Erik Erikson

Case Study 5
Application Questions

Using Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development (especially the first through the fourth)
analyze Chrystell’s life by answering the following questions.

1. What is the crisis experienced in Erikson’s first stage of psychosocial development?

How did Chrystell resolve this stage? What was the outcome of the crisis? Was it
favorable or unfavorable?
In the first stage (oral-sensory) Chrystell faced the crisis of trust versus mistrust. The
crisis was successfully resolved because her mother fed her on demand and she learned that her
needs would be met.
2. What is the crisis experienced in Erikson’s second stage of psychosocial development?
How did Chrystell resolve this stage? What was the outcome of the crisis? Was it
favorable or unfavorable?
In the second stage (muscular-anal) Chrystell faced the crisis of autonomy versus shame
and doubt. This crisis was successfully resolved because Chrystell’s parents did not shame her
during potty training and helped her to reach other milestones. Chrystell learned control.
3. What is the crisis experienced in Erikson’s third stage of psychosocial development?
How did Chrystell resolve this stage? What was the outcome of the crisis? Was it
favorable or unfavorable?
In the third stage (play age) Chrystell faced the crisis of initiative versus guilt. There
seemed to be a successful resolution to this stage because the case describes Chrystell going off
on her own and choosing her own play activities. There was a potential for an unsuccessful
resolution of this crisis when Chrystell’s little sister was born but her mother seemed to help her
through it, discouraging Chrystell from over-punishing herself over her jealousy of her little
sister.
4. What is the crisis experienced in Erikson’s fourth stage of psychosocial development?
How did Chrystell resolve this stage? What was the outcome of the crisis? Was it
favorable or unfavorable?
In the fourth stage (school age) Chrystell faced the crisis of industry versus inferiority.
There was a favorable resolution of this crisis in that she seemed to compare favorably with her
peers in school because she had friends and did well scholastically.
5. Erikson’s theory is sometimes described as a good guide for parents. Find examples of
this guidance in the case study and describe them.
Erikson would applaud Chrystell’s parents for meeting her needs (for food and otherwise)
as an infant; for not embarrassing her if she could not do something and for helping her to learn
things in the muscular anal stage; for not making her feel too guilty about bad feelings in the play
stage; and for encouraging her about her school experiences.
Theory Comparison Questions
1. How could Maslow’s theory explain Chrystell’s experiences? Are all her needs
fulfilled? Explain. How do Maslow’s needs compare with the crises in Erikson’s stages?

All of Chrystell’s needs are fulfilled, according to Maslow’s theory. The case indicates that
she receives enough food (physiological needs), for example. There is no indication of being in
danger (safety needs). It is apparent that Chrystell is loved (love and belongingness needs). And
her success in school should indicate that her esteem needs are met.
There are similarities between Maslow’s and Erikson’s theories. For example, one can go
back and fix problems in both Erikson’s and Maslow’s theory, i.e., can fix problems in earlier
stages in Erikson’s theory and go back to fulfill lower needs in Maslow’s theory. Similarly,
outcomes in Erikson’s theory can be partially favorable, just as needs in Maslow’s theory can be
partially met.
2. Use Bandura’s concept of reciprocal determinism to explain how Chrystell’s
stuttering was resolved after her baby sister was born. How is Bandura’s theory different
from Erikson’s in its emphasis?

Bandura suggested that the person (P), behavior (B), and the environment (E) all influence
each other and therefore affect behavior. Chrystell’s stuttering can illustrate this. The new baby
(E) influenced Chrystell by making her feel neglected and jealous (P). These feelings then
contributed to her stuttering (B). Chrystell and her stuttering (B), in turn, influenced Chrystell’s
mother (E) who tried to reassure Chrystell (P). Chrystell (P) also tried to influence her mother
by complaining about the amount of time her mother spent with the baby (E). Chrystell (P) also
influenced the environment by squeezing the baby too hard when she hugged her (E).
Bandura’s and Erikson’s theories are different in their emphasis. While Bandura’s is also
social in emphasis, it is also more cognitive in comparison to Erikson’s.
3. How could Sullivan’s good mother/bad mother personification explain
Chrystell’s breastfeeding experiences? How is the emphasis of Sullivan’s theory similar to
that of Erikson’s?

The good/bad mother personifications are due to good or bad feeding experiences (especially
breastfeeding). The good/bad nipple personifications develop out of good and bad feeding
experiences, respectively, and develop into the good/bad mother personifications. Chrystell’s
experiences with nursing are described as positive, thereby encouraging the development of the
good mother personification.
The emphasis of Sullivan’s and Erikson’s theories are similar in that both discuss the
influence of the social world on personality.
4. How does Erikson's concept of initiative compare with Rotter's concept of locus
of control?

Initiative is a belief that one can control outcomes, determine actions, and develop ideas.
Locus of control is also a belief in how much control one has over actions and outcomes. Rotter's
concept of internal locus of control is similar to Erikson's concept of initiative because they both
involve beliefs that one can control actions and outcomes.
 Erik Erikson
Case Study 6
Application Questions
Using Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development (especially the fourth through the eighth)
analyze Betty’s life by answering the following questions.
1. Would Erikson’s theory suggest that Betty’s behavior is internally or externally
motivated? What motivates it? Which system of personality is most involved in
personality, according to the theory?
Her behavior is externally motivated by social adaptation. Erikson focused his study of
personality on the conscious processes of the ego.
2. What is the crisis experienced in Erikson’s fourth stage of psychosocial development?
How did Betty resolve this stage? What was the outcome of the crisis? Was it favorable or
unfavorable?
In the fourth stage (school age) Betty faced the crisis of industry versus inferiority. There
was a poor resolution of this crisis in that she believed that her skills and physical attractiveness
were inferior compared to those of her peers. This is noted in her feeling less smart and less
attractive than her classmates in college. This was probably due to her parents being critical of
her academic performance in grade school and comparing her to her exceptionally intelligent
brother.
3. What is the crisis experienced in Erikson’s fifth stage of psychosocial development?
How did Betty resolve this stage? What was the outcome of the crisis? Was it favorable or
unfavorable?
In the fifth stage (adolescence) Betty faced the crisis of identity versus role confusion.
There was a poor resolution of this crisis in that she emerged from this stage without a true sense
of identity. She wanted to be a wife and mother but later found this difficult to attain. Erikson
notes that it is more difficult for girls to attain a sense of identity than boys because a big part of
boys’ identity comes from occupational choice. Before the 1970’s it was assumed that girls
would not need an occupation and so a big contributing factor to identity was denied to girls.
Although Betty becomes a teacher, she was attending college only to find a husband.
4. What is the crisis experienced in Erikson’s sixth stage of psychosocial development?
How did Betty resolve this stage? What was the outcome of the crisis? Was it favorable or
unfavorable?
In the sixth stage (young adulthood) Betty faced the crisis of intimacy versus isolation.
There was a poor resolution of this crisis in that she emerged from this stage with very few close
relationships. As is noted, she failed at the love task in that her first love did not return her
feelings and in that her relationship with her husband was less than ideal.
5. What is the crisis experienced in Erikson’s seventh stage of psychosocial development?
How did Betty resolve this stage? What was the outcome of the crisis? Was it favorable or
unfavorable?
The seventh stage is adulthood where we face the crisis of generativity versus stagnation.
Betty appears to have resolved this stage positively in that she had children; Erikson thought that
children encouraged a concern for the future that Betty shows in her teaching of Sunday school.
She was also productive in her organizing the Church social hour.
6. What could be expected in the eighth stage of Betty’s life according to Erikson’s theory?
The eighth stage is old age where Betty will face the crisis of integrity versus despair.
One can see that Betty is already assessing her life in the opening paragraph. Whether she
decides to make changes in her life will determine whether she will face life with integrity or
despair. If she makes positive changes she will most likely face it with integrity; if she does not
she may face it with dread.
Theory Comparison Questions
1. Which of Fromm’s needs have been met for Betty? Which have not? Explain. How
does Fromm’s theory compare with Erikson’s in their consideration of social influence?
Fromm suggested that we have needs including the needs for relatedness, transcendence,
rootedness, a sense of identity, and a frame of orientation. Betty has had her relatedness need
met to a certain extent: She has a husband and children, and her children have families of their
own. However, the physical distance between her and her children, and her emotional distance
from her husband keep this need from being met completely.
Betty’s need for transcendence has also been met through her family. This need to move
beyond our passive nature by creating life is often met through reproduction.
Her need for rootedness was met when she stopped moving around to follow her husband’s
career.
Betty’s need for a sense of identity has not been fully met. Although she partially fulfilled
this need through her relationships with others, she also conformed to the expectations of society
(e.g., marrying in order to not be an “old maid”; choosing a socially acceptable career for a
woman and then giving that up after she was married), rather than forming her own identity
through development of her own sense of self.
It is unclear from the case study whether Betty developed a frame of orientation. Her interest
in marriage and motherhood roles suggests that this may be the focus of her philosophy of life
but she also loses interest in making her marriage work.
Fromm’s and Erikson’s theories are similar in their emphasis in that they both discuss the
influence of social factors on personality.
2. How would Rogers’s concept of conditions of worth explain Betty’s career choice? Her
marriage to Cole? How is the emphasis of Rogers’s theory different than that of Erikson’s?
Betty’s career choice was due to societal pressure (e.g., conditions of worth). She engaged in
socially acceptable behaviors, rather than follow her own interests. The same is true for her
marriage to Cole. She got married, not because of being “in love” but rather because she saw
Cole as being her “last chance” to get married, thereby avoiding the possibility of being an “old
maid” and the stigma associated with that label.
The emphasis of Rogers’s theory is quite different from that of Erikson’s. Whereas Rogers
emphasized the self and congruence, Erikson emphasized the influence of social relationships.
3. At what Jungian stage could Betty be placed? Why? How do Jung’s stages compare
with those of Erikson?
Betty could be placed in the “Old Age” stage of Jung’s because of her age (68), although she
doesn’t necessarily show the decrease in consciousness that is representative of this stage. She
is, however, contemplating her life, which is representative of this stage as well as Erikson’s
mature adulthood stage.
Jung’s stages vary from Erikson’s in both number and emphasis; Erikson’s are more
numerous and emphasize social influences much more than do Jung’s. They also vary in that,
according to Erikson, a crisis occurs at each stage that needs to be resolved. This is not true in
Jung’s conceptualization of stages. Finally, the two theories vary in that Erikson suggested that
each stage could be resolved either positively or negatively (or with a combination of positive
and negative experiences). Jung’s stages, for the most part, simply document what many
experience at that particular time of life. The two sets of stages, however, are similar in that both
discussed adulthood in much more detail than did many other theorists.
Suggestions for additional discussion on Erikson’s theory
1. Compare Erikson’s ideas on motivation to those of other analysts, such as Horney and
Fromm.
2. Compare Erikson’s stages to those of other theorists, such as Sullivan.
3. Compare Erikson’s theory as a “guide for parents” to the “guides” of other theorists, such as
Adler.