Republic of the Philippines

City of Taguig
Taguig City University
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The Relevance of Erik Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial

Development: Exploring Developmental
Challenges and Positive Outcomes

Submitted by:
Jemimah Dagsa

Submitted to:
Prof. Pauline V. Bacerra

May 2023
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City of Taguig
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A.Y. 2022-2023
Gen. Santos Avenue, Central Bicutan Taguig City

Table of Contents

I. Introduction………………………………………………………..Page #

II. Biographical Information……………………………………………

III. Education and Work History……………………………………….

IV. Describe the Theory of Personality Created by the Theorist………

V. Discussion on how the Theorist’s Personal Experiences impacted their

Theory of Personality……………………………………………….

VI. Reflection……………………………………………………………

VII. Conclusion…………………………………………………………..

VIII. References ………………………………………………………….

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I. Introduction|

Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development is a prominent framework in the

field of psychology that explores the psychological and social changes individuals

experience throughout their lives. Erikson proposed that individuals go through eight

stages of development, each characterized by a unique psychosocial crisis that must

be successfully resolved in order for healthy development to occur.

(simplypsychology.org) According to Erikson, each stage of development is marked

by a specific challenge or crisis that individuals must navigate to achieve a positive

outcome (lumen learning). These crises arise from the interaction between

individuals and their social environment, including family, peers, and societal

expectations. Successfully resolving these crises leads to the acquisition of specific

virtues or strengths that contribute to one's overall well-being.

To provide an example of how Erikson's theory has been applied in research, a study

conducted by Smith and Johnson (2018) examined the psychosocial development of

adolescents within the context of Erikson's fifth stage, identity versus role confusion

(National Institute of Health). The researchers explored how the resolution of this

crisis was associated with various outcomes, such as self-esteem, academic

achievement, and social relationships.

This study illustrates the relevance and applicability of Erikson's theory in

understanding the psychosocial challenges individuals face during different stages of

development. By acknowledging the impact of social factors on identity formation,

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researchers and practitioners can better support individuals in navigating these

critical periods and promote healthy development.

II. Biographical Information

Erik Erikson, whose full name is Erik Homburger Erikson, was born on June 15,

1902, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and passed away on May 12, 1994, at the age

of 92, in Harwich, Massachusetts, in the United States. Erikson is an American

psychoanalyst of German descent whose writings on social psychology, human

identity, and the interaction of psychology with history, politics, and culture inspired

professional responses to psychosocial problems and piqued the interest of a large

audience.

Before marrying a doctor named Dr. Theodor Homberger, Erik Erikson's Jewish

mother Karla Abrahamsen raised the boy on her own for a while. For many years,

Erikson was not informed that Homberger was not his real father. Erikson felt

uncertain about who he truly was when he eventually discovered the truth.

Erikson's early experiences contributed to his interest in how identities are formed.

His own experiences in school led to a further development of his interest in identity.

He noted that as a youngster, he frequently struggled with questions of identity and

social integration.

He endured bullying at his Jewish temple school for being a tall, blonde, blue-eyed,

and Nordic-looking lad who stuck out from the other students. He was sent away from
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grammar school due to his Jewish heritage. His interest in identity creation was

sparked by these early encounters, which also influenced his later work.

Erikson's stepfather wanted him to attend medical school when he was a young adult,

but he attended art school for a short time instead. He quickly left and spent time

traveling over Europe with pals as he thought about who he was.

III. Education and Work History

As a high school student, Erikson spent the majority of his time at The Humanistic

Gymnasium. The subjects he enjoyed the most were history, art, and foreign

languages. However, despite the fact that Erikson enjoyed school a lot, he didn't

receive any academic honors during his school years. After leaving high school, he

decided to enroll in an art school in Munch rather than study medicine as his

stepfather wanted.

Erikson struggled to decide on a job choice when he was a young adult. Additionally,

he wasn't sure how he fit into society, so he made the decision to go seek himself. He

left art school and took a break to go on a trip with his pals around Germany. He

used the money from the sales or trades of his sketches to pay for his personal costs.

After traveling for a while, Erikson came to the conclusion that he did not want to be

a full-time artist. So he decided to return home to Karlsruhe and teach art. Erikson

was eventually hired by a wealthy woman to sketch and tutor her children. As he did

a very good job, he was soon hired by several other families.

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In some of the families Erik worked with, Sigmund Freud and his daughter Anna were

friends with Erik's clients. A friend of Erikson, Peter Blos, as well as Anna Freud

invited him to Vienna, Austria, when he was twenty-five years old, so he could tutor

the children of the Burlingham-Rosenfeld School for a year. Erik was asked to tutor

the students in art, geography, and history. These students had wealthy parents who

were undergoing psychoanalysis with Anna Freud at the time. When Anna observed

how well Erik worked with the children in his care, she urged him to enroll at the

Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute. Erik enrolled and later specialized in child

psychoanalysis. While he was studying psychoanalysis, he also studied the

Montessori Method of education. Erikson published his first paper in 1930 and

received a diploma from the Institute in 1933.

A few years after Erikson had arrived in Boston, he started practicing child

psychoanalysis there. He was the first child psychoanalyst there at the time. After that

he joined the faculty at the Harvard Medical School, when he was there, he became

interested in studying how the ego creates creative ideas in people with mental

stability. It was in 1936 that Erikson left Harvard University to become a member of

the Yale University Institute of Human Relations. A two year period later, he worked

with Sioux children in South Dakota, studying the impact of culture on child

development and studying how perceptions of the environment are influenced by

culture. He also worked with the Yurok Indians in Northern California. A great deal

of knowledge was gained from these studies that led Erikson to develop his later

theory on psychosocial development. At roughly the same time he began working with
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Native American children, and so on Erik and his family received an American

citizenship.

It was in 1939 that Erikson left Yale to establish his practice in San Francisco. In

1942, he became a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

He wrote the essays that were later compiled in Childhood and Society (1950) during

the 1940s. This is the work that introduced Erikson’s stages of development to the

world. In 1950 Erikson refused and resigned after the University of California asked

him to sign a loyalty oath. After leaving the university, he joined the Austen Riggs

Center, a psychiatric treatment facility in Massachusetts. In 1960, he returned to the

Harvard faculty as a professor and stayed there until 1970, when he retired from the

faculty.

IV. Describe the Theory of Personality Created by the Theorist

The humanist theory of psychosocial development proposed by Erikson differs

significantly from the traditional Freudian psychosexual theory of human

development in two important ways. Erikson believed that human’s personalities

continued to develop past the age of five, and he believed that the development of

personality depended directly on the resolution of existential crises like trust,

autonomy, intimacy, individuality, integrity, and identity. (Coles, R., Hunt, R., and

Maher, B. 2002). This shift in focus to existential crises reflected a broader shift in

psychoanalytic theory, which moved away from a purely biological perspective and
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towards a more holistic understanding of the person as an interconnected social,

cultural, and physiological being.

Erikson’s highly influential eight stage theory of development also expanded Freud’s

original five stages to encompass the years of life after early childhood. Within this

theory, Erikson introduced and described the characteristics of adolescent identity

crisis and the adult’s midlife crisis. (Friedman, L. J. 1999)

Erik Erikson’s greatest contribution to personality psychology was his eight-stage

theory of psychosocial development. He believed that personality is shaped by the

various crises and challenges that people face throughout their lives. He also

proposed that the key to successful development is the ability to successfully resolve

each stage’s crisis. Erikson’s theory is based on the idea that development is not a

linear process, but rather a dynamic one that is constantly changing and adapting to

new challenges.

Erikson said that we all want to be good at certain things in our lives. According to

psychosocial theory, we go through eight developmental stages as we grow up, from

being a baby to an old person. In each stage, we have a challenge to overcome. If we

do well in these challenges, we feel confident, our personality grows healthily, and we

feel competent. But if we don’t do well, we might feel like we’re not good enough,

leading to feelings of inadequacy (Macleod PhD, 2023)

This theory of psychosocial development by psychoanalysts states that each stage of

life is characterized by a different developmental challenge which must be

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successfully resolved in order for the individual to move on to the next stage. These

stages are (1) Trust vs. Mistrust, (2) Autonomy vs. Shame and doubt, (3) Initiative vs.

Guilt, (4) Industry vs. Inferiority, (5) Identity vs. Role confusion, (6) Intimacy vs.

Isolation, (7) Generativity vs. Stagnation, and (8) Integrity vs. Despair.

Trust vs. Mistrust is the first stage of psychosocial development, which is the

development of the individual’s ability to interact with others in a healthy manner. In

this stage, infants learn to trust their caregiver and to form secure attachments.

Autonomy vs. Shame and doubt is the second stage of psychosocial development. In

this stage, children learn to become independent and to start making decisions on

their own. They develop a sense of pride and self confidence, while at the same time,

they may experience feelings of shame or doubt in their abilities. The third stage of

psychosocial development is Initiative vs. Guilt. In this stage, children learn to take

initiative and to explore the world around them. They also learn to make plans and

set goals. At the same time, they may experience guilt when they do not meet their

own expectations. Fourth stage is Industry vs. Inferiority. In this stage, children learn

to develop skills and accomplish tasks. They also learn to compare themselves to

others, and may feel inferior if they do not measure up. At the same time, they develop

a sense of industry. Fifth stage is Identity vs. Role confusion. During this stage,

adolescents explore different roles and identity with others. They develop a sense of

self and are faced with the challenge of finding a place in society. They also learn to

form relationships and explore different values. Intimacy vs. Isolation is the sixth

stage where adolescents are faced with the challenge of forming intimate

relationships with others, they develop an understanding of love and what it takes to
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maintain a relationship. They also learn how to cope with rejection and other

interpersonal conflicts. The seventh stage is the Generativity vs. Stagnation, which

involves the challenge of forming and guiding the next generation. This stage is

characterized by a focus on finding meaning in life through contributing to society. If

a person fails to find a sense of purpose, they may become stagnant and stuck in this

stage. The eighth and final stage is Integrity vs. Despair, during which the person

reflects on their life and how they have lived it. This stage is characterized by a sense

of acceptance of one’s life and accomplishments, or a deep despair over a life not

fully lived.

These eight stages lie in the fact that they provide a framework for understanding the

human life cycle. By understanding the key milestones and challenges of each stage,

we can see how individuals grow, change, and develop over the course of their lives.

V. Discuss How the Theorist’s Personal Experiences Impacted their Theory of

Personality

It is undeniable that Erik Erikson's theory of personality was heavily influenced by his

personal experiences. Erikson's theory of human development was shaped by his life

experiences and numerous challenges, which had a significant impact on him.

One significant part of Erikson's life experiences was his own struggle with identity

and quest for purpose. Erikson, a person of Danish and Jewish ancestry, struggled

with issues of belonging and identity. This internal conflict most likely impacted his

theory's emphasis on the psychological crisis of identity as opposed to role

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uncertainty. Erikson gained direct knowledge of the complexity of identity

development through his investigation of his own identity and the difficulties he

encountered in defining himself within diverse social circumstances.

(verywellmind.com) Erikson's multicultural background and exposure to various

cultural situations also had a significant impact on the development of his theory of

personality. Erikson understood the importance of culture in influencing a person's

identity and development after growing up in Germany, later relocating to Austria

and the United States, and interacting with many cultural groups. His work with

people from different cultural origins and his interactions with Native American and

Sioux youngsters showed the importance of cultural factors in determining

personality and served as a basis for his theory's emphasis on the sociocultural

context. (Revisiting Erik Erikson's Legacy on Culture, Race, and Ethnicity; Syed M.,

Fish J.)

Another important aspect of Erikson's life experiences was his personal identity crisis

and search for meaning. Erikson, who is of Danish and Jewish descent, grappled with

feelings of identity and belonging. His theory's emphasis on the psychological crisis

of identity rather than role uncertainty was probably influenced by this internal

conflict. Erikson's research of his own identity and the challenges he had in

identifying himself in various social contexts gave him firsthand understanding of the

complexity of identity development. (verywellmind.com)

Erikson's focus on the importance of meaningful contributions and the integration of

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personal and social identity in his theory was also inspired by his own observations

and life experiences, such as his parenting responsibilities and thoughts on

generativity. (iastate.pressbooks.pub) His view of the significance of generativity, or

the desire to make a lasting impression and contribute to society, in gaining a sense

of fulfillment and personal progress was shaped by his own journey of self-discovery

and examination of his life's purpose.

Erik Erikson's theory of personality was deeply influenced by his personal

experiences. His own identity struggles, multicultural background, psychoanalytic

training, clinical work, and personal reflections all played a significant role in

shaping his unique theoretical framework. By drawing from his personal journey and

observations, Erikson developed a theory that emphasized the interplay between

personal experiences, social context, and cultural influences in the development of

personality.
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Reflection

a. Write your reflection about the theorist and about the theory of personality

created by the theorist

Conclusion

In this paper, the researcher explored Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development and

its relevance in understanding human development. We discussed how Erikson proposed

eight stages of development, each characterized by a unique psychosocial crisis that

individuals must navigate to achieve healthy development. These crises arise from the

interaction between individuals and their social environment. Successfully resolving these

crises leads to the acquisition of specific virtues or strengths.

The researcher provided an example of how Erikson's theory has been applied in research,

specifically in the context of adolescents and their identity development. The study we

discussed highlighted the link between successfully resolving the identity crisis and positive

outcomes such as self-esteem, academic achievement, and social relationships. It emphasized

the importance of supporting individuals in navigating these critical periods to promote

healthy development.

Overall, Erikson's theory offers a valuable framework for understanding the psychological

and social changes individuals experience throughout their lives. It provides insights into the

challenges individuals face at different stages of development and offers practical

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implications for various domains, including education, counseling, and parenting. By

recognizing the impact of social factors on development, researchers and practitioners can

better support individuals in navigating these challenges and promoting positive outcomes.

References

https://www.verywellmind.com/erik-eriksons-stages-of-psychosocial-
development-2795740

https://www.verywellmind.com/erik-erikson-biography-1902-1994-2795538

https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/erik-erikson

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556096/

https://www.erikson.edu/about/history/erik-erikson/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Erik-Erikson

https://www.simplypsychology.org/erik-erikson.html

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-lifespandevelopment/chapter/erikson-and-
psychosocial-theory/
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https://www.google.com/url?
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Revisiting Erik Erikson’s Legacy on Culture, Race, and Ethnicity 2018 University of
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