Nelson 1 Courtney Nelson Mr.

Willett English 11B 15 January 2014

Psychosocial Development Erik Erikson alone came up with a revolutionary idea on how personality develops throughout the course of an individuals life and his theory is one of the best-known in the psychological world. He believed similarly to that of renowned neurologist Sigmund Freud, considering that the development of an individual is based off of stages; however his theories spanned the entire lifespan and focused on the social aspects of personality growth, unlike Freuds. Eriksons psychosocial development stages played a large part in the basis of psychology and how the world looked at personality. One of the key concepts in psychosocial development is the ego identity. Ego identity is the conscious sense of self that we develop through social interaction (Cherry). He believed that the ego identity constantly changes because of new experiences and information people acquire. This process becomes very important as humans age because it gives them a sense of integrated and cohesive self. An integrated and cohesive self basically means having an awareness of themselves as an individual, drawing upon outside influences in order to do so (Self Psychology Psychoanalysis). It is because of this ego identity that Erikson developed the psychosocial stages, because at each stage a sense of competence is gained. Competence is what motivates behaviors and actions adding to the development of personality. An example of this would be learning

Nelson 2 appropriate societal behaviors when holding a conversation with another person. The psychosocial stages are divided into eight distinct phases (Erik Erikson). Erikson believed the first psychosocial stage was the trust vs. mistrust stage. This happens during the most fundamental time in a persons life: Between birth and one year. If the dependability and quality of the care given to the child is good, the child will feel safe and secure in the world. However, if a caregiver is inconsistent or rejecting, feelings of mistrust will occur. When feelings of mistrust occur, fear and a belief that the world is inconsistent will also. Erikson thought a balance between the two beliefs result in openness to experience tempered by some wariness that danger may be present (Cherry). The first stage sets the beginning of personality development. The next major stage of psychosocial development Erikson theorized was the autonomy vs. shame and doubt stage. Between the ages of eighteen months and three years the child has an opportunity to build self-esteem and independence as he or she learns new skills and right from wrong (Davis and Clifton). The well-cared for child is sure of themself, carrying him or herself with pride rather than shame. This is part of results in the terrible twos stage where temper tantrums, defiance and stubbornness can appear. In order to develop healthily, meaning to develop securely and confidently, the kid has to feel that they have gained a sense of control in the world and not feel so vulnerable. Those who have not completed this stage feel inadequate and doubt themselves, which could carry on into later life issues of self-esteem. Depending on how well the child does in this stage, personality and behavior is affected later in life, positively or negatively. This sets the stage for the next two phases of personality growth.

Nelson 3 The next two stages, initiative vs. guilt and industry vs. inferiority, cover childhood growth in personality. Initiative vs. guilt describes the preschool years, when through direct play and social interactions with other children, the youth can begin to assert their power and control over the world. Though that sounds like it is leading the child to world domination, actually being successful at this stage allows them to be confident in their ability to lead others, whereas not being successful can cause the child to feel guilt, self-doubt, and lack of initiative. When an ideal balance of individual initiative and a willingness to work with others is achieved, the ego quality known as purpose emerges (Cherry). During the industry vs. inferiority stage, children between the ages five and eleven develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments and abilities because of the social interactions they encounter. Balancing this stage is one of the most crucial because it leads to the strength of competence. Both of these two stages allow the child to make the push towards certain behaviors and therefore certain personality traits. The next stage explains how personality is formed as a teenager. Identity vs. confusion is the fifth stage in Eriksons theory. This is referred to as the teenage years and is where adolescents between ages twelve and eighteen find a sense of self and explore their independence. As teens make the transition from child to adult, many may feel confused about themselves and how they fit into society. While discovering their roles, adolescents experiment with behaviors, roles and activities. Those who receive proper encouragement and reinforcement through personal exploration will emerge from this stage with a strong sense of self and a feeling of independence and control (Davis, Doug, and Alan Clifton). Some however, will remain insecure and unsure of their beliefs and desires, making it difficult in the future. Successfully or unsuccessfully emerging from this stage can affect personality by influencing individuals belief systems and social groups (Eriksons Stages of Development).

Nelson 4 Eriksons next stages, intimacy vs. isolation and generativity vs. stagnation, focus on forming loving relationships and figuring out what to contribute to the world. Intimacy vs. isolation occurs between the ages of eighteen and forty years of age. The major conflict in this stage is the challenge of forming loving, long lasting and intimate relationships with another person. Without the previous stages, this stage would not be able to be achieved. Studies have demonstrated that those with a poor sense of self tend to have less committed relationships and are more likely to suffer emotional isolation, loneliness, and depression (Self Psychology Psychoanalysis). Generativity vs. stagnation takes place during middle adulthood between the ages of approximately 40 and 65. During this time, adults strive to create or nurture things that will outlast them. Examples of this include children or positive changes that affect other people. Generativity refers to "making your mark" on the world, through caring for others, creating things and accomplishing things that make the world a better place. Stagnation refers to the failure to find a way to contribute. These individuals may feel disconnected or uninvolved with their community and with society as a whole. Those who are successful during this phase will feel that they are contributing to the world by being active in their home and community (Cherry). The final stage of Eriksons theory deals with the elderly years. The last stage of the psychosocial theory is integrity vs. despair. When an adult reaches age sixty or older, or when they reach a sense of mortality they begin this stage. This may be in response to retirement, the death of a spouse or close friends, or may simply result from changing social roles. No matter what the cause, this sense of mortality precipitates the final life crisis. The positive or negative effects that come out of succeeding or failing this stage is wisdom or despair of their upcoming death. Erikson defines wisdom as a kind of informed and detached

Nelson 5 concern with life itself in the face of death itself. Conversely, despair is the result of the negative resolution or lack of resolution of the final life crisis. This negative resolution manifests itself as a fear of death, a sense that life is too short, and depression. In conclusion, Erikson theorized eight critical stages on how character develops. Each critical milestone of personality and behavior is at different times throughout an individuals life. He figured out that without a successful completion of each stage it is not possible to move on to the next. Because of this, Eriksons theory played a large part in the basis of psychology and how the world looked personality development.

Nelson 6 References Cherry, Kendra. "Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development." About.com Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.

Davis, Doug, and Alan Clifton. Erikson's Stages. Erikson's Stages. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.

"Erik Erikson." Simply Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. Erikson's Integrity Vs. Despair. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014. "Eriksons Stages of Development." Learning Theories RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013.

"Self Psychology Psychoanalysis." Self Psychology Psychoanalysis. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.