Analyzing Erikson's Epigenetic Theory

Throughout life people change and develop uniquely. However, there are set behaviors that are important to develop at particular times. These behaviors are genetic, but, are heavily influenced by people surrounding the individual. This can be explained by Erik Erikson’s epigenetic principle. The principle consists of eight stages, they span a person’s life, starting with birth and ending in death. Each stage has the same type of criteria: age, a particular task, a psychosocial crisis, a positive outcome, and negative outcomes. The task is to develop a balanced outcome and the crisis stems from the struggle to achieve that. Positive outcomes are balanced outcomes and negative outcomes are unbalanced. Unbalanced by being either …show more content…
Will, or self concontrol is the positive outcome emerging from the parent encouraging adventure and playing, while also demonstrating some behaviors are more acceptable than others. It is important for a parent to create some boundaries because otherwise the child will develop impulsivity. The belief that they can do anything, they are totally free and will experience no consequence. Compulsion is the opposite, stemming from too many boundaries, the child will be compulsively be afraid of being stupid or wrong. There are several signs that imply that I have been successful at completing stage two. I am neither very self conscious or a perfectionist. Though I am not always the greatest decision maker, I am capable of decision making and am good at making plans. The thought of being made fun of often stop me from speaking, and when it comes to trusting judgment I prefer my own to others. The same with …show more content…
Where they right in how they treated themselves and others? Stage seven, ages forty through sixty, focus on the guidance the individual gave, it can lead to the individual trying to do more. Still improving themselves, by volunteering, parenting, working to help others. The negative maladaptation would be to over extend here, to become too involved, meddling and being a busy body. Adversely, the malignancy would be to become selfish, disinterested in helping others and cynical. Stage eight, age sixty to death, works toward the individual accepting themselves for who they were during their life. The positive outcome would be the ability to acknowledge that there was good and bad, and finding peace in that. If not, they might feel that they are always right, fake wisdom bringing about the maladaptation, presumption, leads to the individual acting conceited and arrogant. Or, they could possibly feel disdain that there life was unfulfilling, being miserable at that and blaming the world at large. Reviewing the stages I have experienced and am currently experiencing, I am more likely to develop a malignant outcome than a maladaptation in the last two stages. However, I have done well in many of the stages, and plan on continuing to do well by looking to create balance in my life wherever it is lacking, making me optimistic about completing