Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development
This is my educational psychology assignment. This blog contain information about Erickson theory of psychosocial development. Written by: Aminath Jeeza (student at Villa college), From: Male' Maldives
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Background information about Erikson
Erik
H. Erikson’s was born in 1902 and died in 1994. He was born in Frank furt,
Germany and moved to the United States in the early 1930s. While he was a young
man, Erickson used to serve tutor to the children of Sigmund Freud associates.
Accordingly, Erikson received training in psychoanalysis, while after he moved
to the United Sates. He was an expert in the field of childhood psychoanalytic
practices and he has done a significant number of investigations towards that
field, as a result (Erickson, 1963), he began to evaluate a theory of affective
or emotional development that completed the theory of Sigmund Freud. However
Erikson theory was based on his own life experiences and what he leaned from
Sigmund Fraud and Ana Freud. He name that theory as psychosocial theory because
his theory combined three factors that have an influence on individual
development, those are self-factor, the emotional factor and the social factor.
Erik H. Erikson |
Short Introduction about Erickson Theory of Psychosocial Development
Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial
development is one of the best-known theories of personality in psychology.
According to Cherry (2010), much like Sigmund Freud, Erikson believed that
personality develops in a series of stages. Unlike Freud's theory of
psycho sexual stages, Erikson's theory describes the impact of social experience
across the whole lifespan. Erikson has developed the eight stages of human
development. M. Lerner (2009) sates that within each of eight stages of
development that Erikson specified we see the inclusion of an emotional crisis
in development which is conceptualized in different terms. Moreover Erickson
stages of human development theory leads empirically to the differential
classification of people based on their age groups. In addition Erickson psychosocial theory of
development considers the impact of external factors, parents and society on
personality development from childhood to adulthood.
Erickson Stages of Psychosocial Developments
1. Trust versus. Mistrust
According
to Erikson, trust vs. mistrust is the first psychosocial crisis occurs to the
babies during the first 18 months of their birth (0 to 18 months). During this
stage babies begins to learn the ability to trust others based upon the
stability of their caregiver (s). If the new born baby parents are very much
caring for her, then she will start trusting her parents with every single
little thing. McLeod (2008) argues that “if
the care the infant receives is consistent, predictable and reliable they will
develop a sense of trust which will carry with them to other relationships, and
they will be able to feel secure even when threatened.” On the other side if
new born baby parents are not giving enough care to the baby and not fulfilling
her needs, then she will start mistrusting to her parents and all others. Mistrusting
is something which leads to break the strong relationship between parents and
the children’s.
Erikson
stressed the point that people do not, and should not, develop either complete
basic trust or complete mistrust. Rather, a given person will develop a feeling
that falls somewhere along this dimension (M.Lerner, 2009).
According to Erickson if a person develops with complete trust, which would be
as same as developing complete mistrust. It is because if the person develops with
complete trust then, that person would not realize the real dangers that exist
in the world. (Example: the person would never go to look around while crossing
the road, because of a belief that no driver would ever go to hurt or chick him
or her.) This is because they believe that no matter how dangerous the
situation is the world is surely going to save them in every danger that they
face.
On
the other hand, if the person is develops with complete mistrust, then the
person will never going to be comfortable in this world. No matter how good the
situation is they will not be able to accept it, because they believes that,
the world would definitely hurt him or her in every situation that they face.
M.Lerner (2009) states that such a person would have absolutely no hope; he or
she would feel that there would be no chance of anything but pain resulting
from his or her interaction with the world. So it is necessary for parents to
develop new born baby feelings that lies somewhere between the two points
(between trust and mistrust). In addition Erickson believes that healthy ego
developments will only precede if parents are able to develop more trust then
mistrust. Moreover the success in this stage will lead to the virtual of hope.
2. Autonomy versus. Shame and Doubt
Between
the ages of 18 months to 3 years old the child will start develop physically,
emotionally and become more flexible. A child between these ages wants to be
more independent to them self. They want to move away from their parents and do
everything’s by their own. Like, they will pick which toy they want to play
with, they will make choice about what they want to wear, they want to help
with their mother with cooking, etc. in other words children at this ages essentially
wants to show others that, they have many skills and abilities to do certain things
on their own. Such as putting clothes and shoes on their own, helping mother
with cooking, playing with toys etc. those are the skills that demonstrate the
child’s growing sense of independence and autonomy. According to Erickson at this
stage parents have to support and encourage their children to do certain things
on their own, because it will help them to increase their independence and they
will become more confident and secure in their own ability to survive in the
world.
Erikson
states it is critical that parents allow their children to explore the limits
of their abilities within an encouraging environment which is tolerant of
failure (McLeod, 2008). So that means parents should encourage
their children to become more independence and at the same time they need to protect
their children so that persistent failure is avoided. (For example: allow
children to put cloths on their own, but help them if they were not able to put
it on their own). On the other hand if parents don’t allow their child to do
these things on their own then feeling of shame and doubt develops. Leain
(2011) states that “if children are criticized, overly controlled, or not given
the opportunity to assert themselves, they begin to feel inadequate in their
ability to survive, and may then become overly dependent upon others, lack
self-esteem, and feel a sense of shame or doubt in their own abilities.” In
addition at this stage parents aims has to be “self-control without a loss of
self-esteem” (Gross, 1993). Success in this stage will lead to the
quality of will.
3. Initiative versus. Guilt
Mostly
energetic, rapid-developing years in a child’s life are between 3 to 6 years
old. Around these ages children emphasize themselves more regularly. According
to Bee (1992) it is a “time of vigor of action and of behaviors that the
parents may see as aggressive". During these ages school becomes important
part of every child lives. Children frequently start interacting with other
children’s in the schools and out sides the schools. Therefore the main aim of
this stage is to provide opportunities for children to explore their
interpersonal skills through preliminary activities. According to McLeod (2008) “Children at this stage begin to
plan activities, make up games, and initiate activities with others. If given
this opportunity, children develop a sense of initiative, and feel secure in
their ability to lead others and make decisions.” On the other side if children
were not given any freedom to explore them self by controlling them though
these activities then, children will develop a sense of guild. They may start
feel like they were not capable of doing anything and therefore remain
supporters, lacking in self-initiative.
Moreover at this stage child
begins to ask many questions to their parents and their related ones. If
parents provide answers for their question then feeling of initiative develops
and if the parents treat the child’s questions as unimportant, a irritation or
embarrassing or other aspects of their behavior as frightening then the child
may have feelings of guilt for begin irritated. According to Erickson Too much
guilt can make the child slow to interact with others and may obstruct their
creativity. So it is important to have a good balance between initiative
and guilt at this stage. In additionally the success in this stage will
lead to the asset of purpose in life.
4. Industry (competence) versus. Inferiority
From age six to 12 years,
children begin to develop logic of self-importance in their achievement. At
this stage, teachers play an important role of children’s life. Teachers, teach
the children specific skills like, how to read, how to write and how to make
certain things on their own, etc. McLeod (2008) argues that “it is at this stage that the child’s peer group will
gain greater significance and will become a major source of the child’s
self-esteem.” For these reasons, children’s see them through a challenging task
at this stage and they feel good about what they have achieved. According to
Erickson if children are encouraged and reinforced for their creativity, then
children will begin to feel confident and active in their ability to achieve the
target goals. If children were successful in achieving their target goals then
the feeling of industry develops.
However if this creativity is not encouraged, if it is controlled
by parents or teachers, then the child begins to feel inferior and doubting
about his/her own capabilities and therefore the child may not reach his or her potential. Moreover
if child fails to develop these skills then they feel shame and they started
feels like society is a challenging task for them and later children starts to
develop a sense of inferiority. This is where children feel like they can’t
achieve anything without depending upon anyone. According to Erickson again a
balance between competence and modesty is necessary at this stage. “Success in
this stage will lead to the virtue of competence
(McLeod, 2008).”
5. Identity verses. Role Confusion
For children’s, their friends become
more important than their parents during the age of 12 to 18 years old. This is
where the transition from childhood to adulthood occurs. At this stage children
become more independence on their own. They begins to look at their future in
terms of career, relationships, families, etc. at this stage adult will think
about him or herself and try to find exactly what they want to be in the
future. Erickson has come up with two identities that involved in adult life,
that’s sexual identity and the occupational identity. According to Bee (1992), what should happen at the end of
this stage is “a reintegrated sense of self, of what one wants to do or be, and
of one’s appropriate sex role”.
This
is the stage where body shapes of teenager states to change. Erickson stated
that teenager may feel uncomfortable with the changes occurs in their body for
a while but later they can adjust and grow into the changes. According to
Erickson if adult were explore to their body changes and find out what they
exactly want to be in their future, then the sense of identity develops. They
identified them self what they actually are. On the other hand if adult has
difficulty to find themselves and they has mix-up their future with different thoughts (like I
don’t exactly know what I wants to be when I grow up) then, this can leads the
role of confusion. “Role confusion involves the
individual not being sure about themselves or their place in society (McLeod, 2008). Therefore at this
stage, adult need to find what they want to be in the future in order to get
success in their life. The success
in this stage will lead to the virtue of fidelity.
6. Intimacy versus. Isolation
Form
the ages between 18 to 40 years adults, begins to share their life with others.
Adults at these ages start looking for their lifelong partner. They start to
find the best partner that they can spend their rest of life with. McLeod (2008) states that “adults at these ages wants more explore
relationships leading toward longer term commitments with someone other than a
family member.” If they found the right person that is perfect for his/her,
then the feeling of intimacy develops. Successful achievement of this stage can
lead to happy relationships and a sense of promises, safety, and care within a
relationship (within their life partner).
However if adult is unable to find any right partner for them,
then the feeling of isolation develops. They starts to feel like society are
kind of avoiding them and because of that they will have fear to being in a
relationship. These people sometimes feel lonely and depression, however they
still don’t want get in a relationship because of the fear that, they again
might get cheated. According to Erickson it is very important to find your lifelong
partner and get start with your new life (married life) at these ages. In
addition the success in this stage will lead to the virtue of love.
7. Generativity versus. Stagnation
During middle adulthood (ages 40 to 65), we establish our
careers, settle down within a relationship, begin our own families and develop
a sense of being a part of the bigger picture (McLeod, 2008). The main aim of the adults at this
stage is to make their children’s as a responsible person for the society.
Parents at this ages will raise their children by teaching all the good
manners, they want their children’s to be active their studies, they want their
children’s to be productive at work, and become involved in community
activities and organization. If parents are successful in developing their
children then the feeling of generatively develops. They feel happy with what
they have done for their children.
On
the other hand if the parents were unable to raise their children successfully
and if they couldn’t make their children a better person in the society, then
the feeling of stagnation develops. Parents start to feel like they have failed
to develop their children life and they start to feel unproductive. Erickson
states that success in this stage will lead to
the virtue of care.
8. Ego Integrity versus. Despair
As we grow older (65 years and over) and become senior
citizens, we tend to slow down our productivity, and explore life as a retired
person (McLeod, 2008). It is during this stage we tend to
look back to our life with sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. We start to
look back to our life and see what we have achieved so far. If we successfully
achieved all the aims of the above mention stages, then we feel life is
completed and this is where the feeling of integrity develops. They will feel
happy with what they have achieved in their life and start to thank about that.
On the other hand if the person look back to their life and
feel guilt, because they wasn’t able to achieved any sense of satisfaction in
their life, then the feeling of despair develops. They start to feel like they
did not accomplish their life goals and they become disappointed with their
life. This kind of feeling often leads the person to feel depression and
hopeless in their life.
According to Erickson the success in this stage
will lead to the virtue of wisdom. Wisdom enables a person to look
back on their life with a sense of closure and completeness, and also accept
death without fear.
How Erikson’s Theory can be Applied in a Classroom Teaching
and Learning:
Firstly
in pre-school stage, teachers must provide students a chance to experience new
things that are relative to their ages. For example teachers can take students
outside the classroom and show things that are related to the topics and create
the topic interesting to the students. In this way children will be able to interact
their classmates well and they will learn the topic in different ways. It is
very important for teachers to catch student’s attention at this stage, because
children will be very curios to learning new things at this stage. Moreover this
is the stage where students acquire to learn what is good and what is wrong. Therefore
it is very important for teachers to teach students good and bad behaviors at
this stage.
Secondly
when children’s are in school (6 to 20 years old) teachers must encourage their
student’s though different activities. Also teachers must provide positive comments
for students work, because it will help students to build their self-confidents.
Moreover in stage teachers can help students to choose their career. Teachers can
tell students what are the fields that they are better and why they have to
choose that field. If students have already chosen their career, then teachers
can provide additional information about that particular field. To do this
teachers can shows power point presentation (with advantages and uses of choose
field), videos and even pictures.
Tiredly
before students turn to adulthood, it is very important for teachers to make their
students successful person in their life. No matter how difficult the situation
is teachers must have to train their students to face that situation and solve
it by their own. To do this teacher can conduct student’s awareness programs,
which give information for students about how to get success in their life. In addition teachers can also provide guidance
to the students at this stage.
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