Personality traits refer to individual differences between people in characteristic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (McCrae & Costa as cited in McAdams, 2006). The development of personality occurs throughout a person's life. Erikson’s theory of psychosocial stages is one of the best-known theories of personality in psychology. Each stage presents a crisis that each individual must deal sufficiently and it will either consciously or unconsciously shaped a person's personality as he or she undergoes the life-long process of development. In his writings, Erikson believed that personality is developed in a series of stages and that the development occurs in accordance to an "epigenetic principle" (Feist, 1985). This principle says that human
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The range of age from this stage is from 7 to 12 (Boeree, 2006). This is the range of age whereby children are in their school years. According to Erikson (as cited in McAdams, 2006, p. 350), schooling is designed to render the young boy or girl proficient in using the tools and assuming the roles of adulthood. In the same time, children begin to develop a sense of pride in their actions and abilities through expanding social interactions beyond their family members (Feist, 1994). As explained by Boeree (2006), children who are sufficiently encouraged by their parents and teachers will develop a feeling of competence and belief in their skills. Those who receive little or no encouragement from parents, teachers, or peers will doubt their ability to be successful. In one way or the other, this stage contributes to the personality development of the child. Therefore the personality of a child who succeed is competent while those who failed is inferior and …show more content…
Stagnation. This covers the period of middle adulthood, which according to Erikson is the period between the ages of 40 to 65 (Sokol, 2009). Generally, during middle adulthood, people continue to build their lives, focusing on their careers and also family. By being good and caring parents, Erikson argued that many adults accomplish their basic "need to be needed" and directly promote the next generation (McAdams, 2006). The personality of those who are successful during this phase is that they feel that they are contributing to the world by being active in their home and community. If they fail to attain this skill they feel unproductive and uninvolved in the world. The personality of those who unsuccessful at this stage is contradicting. As Papalia et al. (2009) stated, people who do not find an outlet for generativity become self-absorbed, self-indulgent, or
The range of age from this stage is from 7 to 12 (Boeree, 2006). This is the range of age whereby children are in their school years. According to Erikson (as cited in McAdams, 2006, p. 350), schooling is designed to render the young boy or girl proficient in using the tools and assuming the roles of adulthood. In the same time, children begin to develop a sense of pride in their actions and abilities through expanding social interactions beyond their family members (Feist, 1994). As explained by Boeree (2006), children who are sufficiently encouraged by their parents and teachers will develop a feeling of competence and belief in their skills. Those who receive little or no encouragement from parents, teachers, or peers will doubt their ability to be successful. In one way or the other, this stage contributes to the personality development of the child. Therefore the personality of a child who succeed is competent while those who failed is inferior and …show more content…
Stagnation. This covers the period of middle adulthood, which according to Erikson is the period between the ages of 40 to 65 (Sokol, 2009). Generally, during middle adulthood, people continue to build their lives, focusing on their careers and also family. By being good and caring parents, Erikson argued that many adults accomplish their basic "need to be needed" and directly promote the next generation (McAdams, 2006). The personality of those who are successful during this phase is that they feel that they are contributing to the world by being active in their home and community. If they fail to attain this skill they feel unproductive and uninvolved in the world. The personality of those who unsuccessful at this stage is contradicting. As Papalia et al. (2009) stated, people who do not find an outlet for generativity become self-absorbed, self-indulgent, or