Erik Erikson
1902 - 1994
Biography
• Born in Frankfurt, Germany, June 15, 1902
• Father believed to be Danish
• Mother was Lutheran
– Remarried when he was approx 3 to his pediatrician
– Eric took last name of Homburger
Biography
• Tall, blond haired and blue eyed
• Referred to as “goy” (gentile) at his father’s temple while
at school was referred to as a Jew
• Entertained fantasies of being son of “much better parents”
who abandoned him.
Biography
• Entered art school against father’s wishes
• A time of identity crisis for him
• In 1927, invited to Vienna to work in a small school as an artist and
tutor.
• Met Freud and his daughter Anna
– Accepted in Freud’s circle not based on degree but based on his
brilliance and insightfulness
• Met his wife in 1929
• Moved to U.S. in 1933
Biography
• Worked with children.
• Later taught at Yale, University of California, Berkeley, and Harvard.
– Never obtained a degree himself
• Changed name to Erikson when he became an American citizen
• Avid writer, many works centering on influence of culture on
personality and analysis of historical figures
• Died in 1994
Theory
• Believed development was based not just on sexual drives but on
social interactions
– Biology determines when the stages occur
• Also that development occurred throughout the lifespan
– First five stages are expansions of Freud’s
Theory
• Three interrelated aspects of the ego ;
– Body ego
• Understanding and acceptance of our body
– Ego ideal
• Image we have of ourselves and our personalities
– Ego identity
• Image of ourselves in the social roles we play
Theory Foundations
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Stages build on one another
– Based on epigenetic principle
Each stage consists of a crisis
– Conflict between a syntonic (harmonious) and dystonic (disruptive)
element
Each crisis can be resolved positively or negatively
– Positive strengthens ego
– Negative weakens ego
Theory Foundations
• Resolution of stage influences how following stages are resolved
• Healthy resolution involves more positive than negative but includes
both
• Can revisit stages throughout life based on circumstances with
different results
– Negative resolution needs revisiting
Theory Foundations
• Each stage includes personal and social ramifications:
– Personal:
• A virtue (a basic ego strength) is gained if resolved more positively
• A core pathology (opposite of a virtue) is acquired if resolved more negatively
– Social
• Ritualization
– Patterns of behavior that reflect the beliefs, values, customs, and
behaviors accepted by a society that serve to make life meaningful
• Ritualism
– Inappropriate or false ritualizations that cause social pathology
Trust vs. Mistrust
• Virtue: Hope (Faith)
• Core pathology: Withdrawal
• Ritualization of the Numinous
– Typical childrearing practices of mothers
• Ritualism of Idolism
– Excessive admiration and idealization of mother
Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt
• Virtue: Will (Determination)
• Core Pathology: Compulsion
• Ritualization of Judiciousness
– Learn difference in right and wrong, what is acceptable and
unacceptable
• Ritualism of Legalism
– Inflexible letter of the law attitude
Initiative vs. Guilt
• Virtue: Purpose (Courage)
• Core Pathology: Inhibition
• Ritualization of Authenticity
– Trying on of roles to see what is possible or not, what fits and does
not
• Ritualism of Impersonation
– Becoming the role played instead of who one is
Industry vs. Inferiority
• Virtue: Competence
• Core Pathology: Inertia (regression)
• Ritualization of Formality
– Learning appropriate ways of doing tasks
• Ritualism of Formalism
– Over concern for technique rather than purpose
Identity vs. Role Confusion
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Virtue: Fidelity (Faith in one’s ideology)
Core Pathology: Role repudiation (blocks ability to synthesize image)
– Difffidence: lack of self trust or confidence resulting in shyness or hesitancy to
express oneself
– Defiance: rebellion against authority
Ritualization of Ideology
– Synthesizes all the previous identities of the previous stages
– Gives direction to life
Ritualism of Totalism
– Over identification with and adoption of another's ideology
– Blind submission
Identity Statuses
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Marcia’s 4 Identity Statuses
– Based on crisis (conscious decision making) and commitment (personal
commitment)
• Diffusion: confusion and little progress (no crisis or commitment)
• Foreclosure: status determined by parents / others, not personal
exploration (commitment w/o crisis)
• Moratorium: Exploring alternatives but not settled on one (crisis
w/o commitment)
• Achievement: Deliberately chosen identity (crisis w/ commitment)
Intimacy vs. Isolation
• Virtue: Love (Loyalty)
• Core Pathology: Exclusivity
• Ritualization of Affiliation
– Productive affiliation with others in work, friendship and love
– Based on successful achievement of identity
• Ritualism of Elitism
– Connect only with a small exclusive group
Generativity vs. Stagnation
• Virtue: Care
• Core Pathology: Rejectivity
• Ritualization of Generationalism
– Transmit cultural values to younger generation
• Ritualism of Authoritism
– Use of power for selfish purpose
Integrity vs. Despair
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Virtue: Wisdom (“informed and detached concern with life itself in the face of
death itself”)
Core Pathology: Disdain (“a reaction to feeling (and seeing others) in an
increasing state of being finished, confused, helpless”)
Ritualization of Integralism
– Integration of all other ritualizations
– Know culture will survive
Ritualism of Sapientism
– “The unwise pretense of being wise”