This theory psychosocial

1. P R E S E N T E D B Y
C H I N J U S H A J I
M S C N U R S I N G F I R S T YE A R
ERIK ERIKSON’S
THEORY OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

2. Healthy children will not fear life if
their elders have integrity enough
not to fear death."- Erikson

3. Erikson- The Theorist
 Born :June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt, Germany.
 He was born as Erik Salomonsen.
 Married to Joan Searson in 1930, they had four
children
 1933 - Erikson migrated to America.
 1939 – became a US citizen, changed his name
legally to Erik Homberger Erikson

4. Erikson –The Theorist Contd…
 Was a psychoanalyst, created an original & highly
influential theory of psychological development & crisis
occurring in the entire life cycle.
 In each stage, the person must complete a life task that
is essential to his or her well-being and mental health.
These tasks allow the person to achieve life’s virtues:
hope, purpose, fidelity, love, caring, and wisdom.

5. Erik Erikson –The Theorist
 Erik Erikson extended Freud’s work on personality
development across the life span while focusing on social &
psychological development in the life stages
 Unlike Freud, Erikson pointed out that normal development
must be understood in relation to each’s culture life situation
 Erikson is the first person who proposes a theory of life-span
development that encompasses the entire life cycle
 Erikson’s first 5 stages parallel’s Freud stage but Erikson
added three adult stages
 1950-Erikson published Childhood & Society, in which he
described 8 psychosocial stages of development.

6.  He was a professor at Massachusetts and Harvard, where
he remained until his retirement.
 After his retirement from Harvard in 1970, Erikson
continued writing, doing research and occasionally
lecturing.
 He died in 1994 at the age of 91, passing peacefully in
sleep.

7. Erikson’s Work
Erikson E: Childhood and Society--1950.
Erikson E: The dream specimen of psychoanalysis- 1954.
Erikson E: The first psychoanalyst-1956.
Erikson E: Freud's The Origins of Psychoanalysis--- 1955.
Erikson E: Gandhi's Truth--1969.
Erikson E: Identity and the Life Cycle---1980.
Erikson E: Identity: Youth and Crisis--1968.

8. Erikson E: Observations on Sioux education--1939.
Erikson E: The problem of ego identity--1959.
Erikson E: Young Man Luther--1962
Erikson E, Erikson J, Kivnick H: Vital Involvement in
Old Age--1986.
Pulitzer award for Gandhi’s Truth

9. The Theory
 Describes 8 developmental stages through which a healthy
developing human being should pass from infancy to late
adulthood
 The term ‘psychosocial development’ means that the
stages of a person’s life are formed by social influences
interacting with a physically and psychologically maturing
organism.
 In each stage the person masters new challenges

10. The Theory
 Each stage builds on the successful completion of earlier
stages.
 The challenges of stages not successfully completed may
be expected to reappear as problems in the future

11. Stages of Psychosocial Development

12. 1.Infancy (0- 1 year)
 Trust vs mistrust
 Major developmental task-- to develop a basic
trust in the mothering figure & be able to
generalize it to others
 Infant learns to trust if all his needs are met
 The child learns hope
Erikson asserts that trust depends not on
“absolute quantities of food or demonstrations of
love, but rather on the quality of maternal
relationship.
Failure to develop trust will result in fear and a
belief that the world is inconsistent and
unpredictable.

13. Infancy Contd…
 Distrust can develop if the infant’s world is filled with
insecurity due to unmet needs, caused by lack of caring on the
part of parents and significant others
 Non-achievement results in emotional dissatisfaction with self
and others, suspiciousness and difficulty with interpersonal
relationship

14. 2.Early childhood (2-3 years)
 Autonomy vs. Shame & doubt
 Major developmt task--to gain some self control &
independence with environment
 During the development of speech,
sphincter & muscular control,
the toddler experiences the virtue ‘will
 Much depends on the amount and the type of control
exercised by adults over the child.
 Where that ratio is favourable, the child develops an
appropriate sense of autonomy

15. Contd..
As the child attempts to gain independence, parents need
to encourage him , which will help him gain autonomy
Where it is unfavourable, doubt and shame undermines
free will.
If he is not allowed freedom or if he is overprotected or
criticized for what he does, shame, doubt & uncertainty
about himself & his capabilities will result
Doubt occurs if the children learn to mistrust not only
themselves, but also others in the immediate environment.

16. Shame and doubt occur when the toddler is not given any
choices or boundaries because the toddler is determined to
become independent.
The strong will of a toddler may cause conflict between
child and caregiver.
 Parents can give healthy and wise choices to assist
their child to succeed at this stage.
Other important events include gaining more control over
food choices, toy preferences and clothing selection.

17. 3. Middle childhood ( 4-5 yrs)
 Initiative vs guilt
 Major developmental task--to develop a
sense of purpose & the ability to initiate & direct own
activities
 Eager to learn and learns quickly
 Eager to master skills and tries hard to perform well
 At this stage the child wants to begin and complete
his or her own actions for a purpose.

18.  Initiative is achieved when creativity is encouraged &
performance is recognized & positively reinforced
 If his initiative & curiosity are discouraged, the child may be
prevented from setting future goals by a sense of guilt &
shame for holding such ambitions
 Success in this stage leads to a sense of purpose, while
failure results in a sense of guilt.
 Promote a safe balance between initiative and guilt,
Caregivers who are discouraging or dismissive may cause
children to feel ashamed of themselves and to become
overly dependent upon the help of others.

19. 4. Late childhood (6-11 yrs)
 Industry vs inferiority
 Major developmental task -to achieve a sense of self-
confidence by learning, competing, performing
successfully, receiving recognition from significant
others , peers & acquaintances
 Industry involves mastery of social, physical and
intellectual skills and competition with peers.
 Inferiority develops when school aged children are
ridiculed by peers, don’t measure up to adult or their
own expectations, or lack certain skills so they are not
always the best, fastest or smartest.

20. Late childhood cont…
 If parents praise the children’s efforts, a sense of esteem & industry
develops.
 Achievement of task results in a sense of satisfaction & pleasure in the
interaction & involvement with others
 When parents set unrealistic expectations for the child , when discipline is
harsh & tends to impair self esteem, when accomplishments are
consistently met with -ve feedback, the individual may become a workaholic
with unrealistic expectations, non-achievement results in difficulty in
interpersonal relationships due to feelings of personal inadequacy.
 A balance between industry and inferiority leads to sense of
competency.

21. 5.Adolescence (12-19 yrs)
 Ego identity vs role confusion
 Major developmental task-- to integrate the tasks mastered
in the previous stages into a secure sense of self
 With the onset of puberty (social and physiological
changes) the adolescent becomes preoccupied with the
question of identity.
 They become aware that they have the strength to control
their own destinies and feel the need to define themselves
and their goals.
 During adolescence, children are exploring their
independence and developing a sense of self

22. Contd..
 Erikson noted that youth are “primarily
concerned with what they appear to be in
the eyes of others as compared to what
they feel they are”
 Achievement of the task results in a sense of
confidence , emotional stability and a view of
the self as a unique individual
 Role confusion occurs when the adolescent is
unable to acquire a sense of direction, self or
place within the world.

23. 6.Early adulthood ( 20-40 yrs)
 Intimacy vs. isolation
 Major devp task--to form an intense,lasting relationship or a commitment
to another person
 Intimacy is achieved when an individual has developed the capacity of
giving of oneself to another. This is learned when one has been the
recipient of this type of giving within the family unit. Achievement of the
task results in the capacity for mutual love and respect between two
people.
 If a sense of intimacy is not established with friends or a marriage, the
result, in Erikson’s view, is a sense of isolation—of being alone without
anyone to share with or care for

24. 7.Middle adulthood ( 40-64 yrs)
 Generativity vs stagnation
 Major developmental task--to achieve the life goals
established for oneself , while also considering the
welfare of future generations
 Generativity includes marriage, parenthood & the
sense of working productively for the good of others.
 The generative individual enjoys work and family and
is continuously ready to come to the aid of others.
 When earlier developmental task are not fulfilled he
becomes withdrawn, isolated and highly self-
indulgent.

25. 8.Old age ( 65 yrs & above)
 Ego integrity vs despair
 Major developmental task--to review one’s life &
derive meaning from both +ve & -ve events, while
achieving a positive sense of self worth
 Ego integrity is achieved when individuals have
successfully completed the developmental tasks of
the previous stages

26. Contd…
 Achievement of the task results in a sense of self
worth and self-acceptance.
 When earlier tasks are unresolved , he feels
worthless and helpless to change. Non-
achievement results in sense of self contempt and
disgust with how life has progressed.

27. Stage Psychosocial Dimension Virtue Task
Infancy (birth to 1 year) Trust vs mistrust Hope Viewing the world as safe and reliable; relationships as
nurturing, stable, and dependable
Early childhood (2-3
years)
Autonomy vs doubt &
guilt
Will power Achieving a sense of control and free will
Middle childhood (4-5
years)
Initiative vs guilt Purpose Beginning development of a conscience; learning to manage
conflict
and anxiety
Late childhood ( 6-11
years)
Industry vs inferiority Competence Emerging confidence in own abilities; taking pleasure in
Accomplishments
Adolescence (12-19
years)
Ego identity vs role
confusion
Fidelity Formulating a sense of self and belonging
Early adulthood (20- 25
years)
Intimacy vs isolation Love Forming adult, loving relationships and meaningful attachments to
others
Middle adulthood (26-64
years)
Generativity vs stagnation Care Being creative and productive; establishing the next generation
Late adulthood (65 years
or more)
Ego integrity vs despair Wisdom Accepting responsibility for one’s self and life

28. Application to Clinical Work
 Erikson's view of individual experience as
inexorably embedded in developmental, familial,
societal & historical contexts crucially shaped his
ideas concerning mental illness and psychiatric
treatment.
 Erikson was reluctant to pathologic behaviour or to
rush to judgment about the meaning of any given
symptom

29. Contd..
 He paid attention to the whole life context of any
immediate situation. He asked a number of
questions
 Erikson used concepts of attachment, separation,
and mutuality
 Psychological crises often occurred at times of
developmental separation or individuation and that
fears regarding dependency and abandonment
were frequently the catalyst for such crises

30. Contd..
 Erikson outlined the relationship between patient and
therapist
 Erikson envisioned the patient as an active
participant in a collaborative endeavour

31. Research Articles
 An Eriksonian measure of personality development in college students.
 Constantinople, Anne
 952 undergraduates participated in an attempt to extend a self-concept
measure based on E. H. Erikson's theory to a measure of personality
development in late adolescence.
 Significant differences were found between freshman & senior scores
on industry, inferiority, & identity for both sexes & for males on identity
diffusion.
 2 follow-up studies indicated that, within the same Sex, changes in the
expected direction occurred on identity, identity diffusion isolation, but
not on industry or inferiority. Males showed a clearer pattern of
increasing maturity over the 4 yr. than did females. The differential
impact of the college experience on the 2 sexes & its implications for
resolution of the identity crisis are discussed.
Developmental Psychology, Vol 1(4), Jul 1969, 357-372

32. The Recovery Process Utilizing Erikson’s
Stages of Human Development
 Suzanne E. Vogel-Scibilia, Kathryn Cohan et al; 2009
Abstract
 Study of current interest to the field are clinical frameworks that foster recovery.
The authors offer a psycho-developmental model that parallels Erik Erikson’s
theory of human development, and theorizes that the process of psychological
recovery involves a psychic reworking of these fundamental steps. Understanding
recovery in this context allows the client and the practitioner of psychiatric
rehabilitation to design and implement a coherent treatment strategy.
(Community Mental Health J. 2009 December; 45(6): 405–414.)

33. Identity Development Throughout the Lifetime:
An Examination of Eriksonian Theory
Justin T. Sokol (2009)
Abstract:
The purpose of the current article is to review identity
development from a lifespan perspective. To accomplish this task, identity development is examined at
various developmental stages including childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Research findings from
empirical studies are included within this discussion. It appears that for many individuals, identity develo
pment is a lifelong process that extends well beyond the years of adolescence. Identity development is a
major psychosocial task and one that appears during many phases of life.
(Graduate Journal of Counseling Psychology Volume 1 Issue 2 Spring 2009)

34. Adolescent identity exploration: A test of
Erikson's theory of transitional crisis
 Kidwell, Jeannie S.; Dunham, Richard M.; Bacho, Roderick A.; Pastorino, Ellen; et al
ABSTRACT
 Investigated E. Erikson's (1959) theory that adolescent identity exploration is associated with reduced
ego strength and the occurrence of physical and psychological symptoms. 82 high school students (aged
14–17 yrs) completed the MMPI and the Ego-Identity Interview (H. D. Grotevant and C. R. Cooper,
1981). Factor analysis revealed 7 scales loading on a single factor, accounting for 39% of the variance in
exploration. The items in the factor suggested a pattern consistent with Erikson's theory of adolescent
crisis, labeled the Identity Exploration Crisis factor. Subjects actively engaged in identity exploration
were more likely to produce a personality pattern characterized by self-doubt, confusion, disturbed
thinking, impulsivity, conflicts with parents and other authority figures, reduced ego strength, and
increased physical symptoms.
 (Adolescence, Vol 30(120), 1995, 785-793.)

35. Evaluating Erikson
 Erikson’s Positive Contributions
 Erikson’s perspective has achieved several worthy ends. He not
only expanded Freud’s theory to later stages of life, but he also
broadened it considerably, by emphasizing cultural differences &
by his stressing the development of the ego through identity
challenges that were more psychosocial than strictly biological
 He provided a broad & artistic framework for viewing development
throughout the lifespan
 Erikson’s belief that couples who married young were most likely to
succeed when each of the individuals has achieved a degree of
identity themselves has also received support in empirical research
(Helson & Pals, 2000; Pals,1999), at least in terms of women’s
self-identity.
 And Marcia (1966;1980) has studied adolescent identity formation
according to Eriksonian principles.

36. Critiques of Erikson
 If Erikson’s artistic style has inspired many people but it is
also be criticized for its vagueness and subjectivity
 Erikson himself accepts this criticism implicitly in affirming
that he was guided by his artistic sense, not by scientific
training or methodology.
 Erikson also wrote in the male voice, as was typical of
psychologists (and indeed, most scientific writers) of an
earlier age

37.  But beyond that, Carol Gilligan (1982) believed that he also
portrayed a masculine psychology in his stages of
development. She noted that Erikson (1968) recognized a
somewhat different pattern of development for girls & women
– one that depends more on intimacy & relationships with
others & less on autonomy, separateness, & independence –
but that Erikson failed to update his stage descriptions
accordingly.

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39. THANK YOU