Stages of Development
• Best known theories of personality and
development.
• Personality develops in a series of
predetermined stages.
• Psychosocial, and not psychosexual.
• In each stage of development
conflicts acts as turning points in life.
 Personality

• Personality consists of all the relatively

stable and distinctive styles of thought,
behavior, and emotional responses that
characterize a person’s adaptations to
surrounding situations
 Why Study Personality?

• Identify patterns in the way people

behave.
• Explain the differences between
people.
• Explore how people function in life (The
good and bad).
• How to improve life.
 Psychosexual Stages of
Development-Sigmund Freud
• Oral Stage (Birth to 1) Sucking/Pleasure With Mouth
• Anal Stage (1 to 3)
• Controlling Bowel Movements
• Phallic Stage (3 to 6)
• Discovery of reproductive organs
• Latency Period (6 to 13)
• Cognitive skills learned while interest in sexuality is
in the background
• Genital Phase (adolescence)
• Sexual interests arise
 Psychosocial Development

• According to Erikson- Each part of the

personality has a particular time in the life
span when it must develop, if it is going to
develop at all. If it failed to developed on
schedule, the rest of the development is
unfavorably altered. The individual is
then hindered from dealing effectively
with reality.
 Psychosocial Stages
• Stage 1- Trust vs. Mistrust
• Stage 2- Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt
• Stage 3- Initiative vs. Guilt
• Stage 4- Industry vs. Inferiority
• Stage 5- Identity vs. Role Confusion
• Stage 6- Intimacy vs. Isolation
• Stage 7- Generativity vs. Stagnation
• Stage 8- Integrity vs. Despair
 Stage 1-Trust vs. Mistrust
• Age- Birth to 18 months
• Conflict- Trust vs. Mistrust
• Relationship- Mother-child
• Virtue- Hopes
• Maladaptation- Sensory Maladjustment
• Malignancy- Withdrawal, characterized by
depression, paranoia, and possibly psychosis.
• Question- Can I trust the world?
• Key Event- Feeding
 Stage 1-Trust vs. Mistrust
• Children are completely dependent on others
• Trust: Established when babies given
adequate warmth, touching, love, and
physical care-Dependable & Reliable.
• Mistrust: Caused by inadequate
or unpredictable care and by cold,
indifferent, and rejecting parents-
Undependable, Unpredictable &
Dangerous.
 Stage 2-
Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt

• Age- 18 month to 3 years

• Conflict- Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
• Relationship- Parents
• Virtue- Willpower or Determination
• Maladaptation- Impulsiveness
• Malignancy- Compulsiveness
• Question- Is it ok to be me?
• Key Event- Toilet Training
 Stage 2-
Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt
• Autonomy: Doing things for themselves
such as body control & making choices.
- Secure and confident self.
• Shame: Overprotective or ridiculing parents
may cause children to doubt abilities
and feel shameful about their
actions- Inadequacy & self doubt.
 Stage 3- Initiative vs. Guilt
• Initiative: Parents reinforce via giving
children freedom to play, use imagination,
and ask questions- Creative, Constructive.
• Guilt: May occur if parents criticize,
prevent play, or discourage a child’s
questions- Always being wrong, Failed
to explore world.
• Initiative and Guilt should be balanced
in order to have moral judgment.
 Stage 3- Initiative vs. Guilt
• Age- 3 years to 6 years
• Conflict- Initiative vs. Guilt
• Relationship- Family
• Vitue- Purpose and Courage
• Maladaptation- Ruthlessness, Sociopathy
• Malignancy- Inhibition
• Question- Is it okay for me to do, move & act?
• Key Event- Independence
Stage 4- Industry vs. Inferiority

• Children's have to cope with new social

and academic demands
• Industry: Occurs when child is praised
for productive activities, such as painting
and building- Sense of competence
• Inferiority: Occurs if child’s efforts
are regarded as messy or
inadequate- Weak sense of self,
Incapable to take responsibility
 Stage 4- Industry vs. Inferiority
• Age- 6 years to 12 years
• Conflict- Industry vs. Inferiority
• Relationship- Neighbors, School
• Virtue- Competency
• Maladaptation- Narrow Virtuosity
• Malignancy -Inertia, inferiority complex
• Question- Can I make it in the world of
people and things?
• Key Event- School
 Stage 5-
Identity vs. Role Confusion
• Age- 12 years to 18 years
• Conflict- Identity vs. Role Confusion
• Relationship- Peers, Role Model
• Vitue- Fidelity
• Maladaptation- fanaticism
• Malignancy- Repudiation
• Question- Who am I? what can I be?
• Key Event- Peer relationships
 Stage 5-
Identity vs. Role Confusion
• Children learn a number of different roles.
• Identity: One’s organization of individual
drives, abilities, beliefs, and experience into
consistent image of self. Who we are.
• Role Confusion: Failure to establish
an individual identity separate from the
family and having no peer relationships
and plans for an occupation- Ego
diffusion
Stage 6-Intimacy vs. Isolation
• Age- 19 years to 40 years
• Conflict- Intimacy vs. Isolation
• Relationship- Friends, Partners
• Virtue- Love
• Maladaptation- Promiscuity
• Malignancy- Exclusion
• Question- Can I love?
• Key Event- Love relationships
 Stage 6-Intimacy vs. Isolation

• Start of families
• Intimacy: Ability to care about others
and to share experiences with them-
Strong relationship
• Isolation: Feeling alone and
uncared for in life- Loneliness
 Stage 7-
Generativity vs. Stagnation
• Age- 40 years to 65 years
• Conflict- Generativity vs. Stagnation
• Relationship- Household, Workmates
• Virtue- Care
• Maladaptation- Overextension
• Malignancy- Rejectivity
• Question- Can I make my life count?
• Key Event- Parenting
 Stage 7-
Generativity vs. Stagnation
• Primary developmental task is one of
contributing to society and helping to
guide future generation.
• Generativity: Interest in guiding the next
generation- Social involvement, Parenting
• Stagnation: When one is only
concerned with one’s own needs and
comforts- Material possession,
Physical well being, Non productive
 Stage 8-Integrity vs. Despair
• Age- 65 years to Death
• Conflict- Integrity vs. Despair
• Relationship- Mankind, My kind
• Virtue- Wisdom
• Maladaptation- Presumption (belief that is true-not proved)
• Malignancy- Disdain (feeling of strong dislike or disapproval
of someone you think does not deserve respect
• Question- Is it ok to have been me?
• Key Event- Reflecting on and acceptance of
one’s life
 Stage 8-Integrity vs. Despair
• In the last stages of life individuals look
back over their lives and judge them.
• Integrity: Self-respect; developed when
people have lived richly and responsibly-
Feeling of wisdom and meaning
• Despair: Occurs when previous life
events are viewed with regret;
experiences heartache and remorse-
Regret, Bitterness
 Erikson’s
Psychosocial Development
Age Stage Psychosocial Psychosocial Environmental
(Years) Crisis Strength Influence

1 Infancy Trust vs. Mistrust Hope Maternal

2-3 Early childhood Autonomy vs. Willpower Both parents or

Shame and Doubt adult substitutes

4-5 Preschool Initiative vs. Guilt Purpose Parents, family and

friends

6-11 Middle Childhood Industry vs. Competence School

Inferiority

12-18 Adolescence Identity vs. Role Fidelity Peers

confusion

18-35 Young adulthood Intimacy vs. Love Spouse, lover,

Isolation friends

35-65 Middle age Generativity vs. Care Family, society

Stagnation

Over 65 Old age Integrity vs. Despair Wisdom All humans

Educational implications

 Children should be allowed considerable

self-initiated activities in early education
 Elementary teachers should make the
classroom situation meaningful to facilitate
personal industry and mastery.
 Teachers of adolescent should help the
students to anticipate the future and weigh
possibilities in career choice.
Assessment in Erikson’s Theory

• Psycho historical Analysis

– Application of lifespan theory to lives of
historical figures

• Psychological Tests:
– Instruments based on crisis in stages
Research in Erikson’s Theory

• Generativity
– Evokes need to feel closer to others
– Correlated with extraversion, openness to
new experiences
– Likely to be involved in community, social
relationships
Research in Erikson’s Theory

• Maturity
– High ego integrity: spent much time reviewing
their lives
• Ethnic Identity
– Ethnic minorities: ethnic identity significant
factor in determining sense of self
 Erikson’s Contributions
• He made major contributions in the area of child development by
studying groups of Native American children and developed the
concept of identity crisis.
• He was concerned with the relationship between society/culture and
child development, which he termed “psychosocial development”.
• This interest led him to develop the Eight Stages of Development.
• In each stage, the individual encounters a developmental crisis.
• In order to move on to the next stage, the individual must resolve
the crisis.