Erik Erickson Area of Study Two

Erik Erickson Theorist in this area is Erik Erikson, with his eight stage model of psychosocial development Erikson believed that all individuals go through eight major stages, or psychosocial conflicts, within their lifespan The successful (or unsuccessful) resolution of each of these stages impacts the individual’s personality and future development

Erikson’s eight stage model of psychosocial development birth - 1 year Trust v. mistrust 1 -3 years Autonomy v. shame 3 - 6 years Initiative v. guilt 6 - 12 years Industry v. inferiority 12 -20 years Identity v. role confusion 20 - 40 years Intimacy v. isolation 40 - 65 years Generatively v. stagnation 65 years + Integrity v. despair

Trust v. mistrust (birth-1year) The stage of trust v. mistrust is primarily characterised by the infants relationship with their primary care giver. Infants must learn to trust that their caregivers are able to and will meet their needs Warmth, affection, and consistency of care lead to a positive, secure attachment with the primary caregiver Negative resolution: inadequate care during this stage results in fear and mistrust, which may lead the individual to struggle with forming close relationships. Extremely inadequate care may result in significant developmental problems.

Autonomy v. shame and doubt (1-3 years) The stage of autonomy v. shame and doubt is characterised by the child’s need to be autonomous- that is, to assert their wills and do things for themselves The child must be encouraged and allowed to do things for themselves (where developmentally appropriate, and with support if needed) Negative resolution: children who are not permitted or encouraged to try to do things for themselves at this stage are likely to feel a sense of self doubt, and be dependent on others.

Initiative v. guilt (3-6 years) Children at this stage of development are characteristically curious, adventurous, and high energy Appropriate resolution of the initiative v. guilt stage depends on the responses of caregivers to this type of behaviour If inquisitiveness is encouraged (where appropriate), the child will develop initiative and continued curiosity about the world Negative resolution: if the child’s inquisitive nature is not encouraged by the caregiver, children will often develop a sense of guilt, and will grow to lack initiative

Industry v. inferiority (6-12 years) The stage of industry v. inferiority takes place during the child’s primary school years The crucial characteristic being developed during this stage is a sense of competence and/or self confidence For successful resolution of this stage, the child must master new social and academic skills, and importantly, must also feel that they are on par with their peers in the mastery of these skills Negative resolution: the child whom does not master these new skills, or feels they are behind compared to their peers, will likely develop a sense of inferiority

Identity v. role confusion (12-20 years) During the stage of identity v. role confusion the individual is primarily concerned with the question of “who am I?” The individual in this stage typically explores and experiments with many different behaviours in order to develop their true identity Successful resolution aims at establishing clear social and vocational identities, providing the individual with a sense of belonging and purpose Negative resolution: lack of resolution of identity at this stage leads to confusion later in life, where the individual feels uncertainty about the role(s) they play

Intimacy v. isolation (20-40 years) The stage of intimacy v. isolation is where the individual is though to be at a stage of development where they are truly able to experience intimacy with another, in terms of both close friendships and romantic relationships The development of such relationships at this stage leads to positive outcomes and resolution Negative resolution: due to lack of appropriate resolution, either during earlier stages, or during this stage itself, individuals may develop a fear of intimacy, and/or feel a sense of loneliness or isolation

Generativity v. stagnation (40-65 years) During the middle years of adulthood, the individual moves into the stage of generativity v. stagnation The individual experiences a need to feel as though they are doing and/or contributing something which is significant to the world; in some cases, something which will outlive them If the individual feels they are doing something significant, they are better able to give wholeheartedly to the various aspects of their life, such as marriage, parenthood, and work. Negative resolution: if the individual is not able to do this, they become ‘stagnant’, self centred, and are unable to give wholeheartedly to others in their life

Integrity v. Despair (65 years +) The stage of integrity v despair is one in which, upon successful completion, older adults come to view their life as meaningful If the previous stages have been resolved successfully, the individual now feels a sense of integrity and fulfilment, and views their lives as having been, and still being, successful and worthwhile. This also allows the individual to face the possibility of death without fears or regrets Negative resolution: a negative outcome at this stage is a feeling of despair, where one sees their life as having been primarily negative, and it being too late for them to change things

Conclusion/ Issues: main points about Erikson’s theory Uses a model of interaction to explain development of personality and social characteristics Consists of eight stages: 1) trust v. mistrust; 2) autonomy v. shame; 3) initiative v. guilt; 4) industry v. inferiority; 5) identity v. role confusion; 6) intimacy v. isolation; 7) generatively v. stagnation; 8) integrity v. despair Individuals move through all eight stages across the lifespan, despite not always having successfully resolved one or more stages Negative resolution of any one stage will impact negatively upon the successful resolution of latter stages, and unresolved issues from an earlier stage is likely to resurface later in life An individual is though to have positive/healthy development if they have successfully worked through and resolved the key conflict at each stage. Caitlin Driscoll 3884641

Task Answer the following questions in your workbook: What is the name of the theorist? What is their history/background? What is the developmental theory they researched/developed? (summarise the stages) What was they major research they conducted and the results they found? What criticisms (if any) are there for their research/theories?