Psychology of Personality Erik Erikson Psychology of Personality

Who is Erik Erikson German born (June 15, 1902) Studied Physiology focusing on child development Worked with Anna Freud (daughter of Sigmund Freud) Adaptation of Freud’s theory of identity Famous for the eight stage model of development and concept of identity crisis. Believed lives were legacies

Stage Theory of Identity Development Run over the course of a lifetime Touch on biological, social, situational, and personal influences Each stage is marked by crisis Child must “adaptively” or “maladaptively” cope with the conflict Respond adaptively: acquire strengths needed for next developmental stage Respond maladaptively: less likely to be able to adapt to later problems Virtue: Motivating characteristics and beliefs, which are a product of successful resolution of each crisis Stage Theory of Identity Development

Stage one: Trust v Mistrust Age: approx. birth-1 year old Key determinant is the quality of the parent-child relationship (attachment!) Caregiver meets needs: trustcurious, social, and popular later in life Caregiver does not meet needs: no trust Virtue: Hope Belief our desires will be satisfied Confidence In old age: appreciation for interdependence

Stage Two: Autonomy v. Shame Ages: 1-3 years old Big idea is self-control versus a loss of self esteem (times with potty training) Self-control stems from giving the child choice Lack of independence leads to self-doubt and feelings of shame when dealing with others Virtue: Will The determination to chose and complete tasks within the demands of society

Stage Three: Initiative v. Guilt Age: approx. 3-5 Big idea is establishing power Child expresses initiative in participating in activities If child is allowed to act on this initiative then there is success If parents punish child for his initiative then he develops feelings of guilt that follow self-directed behavior Virtue: Purpose Courage to envision and achieve goals

Stage four: Industry v. Inferiority Big question: “How can I be good?” Prepares individuals to be an adult through school and community service. Foundations: cognitive ability! Without adult support, child feels inadequate and inferior Virtue: Competence Ability to use skill and intelligence to pursue and complete complex tasks

Stage Five: Identity v. Role Confusion Age: approx. 12-18 (may begin later and last longer) Big question: “Who am I?” Times with puberty and physical changes (who am I physically) Prerequisites Trust (faith in others) Autonomy (faith in yourself) Initiative (ability to play) Industry (ability to work)

Identity v. Role Confusion Many identitiesone final identity Societal influence? Role of imagination? Role of ethnicity? True crisis and sense of confusion Virtue: Fidelity Sincerity, genuineness, sense of duty Success=competent and confident adult Greater cognitive and emotional functioning in college students

Identity Crisis Achievement: All good! Explored and found myself Examples? Moratorium: All okay! Currently exploring, but still unfound Foreclosure: No exploration, but committed to an identity Diffusion: Ut-oh. No crisis or commitment

Stage Six: Intimacy v. Isolation Age: approx. 18-35 Asks whether or not to receive love Requires self disclosure and surrender Goal: successful and committed relationships Women tend to be more successful Failure=social isolation Virtue: love Devotion in shared identities

Intimacy Statuses Intimate-committed and equal Identity: achievement Merger-committed and dominating Identity: foreclosure Preintimate-contact and no commitment Identity: mixed Stereotype-superficial contact Isolate-little contact Identity: isolated (applies to males only)

Stage Seven: Generativity v. Stagnation Age: approx. 35-55 Generativity=active involvement in preparing the next generation Big Question: Can I produce something and contribute to society or stay complacent? Biological, parental, technical, cultural Ex. Go back to school, new job, raise kids Success correlated with extraversion and openness By mid-50s, 56% of men are generative Virtue: Care Concern for others Need to teach others

Generativity v. Stagnation Predictors Warm family environment Absence of parental discipline problems Affection Mentor relationships Correlations Happiness and increased self-esteem Decreased neuroticism Authoritative parents Community involvement

Generativity v. Stagnation Contemporary changes Contraceptive Revolution: fewer children/generative opportunities Longer life expectancy: kids (and generativity) come later Generational Segregation: nuclear family separated from extended families Childfree Years: empty next syndrome; identity comes from parenting

Stage Eight: Ego Integrity v. Despair Age: approx. 55+ Big question: are you satisfied with your life? Integrity=satisfaction Despair=anger, bitterness; loss of dignity and control Lack of acceptance, fear of death Requires life review and creation of story Reminiscing doesn’t count as life review Emphasis on acceptance Virtue: wisdom Detached satisfaction with life

Stage Eight Findings Women review more Associated with generativity and openness Negative life events encourage more review

Criticism of Erikson Ambiguous terms and concepts Lack of precision Some terms are not easily measured empirically Gender Some say the experiences apply more to males than females Identity Crisis Some say it only applies to those who are affluent