Assignment #5
Alfredo Davila - EDCI 6304 – spring 2009 - Dr. Michael Sullivan
Erik Homburger Erikson
(June 15, 1902 – May 12, 1994)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Erik_Erikson.png
#1. Erikson’s early life most likely had profound influence upon his model for human
development. What are some significant occurrences in his life up to and including the first
few years when he immigrated to the United States?
Probably he was motivated to research about the human development because he had a
problematic childhood, his mother has an affair, and he never knew his biological father.
During his childhood and early adulthood he was known as Erik Homburger, and his parents kept the
details of his birth a secret. (Wikipedia).
#2. Erikson was described as an “ego psychologist.” What does that expression mean and
how is it a break from his training as a Freudian psychologist?
Erikson's theory of ego psychology holds certain tenets that differentiate his theory from
Freud's. Some of these include:
The ego is of utmost importance.
Part of the ego is able to operate independently of the id and the superego.
The ego is a powerful agent that can adapt to situations, thereby promoting mental health.
Social and sexual factors both play a role in personality development.
How he break with Freud
Erik Erikson believed that the ego Freud described was far more than just a mediator between the
superego and the id. He saw the ego as a positive driving force in human development and personality.
As such, he believed the ego's main job was to establish and maintain a sense of identity. A person with
a strong sense of identity is one who knows where he is in life, has accepted this positions and has
workable goals for change and growth. He has a sense of uniqueness while also having a sense of
belonging and wholeness.
Those who have weaker egos, encounter trying times, or who have poorly developed egos get trapped in
what is termed an identity crisis. According to Erikson, an identity crisis is a time in a person's life when
they lack direction, feel unproductive, and do not feel a strong sense of identity. He believed that we all
have identity crises at one time or another in our lives and that these crises do not necessarily represent
a negative but can be a driving force toward positive resolution.
#3. What are the eight stages of Erikson’s model of development? (Do not describe these
stages at this point. You will elaborate on the attributes of these stages in this assignment and
in #6.) How does this model follow his concept of a “series of crises”?
Infant
Trust vs Mistrust
Needs maximum comfort with minimal uncertainty
to trust himself/herself, others, and the environment
Toddler
Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt
Works to master physical environment while maintaining
self-esteem
Preschooler
Initiative vs Guilt
Begins to initiate, not imitate, activities; develops
conscience and sexual identity
erikson's psychosocial theory - summary diagram
Here's a broad introduction to the main features of Erikson's model. Various people
have produced different interpretations like this grid below. Erikson produced a few
charts of his own too, from different perspectives, but he seems never to have
produced a fully definitive matrix. To aid explanation and use of his theory he produced
several perspectives in grid format, some of which he advocated be used as
worksheets. He viewed his concept as an evolving work in progress. This summary
attempts to show the main points of the Erikson psychosocial crisis theory of human
development. More detail follows this overview.
Freudian
psychosexual
stages
life stage / relationships / issues
basic virtue and
second named
strength
(potential
positive
outcomes from
each crisis)
Oral
infant / mother / feeding and
being comforted, teething,
sleeping
Hope and Drive
Sensory Distortion /
Withdrawal
Anal
toddler / parents / bodily
functions, toilet training, muscular
control, walking
Willpower and
Self-Control
Impulsivity / Compulsion
Phallic
preschool / family / exploration
and discovery, adventure and play
Purpose and
Direction
Ruthlessness / Inhibition
4. Industry v
Inferiority
Latency
schoolchild / school, teachers,
friends, neighbourhood /
achievement and accomplishment
Competence
and Method
Narrow Virtuosity /
Inertia
5. Identity v
Role
Confusion
Puberty
and
Genitality
adolescent / peers, groups,
influences / resolving identity and
direction, becoming a grown-up
Fidelity and
Devotion
Fanaticism / Repudiation
Erikson's
psychosocial
crisis stages
(syntonic v
dystonic)
1. Trust v
Mistrust
2. Autonomy v
Shame &
Doubt
3. Initiative v
Guilt
maladaptation /
malignancy (potential
negative outcome - one
or the other - from
unhelpful experience
during each crisis)
(Genitality)
young adult / lovers, friends, work
connections / intimate
relationships, work and social life
Love and
Affiliation
Promiscuity / Exclusivity
7. Generativity
v Stagnation
n/a
mid-adult / children, community /
'giving back', helping, contributing
Care and
Production
Overextension /
Rejectivity
8. Integrity v
Despair
n/a
late adult / society, the world, life
/ meaning and purpose, life
achievements
Wisdom and
Renunciation
Presumption / Disdain
6. Intimacy v
Isolation
The colours are merely to help presentation and do not signify any relationships
between factors. This chart attempts to capture and present concisely the major
elements of Erikson's theory, drawn from various Erikson books, diagrams and other
references, including Childhood and Society (1950); Identity and the Life Cycle (1959);
The Life Cycle Completed: A Review (1982, revised 1996 by Joan Erikson); and Vital
Involvement in Old Age (1989). Erikson later suggested psychosexual stages 7 and 8,
but they are not typically part of Freud's scheme which extended only to
Puberty/Genitality.
http://www.businessballs.com/erik_erikson_psychosocial_theory.htm
School-Age Child
Industry vs Inferiority
Tries to develop a sense of self-worth by refining skills
Adolescent
Identity vs Role Confusion
Tries integrating many roles (child, sibling, student, athlete,
worker) into a self-image under role model and peer pressure
Young Adult
Intimacy vs Isolation
Learns to make personal commitment to another as
spouse, parent or partner
Middle-Age Adult
Generativity vs Stagnation
Seeks satisfaction through productivity in career, family, and
civic interests
Older Adult
Integrity vs Despair
Reviews life accomplishments, deals with loss
and preparation for death
---Many psychologists
today look to Erikson’s crises when examining human development. He was one of the first to
say that development continues past adolescence, which was a brand new idea in his time. He
looks at development as a series of “crises” a person must go through in order to pass to the
next stage.
The first crisis is Trust vs. Mistrust, which occurs from birth to about 1 year of age. This
crisis occurs because babies are entirely dependent on their caregivers at this stage.
They quickly learn if the caregivers
will respond to their needs quickly, efficiently, and lovingly. If their caregivers do meet their
needs, they see the world as a safe, trustworthy place. If their caregivers don’t meet their needs,
then they see the world as a bad, untrustworthy place, and become insecurely attached to their
caregivers and wary of the world in general.
The second crisis is Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt, which occurs from ages 1 to 3.
This crisis occurs because toddlers are just realizing that they are separate people. Up
until this point, they don’t draw a distinction between themselves and their parents. They
begin fighting for independence, because they need to assert that they are, in fact,
separate people. However, they also begin to feel doubt: if they assert their
independence, will their parents leave them alone? Will their parents dislike them or
stop responding to their needs? Toddlers must learn to be separate people and to get
over their feelings of guilt for being separate from their parents in order to solve this
crisis.
The third crisis is Intiative vs. Guilt, which occurs from ages 3 to 6. At this age, children
begin to show the ability to think and plan, and to have a more definite personality. They
will show more aggression and assertiveness. If they feel that they are unable to
organize simple activities, or they don’t have a sense of purpose, they may feel guilt.
The fourth crisis is Industry vs. Inferiority, which occurs from ages 6 to 12. Children this
age are starting school, and they begin to compare themselves to others. Are they
working hard enough? Are they succeeding as well as the other children? Children who
perceive themselves as working reasonably hard and succeeding pass through this
crisis. Children who perceive themselves as not succeeding very well will have feelings
of inferiority.
The fifth crisis is Identity vs. Role Confusion, which occurs from ages 12 to 18.
Adolescents are often portrayed as “trying to find themselves.” And, in many ways, this
is true. Adolescents typically have to examine what they really believe and think about
the world around them, instead of just accepting what they’ve been taught as children.
Adolescents, therefore, must find out what their “roles” and beliefs are. If they don’t
figure out their roles, this leads to “role confusion,” and may prolong the adolescent
period until well past 18.
The sixth crisis is Intimacy vs. Isolation, which occurs from ages 18 to 30. At this stage,
young adults must find a life partner, and typically have a family and begin a career. If
the young adult does not find a partner or fulfill his/her familial and relationship desires,
then s/he will suffer from isolation. Otherwise, s/he has intimacy and will have a family,
rich friendships, etc.
The seventh crisis is Generativity vs. Stagnation, which occurs from 30 to old age. Once
a person has married and established a family, he must deal with his desire to give back
to the world. This crisis deals with needing to have a career, raise children, and do
other things to satisfy one’s place in the world. It may deal with having grandchildren,
volunteering to tutor children, or whatever a person feels is important. This is about
giving back to the world. If the person does not meet his goals, and does not contribute
to the world, he will feel stagnated.
The eighth crisis is Integrity vs. Despair, which occurs in old age. In old age, death
looms near. A person may continue to live life, be involved, visit family, etc., which is
integrity. Or, the knowledge of impending death may cripple the person, who may cut
himself off from family and friends, refuse to participate in activities, and become
depressed. This crisis is successful if a person doesn’t bow out of life long before it’s
actually over.
#4. In Erikson’s model, how does one progress from one stage to the next? Are these stages
hierarchical or independent of one another? If one “fails” at a level, but does somehow
manage to move onto later levels of development, does Erikson’s model allow for that person
to successfully revisit or try again to address the issues of that previously unsuccessful earlier
stage of development?
To pass you have to superate each stage, and basically occurs by your age – range.
The stage are hiercchical, by age, you pass to next stage , once you superate or when you are
growing (being more mature).
According with Erikson, you must pass each stage, one by one.
#5. In Erikson’s model, we come across the concepts of “sense of connectedness” and
“sense of independence.” What are these concepts and how do they work in developing the
“coherent self”?
#6. In the first stage -- trust versus mistrust – why is success at this stage critical to the child’s
successful cognitive development?
#7. In the next stage of the model -- autonomy versus shame and doubt – why is success at
this stage critical to the child’s learning abilities in early childhood?
#8. Let’s revisit the design and development of our generic instructional system. Based upon
your understanding of Erikson’s model at this point, if you are planning and developing
instructional experiences (including the environment) for early childhood centers, are there any
aspects of Erikson’s model you would want to take into consideration? Why or why not?
Bonus question
How well does your observation of a child’s development match up with Erikson’s model?
Specifically, do you see Erikson’s model as being a series of discrete steps and is that how you
view children’s development?