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ERIK ERIKSON:Human Development, Goal of Psychotherapy

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PersonalityPsychology ­ PSY 405
VU
Lesson 14
ERIKERIKSON
He developed a theory basedon:
1- Social rather than sexual relationships
2- The entire life span of an individual.
Concepts of Theory
1-Anatomy and Destiny
2-EgoPsychology
3-Eightstages of HumanDevelopment
4-Goal of Psychotherapy
1-Anatomyand Destiny
1-According to Erickson biology or genetics is one strong determinant of personality butculture is another
importantdeterminant
2-Thusbiologically determined differences between the two sexes can be explained as result of social
expectations or cultural expectations.
2- Ego Psychology
The ego according to Erikson is in the service of the Id but in this process of serving id, it develops itsown
functions. It is Ego's job to organizeone's life and to assurecontinuous harmony withone's physical and
social environment, since Eriksonstressed the autonomy and role of ego, we call his theory as ego
psychology.
Hisentire theory is a description of how the ego gains or looses strength in the developmental process.
According to Freud Id is in conflict with the Ego where as according to Erikson ego is in the service of the
Id but in this process of serving id, it develops itsown functions.
Ego'sjob to organize one's lifeand to assure continuousharmony with one's physical and social
environment.
3-Eightstages of HumanDevelopment
According to Erikson, every individualpasses through eight stages of development and sequence of the
eightstages is genetically determined and it is unchangeable. This is labeled as epigenetic principle.
Eachstage of development is characterized by crisis which can have a positive or a negative resolution.
A positive resolution strengthen the ego makes it stronger and helps the individual in the adaptation
process.
On the other hand a negative resolutionweakens the ego and hinders or inhibits the adaptation process.
1-Basic Trust versus basic mistrust (from birth to oneyear).
2-Autonomyversus shame and doubt (from one to three years).
3-Initiativeversus Guilt (four to five years).
4-Industryversus inferiority (six to eleven years).
5-Identityversus role confusions (Fromtwelve to twenty years).
6-Intimacyversus isolation (fromtwenty to twenty four years).
7-Generativityversus stagnation (from twentyfive to sixty five).
8- Ego integrity versus despair (sixty five to death).
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PersonalityPsychology ­ PSY 405
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4-Goal of Psychotherapy
According to Erikson, the patient's ego should be strengthen to such a level at which it can cope withlife's
problems. Rehabilitation can be more effective and economical if the clinician focuses on patient's life plan
and advice him to strengthen the elements of his ego identity.
Evaluation
It is a psychosocial theory.
ForErikson, it is Ego's job to organize one's life and to assure continuous harmonywith one's physical and
social environment, since Eriksonstressed the autonomy of ego; we call his theory as egopsychology.
ForErikson, the conscious doesnot neglect the unconscious and it takesinto account the social experience
as well.
ForErikson, healthy people successfully pass through the eightstages of development and acquire hope,
will,competence, fidelity, love,care and wisdom.
ForErikson, religion is something thatpeople need and human usereligion to make the events of theirlives
more understandable and lessthreatening.
Application
Histheory had made importantcontributions to the areas of
1-Psychotherapy,
2- Education,
3-Childrearing and development
4-oneapplication of his theory is study of major historicalfigures which is labeled as
psychohistory.
He analyzed historical figuressuch as Adolph Hitler,Martin Luther, and MahatmaGandhi and tried to
studythese historical figuresthrough the great events of history.
HumanDevelopment
According to Erikson, every individualpasses through eight stages of development and sequence of the
eightstages is genetically determined and it is un-changeable. This is labeled as epigenetic principle.
According to this principle, everythingthat grows has a ground plan and that out of this groundplan, the
partsarise and each part grows up until all parts have grown to form a whole. Each stage of development is
characterized by crisis. The crisis at each stage of development has a positive and a negative resolution. A
positiveresolution strengthen the ego makes it stronger and helps the individual in the adaptationprocess.
On the other hand a negative resolutionweakens the ego and hinders inhibits the adaptation process. A
negativeresolution lowers the likelihoodthat the next crisis will be resolved effectively. It is the social
environmentthat determines whether or not the crisis associated with any stage is resolved positively it is
thereforelabeled as psycho-social stages of development as compared to Freud's psycho-sexual stages of
development.
Basic Trust versus basic mistrust (from birth to oneyear).
If crisis is successfully resolved hope emerges and if unsuccessfully resolved, fearemerges.
Autonomyversus shame and doubt (from one to three years).
If crisis is successfully resolved, selfcontrol, will power emergesand if unsuccessfully resolved,
selfdoubt emerges.
Initiativeversus Guilt (four to five years).
If crisis is successfully resolved, directorand purpose emerges and if unsuccessfully resolved,
feelings of unworthiness emerge.
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PersonalityPsychology ­ PSY 405
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Industryversus inferiority (six to eleven years).
If crisis is successfully resolved, competenceemerges and if unsuccessfully resolved,
incompetence emerges.
Identityversus role confusions (Fromtwelve to twenty years).
If crisis is successfully resolved, fidelityemerges and if unsuccessfully resolved,uncertainty
emerges.
Intimacyversus isolation (fromtwenty to twenty four years).
If crisis is successfully resolved, capacityfor love emerges and if unsuccessfully resolved, hatred
and disgust emerges.
Generativityversus stagnation (from twentyfive to sixty five).
If crisis is successfully resolved, careemerges and if unsuccessfully resolved,selfishness emerges.
Egointegrity versus despair (sixtyfive to death).
If crisis is successfully resolved, wisdomemerges and if unsuccessfully resolved,feeling despair
andmeaninglessness emerges.
In these eight stages of development, there are usefultraits that emerge if each crisis is resolved
successfully.
Goal of Psychotherapy
According to Erikson, the patient's ego should be strengthen to such a level at which it can cope withlife's
problems. Rehabilitation can be more effective and economical if the clinician focuses on patient's life plan
and advice him to strengthen the elements of his ego identity.
Comparison of Erikson andFreud:
ERIKSON
FREUD
ForFreud, there is a psycho-sexual theory
ForErikson, there is a psycho-social theory
of development.
of development.
ForErikson, The ego is in the service of
the Id but in this process of serving id, it
develops its own functions. It is Ego's job
ForFreud, ego is important. It is the master
to organize one's life and to assure
control. It maintains a balance between the id
continuousharmony with one'sphysical
and super ego.
and social environment, sinceErikson
stressed the autonomy and role of ego, we
callhis theory as ego psychology.
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PersonalityPsychology ­ PSY 405
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ForErikson, the conscious doesnot neglect
ForFreud, the unconscious mind, the
the unconscious and it takes intoaccount
unconsciousconflicts areimportant.
the social experience as well.
ForErikson, healthy people successfully
ForFreud, psycho-therapy helps in the
pass  through  the  eight  stages  of
understanding of unconscious mechanisms
development and acquire hope, will,
using the techniques such as dream
competence,  fidelity,  love,  care  and
analysis and free association.
wisdom.
ForFreud, he took a very dimview of
ForErikson, religion is something that
religionand said that it wasnearly a
peopleneed and human use religion to
collectiveneurosis based on fears and
make the events of their lives more
desires.
understandable and less threatening.
Evaluation
In this theory, there is focus on a veryuseful guide to understandingpersonality and there is
communication between therapist and patient keepsmoving, leading to new and surprising insights and to
the person's greater responsibility forhimself. His theory is a psycho-social developmental theory where an
individualpasses through eight comprehensive stages of development. He utilizedhis theory to analyze the
lives of several well known historicalfigures and created newdiscipline called psycho-history.His theory
had made important contributions to the areas of psycho-therapy, education,child rearing and development
and the analysis of historicalfigures.
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Table of Contents:
  1. THE NATURE OF PERSONALITY THEORY:Objectives of Personality Psychology
  2. PERSONALITY MEASUREMENT:Observational Procedures, Rating Scales
  3. MAIN PERSPECTIVES:Psychometrics, observation, Behavioral Coding Systems
  4. SIGMUND FREUD: A PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY OF PERSONALITY
  5. INSTINCT: WHAT MOTIVATES HUMAN BEHAVIOR?, The Oral Stage
  6. PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY OF SIGMUND FREUD:The Ego, Free association
  7. THEORY OF CARL JUNG:Biographical Sketch, Principles of Opposites, The Persona
  8. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TYPES:Childhood, Young Adulthood, Middle Ages
  9. ALFRED ADLER:Biographical Sketch, Individual Psychology, Feeling of Inferiority
  10. INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY:Fictional Finalism, Social Interest, Mistaken Styles of Life
  11. KAREN HORNEY:Adjustment to Basic Anxiety, Adjustment Techniques
  12. ADJUSTMENT TO BASIC ANXIETY:Moving Towards People, Moving Against People
  13. ERIK ERIKSON:Anatomy and Destiny, Ego Psychology, Goal of Psychotherapy
  14. ERIK ERIKSON:Human Development, Goal of Psychotherapy
  15. SULLIVAN’S INTERPERSONAL THEORY:Core Concepts, The Self-System
  16. SULLIVAN’S INTERPERSONAL THEORY:Cognitive Process, Tension
  17. CONSTITUTIONAL PSYCHOLOGY:The Structure of Physique, Evaluation
  18. SHELDON’S SOMATOTYPE THEORY:The Structure of Physique
  19. MASLOW’S THEORY:Self-Actualizers Aren't Angels, Biographical Sketch
  20. MASLOW’S THEORY:Basic Concepts of Humanistic Psychology, Problem Centering
  21. ROGERS PERSON CENTERED APPROACH:Humanistic, Actualizing tendency
  22. ROGERS PERSON CENTERED APPROACH:Fully functioning person
  23. ROGERS PERSON CENTERED APPROACH:Client Centered Therapy,
  24. KELLY’S COGNITIVE THEORY OF PERSONALITY THEORY:Biographical Sketch
  25. CORE CONCEPTS OF GEORGE KELLY’S COGNITIVE THEORY OF PERSONALITY
  26. GORDON ALLPORT: A TRAIT THEORY OF PERSONALITY:Personality as a
  27. GORDON ALLPORT: A TRAIT THEORY OF PERSONALITY:Secondary Traits
  28. FACTOR ANALYTIC TRAIT THEORY:Factor Analysis, The Nature of Personality
  29. FACTOR ANALYTIC TRAIT THEORY:The Specification Equation, Research Methods
  30. HENRY MURRAY’S PERSONOLOGY:Need, Levels of Analysis, Thema
  31. HENRY MURRAY’S PERSONOLOGY (CONTINUED)
  32. ALBERT BANDURA’S SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY:BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
  33. ALBERT BANDURA’S SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY:Reciprocal Determinism
  34. THE STIMULUS RESPONSE THEORY OF DOLLARD AND MILLER:Core Concepts
  35. THE STIMULUS RESPONSE THEORY OF DOLLARD AND MILLER:Innate Equipment
  36. SKINNER’S THEORY OF PERSONALITY:Biographical Sketch, Books
  37. SKINNER’S THEORY OF PERSONALITY:Positive Reinforcement, Generalization
  38. ALBERT ELLIS THEORY OF PERSONALITY:Biographical Sketch, Social Factors
  39. THE GRAND PERFECT THEORY OF PERSONALITY:Genes and Biology
  40. PERSPECTIVES OR DOMAINS OF PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY:Dispositional
  41. PERSPECTIVES OR DOMAINS OF PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY
  42. PERSPECTIVES OR DOMAINS OF PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY:Need
  43. THE GRAND THEORY OF PERSONALITY:Psychosexual Stages of Development
  44. PERSONALITY APPRAISAL:Issues in Personality Assessment
  45. PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY: NEW DIRECTIONS IN THE DISCIPLINE