Erikson's Theory Of Psychosocial Development

Theories, Key Concepts, Principles, and Assumptions Two theories that will be discussed in this paper is Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development and John Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment. Erikson’s theory is considered psychosocial, emphasizing the importance of social and cultural factors within a lifespan, from infancy to later adulthood. Erikson’s theory is broken down into eight consecutive age-defined stages. During each stage, a person experiences a psychosocial crisis that contributes to their personality development.

Erikson’s first five stages followed the same sequence and core concepts as Freud’s and the element that bonds both their theories is that if someone has a difficulty in adulthood it is because they may not have resolved it in an earlier childhood conflict. For example, a child who does not resolve Erikson’s first stage of trust vs. mistrust will have problems trusting in adulthood. In Erikson’s third stage entitled initiative vs. guilt which takes place between the ages of 3-6, children internalize or accept responses from parents and peers and those internalized reactions follow them throughout their lives, and in turn, affect how they interact in society. For example, in a society where being assertive is valued an assertive child will get positive feedback and thrive. On the other hand, in a society where assertiveness is viewed negatively, the child will get negative responses from parents and peers and this will affect his development into an adult.

Erikson was an expansion of Freud’s psychosocial stages of personality development. He also had different concepts such as identity confusion, and generativity. He shows how cultural, social, and historical forces could have an impact on personality, and emphasized greatly on the ego rather than on the id. Erikson views the ego as an independent party, therefore it is not dependent on the id of the personality. He said that alienation from cultural traditions seemed to be related to the symptoms displayed by others, which resulted in an uncertain self-image or self-identity. His theory of the identity explains that as human beings grow and develop, they experience a series of personal conflicts.

All mental behavior had an unconscious cause. He believed in talking and listening to a individual talking about their unconscious personality’s. So, they could work out their problems rather than giving them medicine or a lobotomy. advantages of psychodynamic is that it made the case study popular. It emphasizes the importance of childhood because it explains how certain mental diseases and trauma starts from childhood.

As stated “Just as babbling is a natural way to gain language, scribbling is a natural way to muscle control and coordination.” The term scribbling is defined as “motor babbling” By Cratty (1986). As children approach 3 years old they engage in Fortuitous realism. It is really common. Children is not only concerned with the finished masterpiece they created but by the process.

Freud’s Psychosexual Development Stage Psychosexual development stage is one of Freud’s major contribution to the Psychology field. Some of the concepts were based on his earlier study- the division of mental life into id, ego, and superego. In Freud’s psychosexual theory, each stage represents the fixation of libido (Instinct energy contain in Id). A particular conflict is existed in each stage of the psychosexual theory. One may have to resolve the conflict in order to pass on to another stage.

However, if children don’t feel safe in the nursery then they will lack confidence. Likewise, if the nursery doesn’t welcome diversity then families may feel excluded and less willing to chat about their child’s development, which may consequently hinder their development. Furthermore, early years practitioners should aim to have a secure partnership with the parents so that there is a connection between nursery and home life, which will consequently benefit the child. Nurseries can promote parent participation through: noticeboards, regular conversations, websites, frequent newsletters and meetings.

Erik Erikson was a developmental psychologist who is most recognized for his eight-stage theory based on the development of humans. Erikson first developed this theory in 1950 and the theory was initially in accordance with Sigmund Freud’s theory (Psychoanalytic theory) but disagreed with Freud that the personality of an individual is based upon early childhood experiences. Not only did Erikson disagree but he then continued to extend the initial stages of human development further into adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Whilst the fact that the article went over the initial eight stages, it’s primary focus was on the stage generativity vs. stagnation and acknowledges that generativity is the means of our society and the development of

Freud suggested that the superego acts to perfect and civilize our behaviour and it suppress all unacceptable urges of the id while struggles to make the ego act upon idealistic standards, rather that upon realistic principles. The superego is present in the conscious, preconscious and unconscious. As far as toilet training is concerned, Freud had developed a theory of 'Psychosexual Development '. He developed and advanced this theory focussing on the effects of the sexual pleasure drive on a person’s emerging personality.

He constructed eight developmental stages depending upon sociological and psychological developmental instruments and methods. He published psychoanalytical theory of eight levels in his book entitled “The eight ages of Man” in 1950, but later on modified and expanded the theory. He has explained the term epigenetic and represented with space and time and focused on personality and behavioral influences from birth to mature nature of an individual. He also focus on the nature and its reflection due to experiences during the eight stages (Erikson, 1950). Erik Erikson's stages of development:

German psychologist Erik Erikson developed the eight psychosocial stages to explain the maturation of humanbeings. In this theory, stage five spans from twelve to eighteen years old- or the period commonly known as adolescence. This stage is defined by a recurring sense of role confusion and changing identities. After this period ends, a definite identity is solidified and adulthood sets in.