1.

Psychosocial Theory - Eric Erickson

Biography
Erik Homburger Erikson: German-American Child Psychoanalyst
• Born to a Jewish mother, Erik was adopted by his stepfather, Theodor Homburger, in 1911.
• Erikson's identity confusion was a central concern in his life and theoretical work.
• Erikson's upbringing in the Jewish religion led to bigotry from both Jewish and gentile
children.
• Erik dropped out of art school to become an artist, then returned to Karlsruhe and became
an art teacher.
• Erikson grappled with questions about his father and competing ideas of ethnic, religious,
and national identity.
• Erikson served as a professor at Harvard, University of California, Berkeley, and Yale.
Theory
Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory, based on the epigenetic principle, proposes eight stages of
personality development. It differs from Freud's psychosexual theory, focusing on the impact
of social experiences throughout the lifespan, unlike Freud's focus on childhood events.

• Trust vs. Mistrust: (Infancy from birth to 18 months) Stage between birth and 1.5 years,
focusing on developing trust in caregivers and the world.
• Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt: (Toddler years from 18 months to three years) Stage
between 18 months and 3 years, involving gaining independence and personal control.
• Initiative vs. Guilt: (Preschool years from three to five) Stage between 3 and 6 years,
focusing on exploring environment and controlling choices.
• Industry vs. Inferiority: (Middle school years from six to 11) Stage between 6 and 12
years, focusing on personal pride and accomplishment.
• Identity vs. Confusion: (Teen years from 12 to 18) Stage during teen years, focusing on
personal exploration and fidelity.
• Intimacy vs. Isolation: (Young adult years from 18 to 40) Stage in early adulthood,
focusing on forming healthy relationships.
• Generation vs. Stagnation: (Middle age from 40 to 65) Stage during middle adulthood,
focusing on societal contribution.
• Integrity vs. Despair: (Older adulthood from 65 to death) Stage in late adulthood,
reflecting on life to develop integrity and wisdom.

What Is Identity?
• Erikson's concept of identity refers to beliefs, ideals, and values shaping behavior.
• Successful completion of identity development leads to fidelity, a ability to live by societal
standards.
• Erikson emphasized the development of ego identity, a conscious sense of self developed
through social interaction.
• Ego identity changes with new experiences and information, and challenges that can either
aid or hinder identity development.
Erikson's Theory Importance
 • Addresses lifelong development, not just childhood.
• Emphasizes social relationships' role in personality and growth.

In what field of nursing would the theory of Erik Erickson be most utilized according to the study?
Erik Erikson's psychosocial development theory is used in clinical practice to create a holistic
care plan for patients. It consists of various stages, applicable to all age groups. Teenagers,
for instance, struggle with identity versus role confusion and struggle to form genuine
relationships. Adequate support can help them become independent and secure, while
insecurity can lead to further complications in intimacy versus isolation.
What stage are you now in his Theory of Development? do you agree with him?
It is great that Erikson described vital traits at each age period throughout life. Despite
assigning important virtues such as hope and care to his psychosocial stages, Erikson ignored
justice as the basic virtue, a crucial moral virtue in ancient Greek culture.

2. Lawrence Kohlberg -Moral development theory

Biography
Lawrence Kohlberg: American Psychoanalyst and Educator
• Born in 1927, the youngest of four children of Alfred Kohlberg and Charlotte Albrecht
Kohlberg.
• Graduated from Phillips Academy in 1945 and served in the U.S. merchant marine.
• Worked on a ship hired by Haganah to smuggle Jewish war refugees into Palestine.
• Imprisoned in Cyprus, returned to U.S. in 1948.
• Studied at the University of Chicago and Harvard University.
• Developed a six-stage theory of moral development, influential in psychology and
education.
• Criticized by Carol Gilligan for ignoring distinct patterns of moral development in girls.
Theory
Kolhberg's Moral Development Theory
• Defines three levels of moral development: preconventional, conventional, and
postconventional.
• Preconventional level: Children's morality is externally controlled, influenced by authority
figures and their judgment of actions.
• Conventional level: Morality is tied to personal and societal relationships, with children
accepting authority rules to ensure positive relationships and societal order.
• Postconventional level: Morality is defined in terms of abstract principles and values, with
people recognizing unjust laws.
• Criticized for its cultural and gender bias towards white, upper-class men and boys and
inconsistencies in moral judgments.
Kohlberg's stages of moral development
Kohlberg identified three levels of moral reasoning: pre-conventional, conventional, and
post-conventional. Each level is associated with increasingly complex stages of moral
development.
Level 1: Preconventional
• Children's morality is externally controlled, influenced by authority figures.
• They focus on external consequences of actions.
Stage 1: Obedience-and-Punishment Orientation
• Stage 1 focuses on the child's desire to obey rules and avoid punishment.
• Actions are perceived as morally wrong if the punishment is severe.
Stage 2: Instrumental Orientation
• Stage 2 defines right behavior by what is in the individual's best interest.
• Concern for others is limited to the point where it might further the individual's own
interests.
• Concern for others is based on a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" mentality.
Stages of Child Morality Development

Level 2: Conventional
• Children's morality is tied to personal and societal relationships.
• Adherence to rules and conventions is rigid, with rule fairness rarely questioned.
Stage 3: Good Boy, Nice Girl Orientation
• Children seek approval from others and avoid disapproval.
• Emphasis on good behavior and "nice" behavior.
Stage 4: Law-and-Order Orientation
• Children blindly accept rules and conventions due to their importance in society.
• Moral reasoning is beyond individual approval, with an obligation to uphold laws and rules.
• Most active members of society remain at stage four, where morality is dictated by an
outside force.

Level 3: Postconventional
• Morality defined in terms of abstract principles and values.
• Individuals believe some laws are unjust and should be changed.
• Views rules as useful but changeable mechanisms, not absolute dictates.
• Behavior can sometimes be confused with pre-conventional level.
Stage 5: Social-Contract Orientation
• Views world as holding different opinions, rights, and values.
 • Laws viewed as social contracts, promoting the greatest good for the greatest number of
people.
• Democratic government theoretically based on stage five reasoning.
Stage 6: Universal-Ethical-Principal Orientation
• Moral reasoning based on abstract reasoning using universal ethical principles.
• Laws are valid only if grounded in justice.
• Violation of ethical principles leads to guilt.
• Individuals act because it is morally right, in their best interest, expected, legal, or
previously agreed upon.
Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning has been criticized for its narrow focus on white, upper-class men
and boys, emphasizing justice over other values, and being culturally biased. Critics argue that the highest
stages of the theory reflect a westernized ideal of justice, which may not be suitable for non-Western
societies. Additionally, critics argue that Kohlberg's theory fails to account for inconsistencies in moral
judgments, such as in drinking, driving, or business situations, where participants reason at lower
developmental stages.
After reading the theory of kohlberg what is your insight regarding his theory ...have you ever
experienced any of those things?
Kohlberg's theory explains children's moral development by defining three levels and two stages. It also
connects moral reasoning to cognitive development, with a focus on fairness and traditional gender roles.

3. Psychosexual theory -Sigmund Freud

Biography
Freud: Austrian Neurologist and Founder of Psychoanalysis
• Born in 1856 in Freiberg, Moravia, Austria.
• Moved to Leipzig and Vienna in 1859.
• Psychoanalysis influenced cultural and political contexts of the time.
• Graduated from Sperl Gymnasium in 1873.
• Studied medicine with leading physiologists and psychiatrists.
• Developed interest in cocaine's pharmaceutical benefits.
• Advocacy led to a mortal addiction, damaging his medical reputation.
• Lifelong commitment to understanding and addressing human suffering.
Theory
Freudian Ego Psychology
• Focuses on psychosexual development.
• A component of psychoanalytic sexual drive theory.
• Suggests personality develops through childhood stages.
• Unsatisfaction can lead to fixation, satisfaction promotes healthy personality.
Freud's Human Psyche Components
• Id: Present at birth, representing inherited traits and desires. Operates on pleasure principle,
seeking instant gratification.
• Ego: Arises from Id, developed to fulfill Id's needs. Operates on reality principle, seeking
compromise between Id's desires and external world's.
• Superego: Arises from Ego, representing moral values of the environment. Judges moral
actions and guides life decisions.
• Rewards good behavior with pride and positive feelings, punishes non-compliance with
guilt, shame, or fear.

"The Iceberg Metaphor"

• Freud's theory: Human consciousness consists of three levels: conscious, preconscious, and
unconscious.

Freud's Psychosexual Stages of Development

Oral Stage (0–1 year old)
• Children derive pleasure from oral activities like sucking and tasting.
• Ezoic stage can lead to addictions like alcohol, smoking, over eating, or nail biting.
Anal Stage (2–3 years old)
• Main source of gratification is controlling bladder and bowel movement.
• Ezoic stage can translate into obsession with perfection, extreme cleanliness, and control.
Phallic Stage (3–6 years old)
• Ezoic stage can lead to sexual deviancy or weak sexual identity.
• Fear of punishment leads to repression of feelings towards opposite sex parent.
Latency Stage (6 years to puberty)
• Sexual urges are usually repressed.
• Adults who are fixated at this stage are immature and have difficulty forming meaningful
relationships.
Genital Stage (Puberty onward)
• Ezoic stage can lead to well-adjusted, caring, and secure individuals.
 • Individuals at this stage have fully formed ego and superego, balancing their wants with
reality and ethics.

Significance of Freud’s Psychosexual Theory

Freud's psychosexual theory emphasizes the importance of early childhood experiences in
personality development and later behaviors. It highlights the impact of psychosexual
experiences on relationships, self-perception, and adult adjustment. Despite its complexity,
Freud's ideas are significant in psychology and human development.

After reading and understanding the theory of Freud ...what is your insight? Do you agree with
him? in what aspect would you say you believe in his theory?
According to Freud's theory, insight is the understanding of unconscious psychological forces
that influence behaviour and personality. It proposes that children go through psychosexual
stages, with the libido's energy directed towards distinct bodily parts. The psyche has three
components: id, ego, and superego.