Erik Erikson, previously known as Erik Homberger, was born in Frankfurt, Germany and lived from June 15, 1902 to 1994. As Erikson’s dad abandoned Erik and his mother, Karla Abrahamsen, before Erik was even born there is not any information known about the biological father other than he was Danish. After raising Erik by herself for three years, Karla married Erik’s pediatrician Dr. Theodor Homberger. After they got married the family moved to Karlsruhe in southern Germany where Erikson got his education (Boeree, 1997). As Erikson was not a big fan of school, especially the subjects like science and math, he originally decided against going to college and decided that instead he would travel Europe and study art. After a year of traveling Erikson
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Erikson is a Freudian ego-psychologist, meaning that he accepts Frauds theory regarding the structure and topography of personality. However, instead of focusing on the id and psychosexual stages like Freud did, Erikson focused on the ego psychosocial stages. Erikson “emphasized the role of culture and society and the conflicts that can take place within the ego itself, whereas Freud emphasized the conflict between the id and the superego” (McLeod, 2013). The center of Eriksons research and theory is that “he believed that social relationships…are more important determinants of personality than sexual urges” (Rathus, 2016). Erikson’s theory of psychological development has eight stages of psychosocial development. There are five stages from birth to an individual turns eighteen years of age and then three stages from eighteen years of age to an individual passes away. His theory states that in order to the ego to develop it must successfully resolves crises in every stage. The stages of the psychosocial theory are: Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt, Initiative vs. Guilt, Industry (competence) vs. Inferiority, Identity vs. Role Confusion, Intimacy vs. Isolation, Generativity vs. Stagnation, Ego Integrity vs. Despair (McLeod, 2013). The idea is that in each stage an individual is faced with a crisis and then as a resolution is formed it formed it creates a basic virtue of that individuals personality. For example in the first stage, trust v. mistrust, an infant is uncertain of the world around them so they look to their main care giver, their mother, for stability and constancy of care. Depending on whether the mother provides consistent care for the infant or not will effect whether the infant develops the basic virtue of that stage which is hope. (For more information about the psychosocial stages please referrer to figure 1 at the end of the paper).
Erikson is a Freudian ego-psychologist, meaning that he accepts Frauds theory regarding the structure and topography of personality. However, instead of focusing on the id and psychosexual stages like Freud did, Erikson focused on the ego psychosocial stages. Erikson “emphasized the role of culture and society and the conflicts that can take place within the ego itself, whereas Freud emphasized the conflict between the id and the superego” (McLeod, 2013). The center of Eriksons research and theory is that “he believed that social relationships…are more important determinants of personality than sexual urges” (Rathus, 2016). Erikson’s theory of psychological development has eight stages of psychosocial development. There are five stages from birth to an individual turns eighteen years of age and then three stages from eighteen years of age to an individual passes away. His theory states that in order to the ego to develop it must successfully resolves crises in every stage. The stages of the psychosocial theory are: Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt, Initiative vs. Guilt, Industry (competence) vs. Inferiority, Identity vs. Role Confusion, Intimacy vs. Isolation, Generativity vs. Stagnation, Ego Integrity vs. Despair (McLeod, 2013). The idea is that in each stage an individual is faced with a crisis and then as a resolution is formed it formed it creates a basic virtue of that individuals personality. For example in the first stage, trust v. mistrust, an infant is uncertain of the world around them so they look to their main care giver, their mother, for stability and constancy of care. Depending on whether the mother provides consistent care for the infant or not will effect whether the infant develops the basic virtue of that stage which is hope. (For more information about the psychosocial stages please referrer to figure 1 at the end of the paper).