THE THEORY OF ERIK ERIKSON

PROF LEENA CHATTERJEE

BACKGROUND

• Born 1902; died 1994• Little formal education: High school graduate who

took up painting• In Vienna taught art in school established for the

children of Freud’s patients and friends• Enrolled in the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute• Devoted follower of Freud

BASIC THEMES AND ASSUMPTIONS

• Self described Freudian• De-emphasizes sexual motivation• Stressed search for identity• Psychosocial theory; merges Freud’s

physical yearnings with cultural forces• Retained concept of id, ego and

superego but focussed more on ego development

Basic Themes and Assumptions• Development

– Continues throughout lifetime– Emphasizes developmental crises

• Epigenetic Principle– The sequence of each stage is genetically

determined in terms of a blue print– Personality is an outcome of the interaction between

one’s physiological capabilities and social expectations at any particular stage which lead to psychological experiences of oneself

Eight Ages of Man• Trust vs. Mistrust

• Infancy (birth -1 year)• Infants need for nourishment and closeness• Infant introjects experiences of the environment• Dependent on parent to survive

• Basic strength or virtue: hope

Eight Ages of Man• Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt

– 1-2 years of age

– Development of the ability to act on the environment

– Focus on the modality of holding on and letting go (eg. toilet training)

– Basic strength or virtue: self will

Eight Ages of Man

• Initiative vs. Passivity/ Guilt– Ages 2-5 years

– Child is active, curious and interested in exploring his environment (on the make)

– Practices skills learned in previous stage

– Development of social trust versus mistrust

– Basic virtue or strength: Purpose

Eight Ages of Man• Industry vs. Inferiority

– Focus is on producing or making things– Preparatory for adult role, acquiring skills and

education that connect to occupational prototypes– Becomes aware of colour of skin, status of family

and other criteria for social comparison– Competitive strivings replace autonomous strivings– Development of rudimentary work ethic

– Virtue: Sense of Competence

Eight Ages of Man

• Identity vs. Identity Confusion– Adolescence

– Takes stock of skills and interests to make choices: period of questioning and confusion

– Caught in a double bind

– Need a sense of identity to branch out into adulthood

– Virtue: Fidelity/Commitment

Eight Ages of ManJames Marcia’s (1966) Expansion of

the Identity Crises

• Possible outcomes to the Identity Crises– Identity Achievement

– Identity Diffusion

– Moratorium

– Foreclosure

Eight Ages of Man

• Intimacy vs. Isolation– Young adulthood

– Movement away from family and toward having a family of one’s own

– Seek intimate relationships

– Seek a mutual identity with a loved one

– Basic virtue or strength: Love

Eight Ages of Man• Generativity vs. Stagnation

– Early thirties up to retirement– Care and involvement in future generations– Period of creativity– Mid life crisis triggered by boundaries of

retirement and death– Career clock starts ticking: taking stock looking

back to compare achievements to the dreams and aspirations of one’s youth

– Basic virtue or strength: Caring

Eight Ages of Man

• Ego Integrity vs. Despair– Old age

– Live in one’s memories

– Reviewing and accepting one’s life

– Attitude towards death

– Basic virtue or strength: Wisdom

Problems in Adjustment• Result from

– Unresolved conflict

– Fixation in a stage

– Negative crises resolution

• Saw pathology as a matter of degree not as types

Contributions & Criticisms• Contributions

– Introduced terms and concepts such as psycho-social development, identity crises and ego strength

– Developed interest in life-span psychology– Stressed positive influence of society on

development– Promoted integration of psychology with other areas

such as sociology and anthropology

Contributions & Criticisms• Criticism

– Little empirical support– Assumed universality of his stages– Excessive moralizing in describing what “ought to”

occur in each stage

– Failed to acknowledge the importance of his theory (saw self as Freud’s disciple)