Erik Ericson's Psychosocial Theory

Erik Erikson, was born in 1902 in Frankfurt, Germany, to a young Jewish mother. His biological father and mother separated before he was born, later on his mother remarried Erikson 's physician. (Weiland, 1993, p1). In school, he was bullied for his appearance because he did not look like the other kids. He felt that his stepfather never fully accepted him. Because his biological father was Danish and his stepfather was Jewish. It was hard for him to figure out where he fit in. Those early on experiences in life helped fuel his interests in identity. In the late 1920s he meet Anna Freud, daughter of Sigmund Freud and started studying psychoanalysis at the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute. He never received a formal degree, instead all of his knowledge was based on his experiences and readings. (Weiland, 1993, p.2). In 1930 he married Joan Serson, a dancer and artist. They fled the Nazi uprising with their young son in 1933 to America. The couple had three children.
Psychosocial theory
Unlike Freud, who believed that we are motivated by sexual desires, …show more content…
They do not even look like they are thinking about much. Nonetheless ,that is far from the truth. Babies are making new connections everyday and are trying to make sense of the world they are in. (Feldman, 2017, 105). As stated in Feldman, the first stage in the psychosocial theory is the trust vs mistrust ages birth to twelve months of age. According to Erikson, this is the most important stage in a person 's life. (Feldman ,2017, 98). The major question that is being asked is can I trust those around me? Since infants are dependent on those who take care of them, which is usually a parent or caregiver. The care and quality of care they are being received is very important in forming trust. While it is just as important to provide the infant with basic needs such as food, water, and shelter, it is also essential to provide