There were two psychologists

who had developed famous

psychosocial theories:
Freud and Erickson.
1.Erickson believes that personality
develops in a series of stage
2.Freud’s theory is well known but also
very controversial.

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• Erickson’s “psychosocial”
term is derived from the two
source words:
1.psychological (the root,
“psycho” relating to the mind,
brain, personality, etc.)
2.social (external
relationships and environment).
• Erickson’s theory was largely
influenced by Sigmund Freud.
But Erickson extended the
theory and incorporated
cultural and social aspects
into Freud’s biological and
sexually oriented theory.
• Erickson’s theory is useful
• There are 8 stages over a
life span showing the
development
• The main elements behind his
theory is the identity of
ones ego
• According to his theory when
conflicts arise people have
the opportunity to grow or
fail equally.
• Each stage involves a
psychosocial crisis of two
opposing emotional forces.
• If a stage is managed well we
carry away a certain virtue.
PSYCHOSOCIAL CRISIS
Erickson used contrary
disposition for these opposing
forces. Each crisis stage relates
to corresponding life stage and its
inherent challenges.
He use the word syntonic for the
first listed positive disposition
and dystonic for the negative
disposition.
VIRTUE
Psychosocial strength which
will help us through the rest of
the stages of life.
MALIGNANCY
is the worse of the two, and
involves too little of the positive
 STAGE 1: INFANCY 0-18 MONTHS

CRISIS GOAL MALADAPTATION MALIGNANCY VIRTUE

TRUST vs. MISTRUST To develop trust Sensory Malignancy • Proper balance

without completely Maladjustment will develop the
eliminating the -will develop the virtue of hope,
capacity of mistrust. -overly trusting, even malignant tendency the strong belief
gullible, this person of withdrawal, that, even when
cannot believe that characterized by things are not
anyone would mean depression, paranoia, going well, they
harm, and will use all and possibly will work out in
defenses at their psychosis. the end.
command to find an
explanation or excuse • Failing the
for the person who acquire the virtue
did him wrong. of hope will lead
to the
development of
fear.
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 STAGE 2: EARLY CHILDHOOD 18 MONTHS- 3 or 4 YEARS

CRISIS GOAL MALADAPTATION/MALIGNANCY VIRTUE

SHAME or DOUBT To achieve a degree Impulsiveness Compulsiveness Will power of

vs. AUTONOMY or of autonomy while determination.
INDEPENDENCE minimizing shame -a sort of shameless -too much shame and
and doubt. willfulness that doubt.
leads you, in later -compulsive person
childhood and even feels as if their entire
adulthood, to jump being rides on
into things without everything must be
proper one perfectly.
consideration of Following all the rules
your abilities. precisely keeps you
from mistakes, and
mistakes must be
avoided at all costs.

6will
 STAGE 3: EARLY CHILDHOOD 3 or 4 – 5 or 6 YEARS

CRISIS GOAL MALADAPTATION/MALIGNANCY VIRTUE

INITIATIVE vs. Learn initiative Ruthlessness Inhibition -psychosocial

RUTHLESSNESS without too much strength of purpose.
guilt. -too much and too -too much guilt -courage- the
little guilt. -afraid to try capacity for action
-heartless or something despite a clear
unfeeling. -will not try things understanding of
-be without mercy because “nothing your limitations and
-goals are the only ventured, nothing past failings.
things that matters, lost”.
and guilty feelings -and particularly
and mercy are only nothing to feel guilty
signs of weakness. about.
*sociopathy-
extreme form of
ruthlessness

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 STAGE 4: SCHOOL AGE 6-12 YEARS

CRISIS GOAL MALADAPTATION/MALIGNANCY VIRTUE

INDUSTRY vs. Develop a capacity Narrow- Virtuosity Inertia Competence and

INFERIORITY for industry while method
avoiding an -children who aren’t -inferiority complexes.
excessive sense of allowed to be -if at first you did not
inferiority. children. The one’s succeed, don’t ever try
that it again.
parents/teachers
push into one area
of competence,
which allows the
development of
broader interests.

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 STAGE 5: ADOLESCENCE PUBERTY -20 YEARS

CRISIS GOAL MALADAPTATION/MALIGNANCY VIRTUE

IDENTITY vs. Achieve ego identity Fanaticism Repudiation Fidelity- loyalty, the
ROLE CONFUSION and avoid role ability to live by
confusion. -too much ego -to reject societies standards
* Ego identity- identity -they reject their despite their
knowing who you -person is so involved membership in the imperfections and
are and how you fit in particular role in a world of adults and incompleteness and
in to the rest of particular society or even more, they reject inconsistencies.
society. subculture that there their need for identity.
is no room for -it means you have
tolerance found a place in that
community, a place
that will allow you to
contribute.

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 STAGE 6: YOUNG ADULTHOOD 18-30 YEARS

CRISIS GOAL MALADAPTATION/MALIGNANCY VIRTUE

INTIMACY vs. To achieve some Promiscuity Exclusion Love

ISOLATION degree of intimacy,
as opposed to -tendency to -tendency to isolate Means being able to
remaining in become intimate too oneself from love, put aside differences
isolation. freely, too easily friendship, and and antagonisms
and without any community, and to through “mutuality
depth to your develop a certain of devotion”.
intimacy. hatefulness in
compensation for
one’s loneliness.

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 STAGE 7: MIDDLE ADULTHOOD (MIDDLE 20’s – 60

CRISIS GOAL MALADAPTATION/MALIGNANCY VIRTUE

GENERATIVITY vs. To cultivate the Overextension Rejectivity Care

STAGNATION proper balance of
generativity and -no time for -too little generativity Caring that will serve
stagnation themselves, for rest, and too much you through the rest
and relaxation. stagnation of your life.
*generativity-an -no longer -no longer
extension of love contributes well. participating in or
into the future contributing to society.
*stagnation-stops to
be productive

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STAGE 8: LATE ADULTHOOD OR MATURITY 60 YEARS - DEATH

CRISIS GOAL MALADAPTATION/MALIGNANCY VIRTUE

EGO INTEGRITY To develop ego Presumption Disdain

vs. DESPAIR integrity with a W
minimal amount of -when a person -a contempt of life,
despair. presumes ego one’s own or anyone’s. I
integrity without
actually facing the -the person becomes S
difficulties of old age. very negative and
appears to hate life. D
-believes that he
alone is right. O
M

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STAGE AGE CRISIS VIRTUE MALADAPTATION MALIGNANCY

0-18 SENSORY
1 TRUST vs. MISTRUST HOPE MALIGNANCY
MONTHS MALADJUSTMENT

18 MO's- 4 AUTONOMY vs. SHAME COMPULSIVENE

2 WILL IMPULSIVENESS
YEARS AND DOUBT SS

3 4-6 YEARS INITIATIVE vs. GUILT PURPOSE RUTHLESSNESS INHIBITION

4 6-12 YEARS INDUSTRY vs. INFERIORITY COMPETENCE NARROW INERTIA

PUBERTY- IDENTITY vs. ROLE

5 FIDELITY FANATICISM REPUDIATION
20 YEARS CONFUSION

18-30
6 INTIMACY vs. ISOLATION LOVE PROMISCUITY EXCLSUSION
YEARS

GENERATIVITY vs.
7 MID 20's- 60 CARE OVEREXTENSION REJECTION
STAGNATION

EGO INTEGRITY vs.

8 60- DEATH WISDOM PRESUMPTION DISDAIN
DESPAIR
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