Psychosocial Theory

Erik Erikson

By: Emily Cavanaugh, Shelby Montgomery

, & Stephanie Schafer
Erik Erikson 1902-1994
● Born in 1902 in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany
● Relocated to Florence after high school
● 1927: became an art teacher
● He then completed psychoanalytic training at Vienna
Psychoanalytic Institute
● 1936: joined the Institute of Human Relations within
the department of psychiatry at Yale University

Erikson Institute
His Legacy
● Theory of Psychosocial Development (1959)
○ Psychological struggles associated with stages of life
○ These struggles then attribute to personality
○ Thought of as the “sequential reorganization of ego and character structures (Erikson Institute)”
○ Psychosocial crises and conflict
■ “Psycho”- individual’s psychological needs
■ “Social”- needs of the society
● Human Development in a Social Context
○ Children are not solely biological organisms
○ Children develop under the social expectations surrounding them
○ Personality develops throughout the lifespan
■ Implies healing early childhood trauma or problems

McLeod, 2018 & Erikson Institute

Stages of Psychosocial Development
Stage 1- “Hope”

● Child is uncertain of the world

● Seeks primary caregiver for
feelings of security
● Consistent, reliable care? Trust
develops.

Stage 2- “Will”

● Explore limits within encouraging

environment
● Let them try, but protect them
from constant failure
● Parent/child balance McLeod, 2018
Stages of Psychosocial Development
Stage 3- “Purpose”

● Children make up games, ask

friends to play, and initiate these
actions
○ Leads to comfortable, decisive kids
● If there is control present, children
feel guilty and become followers

Stage 4- “Competence”

● Reinforcement of that initiative

● Gives feelings of pride
McLeod, 2018
Stages of Psychosocial Development
Stage 5- “Fidelity”

● Searching for their “self” and

identity
○ Values, beliefs, goals

Stage 6- “Love”

● Seeking love, intimacy, relationships

McLeod, 2018
Stages of Psychosocial Development
Stage 7- “Care”

● “Leaving your mark”

Stage 8- “Wisdom”

● Reflection of our accomplishments

McLeod, 2018
 Influences
Sigmund Freud:

● Student of Anna Freud, Sigmund’s daughter

● Epigenetic principle- personality develops in a predetermined order, and builds upon each previous stage
● Freud’s psychosexual stages and psychoanalytic theory
● “Erikson’s stages represented a quantum leap in Freudian thought”

Other related theories:

● Jean Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development (1936)

○ Sensorimotor (birth-2), Preoperational (2-7), Concrete Operational (7-11), Formal Operational (11+)
● Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development (1958)
○ Pre-conventional morality, Conventional morality, Post-conventional morality
○ Stages: Obedience and Punishment Orientation, Individualism and Exchange, Good Interpersonal Relationships, Maintaining
Social Order, Social Contract and Individual Rights, Universal Principles

McLeod, 2013 & McLeod, 2018

Key Elements on Child Development
Development based on psychosocial stages:
● Erikson’s stages of development believe that the personality and course of development of a person
depend on how certain psychosocial crises were resolved earlier in life.
○ Psychosocial crises - internal emotional conflicts that are experienced throughout the eight
psychosocial stages.
● Each stage is characterized by two contradictory emotional forces (i.e. trust versus mistrust, intimacy
versus isolation). Per Erikson’s beliefs, ideal personality development is achieved by a healthy
balance between the two emotional forces, with an inclination towards the positive trait in the face
of internal crises. When a crises is unsuccessfully handled and the child develops an extreme
inclination towards the negative emotional trait they can develop personality and/or emotional traits
that are unhelpful.
○ Extreme tendency towards positive traits - maladaptation
○ Extreme tendency towards negative traits - malignancy
For Example…
During Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt (Play Age: 3-5), it is important for children to utilize play
to learn about themselves and their world. Children create stories, engage in pretend play,
and ask an increasing number of questions in this stage. It is important for adults to be
supportive of their inquiries and exploration, as opposed to making children feel like a
nuisance.

● “Being threatened, criticized and punished excessively by adults can lead to

development of a sense of guilt among children. They may see themselves as a nuisance
to others, and as a result, they remain to be “followers” and lack self-initiative. This may
affect their social interactions negatively and may also hinder their creativity. However,
some guilt is deemed necessary for them to learn self-control and feel the significance of
conscience. A balance between initiative and guilt must therefore be achieved.”
(Psychology Notes HQ)
Relation to Current Practices
The following are a few examples of some practices that contain similar aspects of
Erikson’s theories:

● Reggio-Emilia philosophy:
○ Stage 2 and 3. Let the child lead, encourage exploration with environment, children learn through
social play.
● Responsive Teaching:
○ Balance - Stage 3. Parent/Child balance, no one should be dominating.
○ Responsiveness - Stage 4. Supporting the child’s exploration and questions.
○ Shared Control - Stage 3. “Take a turn and wait.”
● It Takes Two to Talk, The Hanen Program:
○ Stage 2, 3 and 4. Follow your child’s lead, provide opportunities for exploration, promote language
through environment, provide encouragement, build their confidence in their abilities.
Family Child Learning Center
● Affiliated with Akron Children’s Hospital
● Located on Tallmadge, Ohio
● We observe the “Connections” program
○ “Short-term, intensive developmental intervention program for toddlers newly diagnosed with
Autism Spectrum Disorder”
○ A developmental specialist or speech-language pathologist coaches the parent(s) on strategies to
build the ‘connection’ between the parent and child
■ These strategies are very “parent-friendly” and aimed to be implemented throughout daily
routines (i.e., bathtime, bedtime, car rides)
 References
Erikson Institute. Erik Erikson. Retrieved from https://www.erikson.edu/about/history/erik-erikson/

McLeod, S. A. (2018). Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. Retrieved from

https://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html

McLeod, S. A. (2018). Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Retrieved from

https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html

McLeod, S. A. (2013). Kohlberg. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/kohlberg.html

OpenStax College. (2018). Lifespan theories: Psychosexual and psychosocial theories. Psychology. Retrieved from

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wsu-sandbox/chapter/lifespan-theories-psychosexual-and-psychosocial-theories/

The Psychology Notes HQ. (2017). Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development. Developmental Psychology. Retrieved from

https://www.psychologynoteshq.com/erikerikson/