ERIKSON’S PSYCHOANALYTIC EGO

PSYCHOLOGY
 Ego operates independently of id
emotions & motivations.
 Help individual adapt to challenges
from surroundings.
 Ego function in relation to society.
 Promote health.
 Ego psychology=integration of
biological & psychosocial forces w/h
ego operates independently of the id
& promote positive growth
The Epigenetic Principle
 Human development is governed by
epigenetic principle
 Development occurs in a series of stages &
universal
 Ego development occurs throughout of lifetime
 Each stage marked by psychosocial crisis
 Crisis=turning point in w/h conflicts can be
resolved positively & strengthening the ego;or
negatively & weakening it
 Whether crisis are resolved satisfactorily
depends on :
 Psychosocial experiences
 Active attempt to analyze & integrate
experiences
 To use abilities/skills
 Actively growth-promoting
 To describe ego strength: virtue = inherent
strength/active quality that come from
successful resolution of the crises
 Crisis resolution is never completely
positive/negative
 Stages of ego development
1.Oral-sensory stage:Trust vs mistrust
 Correspond closely to Freud’s oral
stage
 Pleasurable sensation center around
mouth
 Basic trust (interpersonal experience)
 Basic mistrust
 Strengthening of trust through religious
institutions
 2.Muscular-Anal Stage:
Autonomy vs Shame & Doubt
 Related to anal stage
 Child’s muscles begin to mature
 Toilet training
 A sense of autonomy is engendered if parents
guide their children’s behavior firmly
 Increased sense of pride & good feelings toward
others
 Later tend to support society’s legal institutions
 If parents too permissive/too harsh sense of
defeat & can lead to shame/doubt of their ability
 3.Locomotor-Genital Stage:
Initiative vs guilt

 Resemblance to phallic stage

 Trying out new roles
 Curious/explore surroundings
 Overconcern with sexual matters
 Fantasize about being adult
 Playacting
 Try to possess the parent of opposite sex
 If punished guilt
 If parents act in understanding way develop
sense of purpose
 4. Latency Stage:
Industry vs Inferiority
 Latency period
 Lull in sexual desires & feelings
 School life
 Sense of industry
 Teachers become important:positive
identification with teachers strong ego
competence
 Fail to learn new things inferiority
 Caused by insufficient resolution of the conflicts
in preceding stage
 Adolescence
 Self identity
 Identity is a multifaceted concept
 Sense of uniqueness
 Derived from psychosocial experiences
 Integrated by ego
 Moratorium b/w childhood & adulthood
 Totalism = premature commitment to simplistic
ideas as a mean to reduce feelings of confusion
 Sense of fidelity=loyalty to friends & coworkers &
to value system
Young Adulthood

 Enter into intimate relationship with

others
 Cannot develop intimacy isolation
 Middle Adulthood
 Generativity involves process of
enhancing productive career & concern
with the well being of the next
generation
 Stagnation involves lack of productivity,
boredom & interpersonal
impoverishment
 Late Adulthood

 From age 65 to death

 Time of reflection
 Ego integrity
 Despair
 Wisdom - virtue
 Intimacy in Early Adulthood
 Intimate individuals- involve in
committed heterosexual
relationship
 Preintimate individuals- close
emotional ties to others but
ambivalent about love relationship
 Stereotyped individuals- have many
relationship but are superficial &
lacking in commitment
 Pseudointimate- stereotyped people,
form relationship that lack depth but
have entered into heterosexual
relationship
 Isolated – withdrawn from social
situations
 Merger individuals
 Committed r/s are absorbed in the r/s &
excessive dependency
 Uncommitted r/s are insecure & tend to
seek out dependency r/s.
 Generativity in Middle Adulthood
5 status of generativity based on 2 criteria:
1. Involvement
 Degree of concern for productive growth of
oneself & others
 Development of skills & knowledge
 Sharing the knowledge
2. Inclusivity
 Scope of one’s caregiving
 Who/what is to be included/excluded
1. Generative style
 Highest level of generativity
 Highly involved & committed to work & the
growth of young people.
2. Conventional style
 Extremely hardworking
 Creative & productive but low in inclusivity
 Threatened when young people disagree with
them
3. Agentic style
 Very productive but low in inclusivity
 Self interest & unsympathetic to the young
4. Communal style
 Obsessively concerned with the welfare
of younger generation
 Not so committed to personal growth
 Sympathetic & caring

5. Stagnant style
 The lowest of generativity
 Little self satisfaction
 Lack of concern to help younger
generation
 Ego integrity in late
adulthood
 Older adults can contribute to
society
 Grand-generativity= elderly people
can contribute to the welfare of
younger people & to their own
personal growth in their roles as
aging parents