Erik Erikson’s Theory of

Psychosocial Development

Presented by:
Dr Faiqa Yaseen
PhD Clinical; psychology
Lecturer in Psychology
“Theory of Socioemotional Development”

“Theory of Socialization”

“Theory of Enculturation”
Biography
Biography
⚫ born on June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt, Germany

⚫ Psychologist, Journalist, Educator , Scholar

⚫ He struggled with his Identity

⚫ studied art and a variety of languages during his school

years

⚫ Travelled around Europe

⚫ Joined art school in 1927, where he then began to teach

art and other subjects to children of Americans who had
come to Vienna for Freudian training
….continued

⚫ he then was admitted into the Vienna Psychoanalytic

Institute

⚫ Erik Erikson's early work focused chiefly on testing and

extending Freudian theory in relation to the effect of
social and cultural factors

⚫ In 1930 got married with Joan Serson

⚫ 1933 moved to the United States

⚫ Boston’s first child analyst

⚫ position at the Harvard Medical school

….continued

⚫ California to the Center for Advanced Study in the

Behavioural Sciences at Palo Alto

⚫ Mount Zion Hospital in San Francisco as a clinician and

psychiatric consultant

⚫ A year-long study of Sioux children at a South Dakota

⚫ Studied Native American children and Yurok tribe of

northern California

⚫ 1950 moved to Massachusetts

⚫ Worked with emotionally challenged youth at Austin
Riggs

⚫ First book Childhood and Society (theory)

⚫ He later retired from clinical practice but did not stop

his research and his writing

⚫ Died on May 12th 1994 at the age of 91

Psychosocial Developmental Stages
⚫ Psychosocial development theory is based on eight
stages of development

⚫ Erikson’s theory is based on the idea that development

through life is a series of stages which are each defined
by a crisis or challenge

⚫ Erikson (1968): “a crises is not a threat of catastrophe

but a turning point, a crucial period of increased
vulnerability and heightened potential”.
⚫ Influenced by Freud’ psychosexual stages and concept
of Ego

⚫ The early stages provide the foundations for later stages

so Erikson says that if a child does not resolve a crisis in
a particular stage, they will have problems in later stages
⚫ Epigenetic principle (Biology)
The stages are as follows:
⚫Stage 1 – Oral Sensory
⚫Stage 2 – Muscular-Anal
⚫Stage 3 – Locomotor
⚫Stage 4 – Latency
⚫Stage 5 – Adolescence
⚫Stage 6 – Young Adulthood
⚫Stage 7 – Middle Adulthood
⚫Stage 8 – Maturity
The Crises are as follows:
⚫ Stage 1 – Basic Trust vs Mistrust
⚫ Stage 2 – Autonomy vs Shame and 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 – Oral Sensory
(Crises: Basic Trust vs Mistrust)
Stage 1 – Oral Sensory
(Crises: Basic Trust vs Mistrust)

⚫ birth to 1 year/ 1 and half year (infancy)

⚫ the important event is feeding and the important
relationship is with the mother
⚫ the infant must develop a loving, trusting relationship
with the mother/caregiver through feeding, teething and
comforting
⚫ failure to resolve this conflict can lead to sensory
distortion, and withdrawal
⚫ Basic virtue: Hope
 Stage 2 – Muscular-Anal
(Crises: Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt)
Stage 2 – Muscular-Anal
(Crises: Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt)
⚫ age 1 / 1 and half to 3 years
⚫ The important event is toilet training and the important
relationship is with the parents
⚫ The child’s energy is directed towards mastering
physical skills such as walking, grasping and muscular
control
⚫ The child learns self control but may develop shame,
doubt, impulsivity or compulsion if not handled well
⚫ Basic virtue: Will
 Stage 3 – Locomotor
(Crises: Initiative vs Guilt)
Stage 3 – Locomotor
(Crises: Initiative VS Guilt)
⚫ age 3 to 6 years
⚫ the important event is independence, and the important
relationship is family
⚫ the child continues to become more assertive in
exploration, discovery, adventure an\\d play
⚫ the child may show too much force in this stage causing
feelings of guilt
⚫ failure to resolve this conflict can lead to ruthlessness
and inhibition
⚫ Basic virtue: Purpose
 Stage 4 – Latency
(Crises: Industry VS Inferiority)
Stage 4 – Latency
(Crises: Industry vs Inferiority)

⚫ age 6 to 12 years (school age)

⚫ the basic conflict in this stage is industry vs. inferiority
⚫ the important event is school and the important
relationships are teachers, friends and neighbourhood
⚫ the child must learn to deal with new skills and develop
a sense of achievement and accomplishment
⚫ failure to do so can create a sense of inferiority, failure
and incompetence
⚫ Basic virtue: Competency
 Stage 5 – Adolescence
(Crises: Identity vs Role Confusion)
Stage 5 – Adolescence
(Crises: Identity vs Role Confusion)
⚫ age 12 to 18/20 years (adolescent)
⚫ the important event is development of peer relationships
and the important relationships are peers, groups and
social influences
⚫ The teenager must achieve a sense of identity in
occupation, sex roles, politics and religion. In addition,
they must resolve their identity and direction.
⚫ Failure to make these resolutions can lead to the
repression of aspects of the individual for the sake of
others (fanaticism)
⚫ Basic virtue: Fidelity
 Stage 6 – Young Adulthood
(Crises: Intimacy vs Isolation or self
absorption)
Stage 6 – Young Adulthood
(Crises: Intimacy vs Isolation or self
absorption)
⚫ age 18/20 to 40 years (adulthood)
⚫ the basic conflict in young adulthood is intimacy vs.
isolation
⚫ the important event is parenting and the important
relationships are lovers, friends and work connections
⚫ in this stage, the individual must develop intimate
relationships through work and social life
⚫ failure to make such connections can lead to
promiscuity, exclusivity and isolation
⚫ Basic virtue: Love
 Stage 7 – Middle Adulthood
(Crises: Generativity vs Stagnation)
Stage 7 – Middle Adulthood
(Crises: Generativity vs Stagnation)

⚫ age 40 to 65 years (Middle Age)

⚫ the important event is parenting and the important
relationships are with children and the community
⚫ this stage is based on the idea that each adult must find a
way to satisfy, support and contribute to the next
generation; it is often thought of as giving back
⚫ failure to resolve this stage can lead to overextension or
rejection
⚫ Basic virtue: Care
 Stage 8 – Maturity
(Crises: Integrity vs Despair)
Stage 8 – Maturity
(Crises: Integrity vs Despair)

⚫ age 65 to death (Old Age)

⚫ the important event is reflection on and acceptance of
the individual’s life
⚫ the individual is creating meaning and purpose of one’s
life and reflecting on life achievements
⚫ failure to resolve this conflict can create feelings of
disdain
⚫ Basic virtue: Wisdom
9th Stage (Transcendence and Wisdom)
by Joan Erikson
⚫ Late 80’s and early 90’s (very late old age)
⚫ brings with it new demands, reevaluations, and daily
difficulties
⚫ The challenge during this stage is to begin to see oneself
as connected to others and to see death as a natural part
of the process of life
⚫ no longer has the “luxury of retrospective despair over
their life.” 
⚫ Gerotranscendence is the stage at which the elder person
is peacefully ready to move on to the next stage of
existence. 
 Implication

⚫ Personal life
⚫ Education
⚫ Career

⚫ Patrick H. Munley (1977) Erikson's theory of

psychosocial development and career development
Criticism and Controversies
⚫ The lack of academic credentials achieved by Erik
Erikson have made his work the easy target for criticism
⚫ Critics of Erikson's theory say that the controversial
aspect of Erikson's work is his agreement with Freud
⚫ Erikson's theory was built around males completely.
Carol Gilligan is a leading psychologist who refute
Erikson's theory due to this bias
⚫ More attention is paid to infancy and childhood than to
adult life, despite the claim to be a life-span theory
⚫ Costa and McCrae, 1997: theory based more on his life
experiences and perceptions than on factual research
data
⚫ some of his concepts remain ambivalent and fail to meet
the standards of scientific support
⚫ harder for later psychologists to test its validity
⚫ Marcia(1980) and Waterman (1985): It has been proven
difficult to evaluate Erikson's identity theory objectively.
⚫ Cole and Cole (1989): time consuming, expensive and
difficult to apply biographical case study methods
Erikson’s theory in the context of
Enculturation

⚫ Worked in United States but based on researches of

many different cultures such as European, American
and Native American

⚫ Erikson himself had multicultural experience and

perspective
Important Points:

• Conflicts on each stage do not produce either/or

resolution, instead they should be seen as differences of
degrees.

• There is linkage between stages for the “Successful”

resolutions which connects life span together so as
enculturation process does.
• Different cultures may provide different tendencies
for conflict resolutions.
for example:

Individualistic American culture: Autonomy

(Preferred outcome)

Collectivistic Cultures: Being less Autonomous and

more Dependent on others
(Preferred outcome)
• Labels describing the conflicts for each stage may be
less appropriate cross culturally.
for example:

Shame and Doubt carry negative connotations in

English

Collectivistic cultures may label alternative to

Autonomy as Dependence or Merging relations
• According to Erikson (1950)
Progression through stages is ordered but not fixed.
There is still plenty of room for continued growth and
development throughout the life span
Researches

⚫ Prof. Dan P. McAdams (2013): The Positive Psychology

of Adult Generativity: Caring for the Next Generation
and Constructing a Redemptive Life

Generativity relates to effective parenting and family

life, civic engagement and societal integration, prosocial
features of personality, and mental health and well-being
⚫ Ochse, Rhona; Plug, Cornelis (1986):
Cross-cultural investigation of the validity of Erikson's theory of
personality development.
1,859 15–60 yr old South African White and Black males and
females.
Reliability of the total scale was high for both Black and White

White women: solve the identity crisis earlier, higher degree of

intimacy than did White men
In both sexes, psychosocial development-well being. Black men
seem to resolve the identity crisis only after age 40 yrs
⚫ Markus, Hazel R.; Kitayama, Shinobu (1991):
Culture and the self: Implications for cognition,
emotion, and motivation.
 
Asian cultures - relatedness, attending to others,
interdependence

American culture neither assumes nor values such an

overt connectedness among individuals.
⚫ James E Côté and Charles Levine (1987):
Formulation of Erikson’s theory, basis for subsequent
empirical investigations of his theory.

two Eriksonian notions ignored in the literature: the

value orientation stages and the struggle between the
ego and superego for dominance of the personality
⚫ Cheryl L. Bradley (1997): Generativity–Stagnation:
Development of a Status Model

new model is discussed in the context of theoretical and

empirical investigations into generativity. using
combinations of (a) an individual's level of involvement,
or active concern for the growth of the self and others,
and (b) an individual's level of inclusivity, or scope of
caregiving concern.
⚫ Rachel E. Wiley, Steven L. Berman, Monica A. Marsee,
Leslie K. Taylor, Melinda F. Cannon and Carl F. Weems
(2011)
Age Differences and Similarities in Identity Distress
Following the Katrina Disaster: Theoretical and Applied
Implications of Erikson’s Theory

Relationships among traumatic stress exposure, age,

identity distress, and posttraumatic stress (PTS)
symptoms were explored 401 individuals (age 18–86,
mean = 32) exposed to Hurricane Katrina
⚫ association between identity distress and age was
moderated by the level of PTS symptoms.
⚫ Identity distress was associated with PTS symptoms
⚫ Identity distress was negatively correlated with age
⚫ Li-fang Zhang (2013):
Psychosocial development and the big five personality
traits among Chinese university students
400 Chinese students
explores how psychosocial development and personality
traits are related
Results indicate that the successful resolution of
particular Eriksonian crises reversely predicted
neuroticism, but positively predicted extraversion,
openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.
 References
⚫ Erikson, E.H. (1950). Childhood and Society. New York: Norton.
⚫ Erikson, E.H. (1968). Identity: Youth and Crisis. New York: Norton.
⚫ Erikson, E.H. (1975). Life History and the Historical Moment. New York:
Norton.
⚫ Erikson, E.H. (1996). Dialogue With Erik Erikson. Richard I. Evans (Ed.),
Jason Aronson.
⚫ Friedman, L. J. (1999). Identity's Architect; A Biography of Erik H. Erikson.
Scribner Book Co.
⚫ Allen, Bem P. (2006). Personality Theories: Development, Growth, and
Diversity (5th ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education Inc.
⚫ Cooper, Patricia M. (2007). Teaching Young Children Self-regulation through
Children’s Books. Early Childhood Educational Journal, 34, 315-322.
⚫ Coles, R. (1970). Erik H. Erikson: The Growth of His Work. Boston: Little,
Brown.