Post Freudian Theory

ERIK H. ERIKSON
 BIOGRAPHY
• Born on June 15, 1902 in Southern Germany
• No formal education, working as an artist
• An invitation from Peter Blos to teach children
in a new school in Vienna
• Met Anna Freud as his psychoanalyst
• Married to Joan Serson and had 4 children
• 1933 moved to USA, worked as researcher in
various universities
 BIOGRAPHY
• 1950 Published his book: Childhood and
Society
• 1949 Erikson left California and returned to
Massachusetts worked as therapist at Austen
Riggs, a treatment center for psychoanalytic
training and research
• 1960 Erikson returned to Harvard and held the
position of professor of human development
• He died May 12, 1994
THE EGO in POST-FREUDIAN THEORY

• ID EGO SUPEREGO (Freud’s

theory)
Erikson’s Theory:
• EGO is a Positive Force that creates a self identity, a
sense of ‘I’
• During childhood the ego is weak, pliable, and fragile
and in adolescence it should begin to take form and
gain strength
• EGO is a person’s ability to unify experiences
and actions in an adaptive manner
 IMPLICATIONS OF THE EGO
• THE FUNCTION OF THE EGO
ADJUSTMENT TO THE DEMANDS OF
REALITY
• ERIKSON CONSIDER THE
CONTEXT OF THE SOCIETY IN WHICH
THE CHILD IS GROWING UP
• STRESSES THE INTERRELATION OF THE
EGO AND THE SOCIETAL FORCES
AFFECTING IT
 EPIGENETIC PRINCIPLE
• EPIGENETIC development implies a
step by step growth of fetal organs.
• EGO will follows the path of epigenetic
development with each stage developing
at its proper time
 BASIC POINTS to understand
STAGES of PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
• Growth takes place according to the epigenetic
principle
• In every stage of life there is an interaction of
opposites ---- conflict between syntonic
(harmonious) vs a dystonic (disruptive)
element
• At each stage, the conflict between the
dystonic and syntonic elements produces an
ego quality or ego strength
 BASIC POINTS to understand
STAGES of PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
• Too little basic strength at any one stage results in a
core pathology for that stage
• Erikson never lost sight of the biological aspect of
human development
• Events in earlier stages do not cause later personality
development. Ego identity is shaped by a multiplicity
of conflicts and events --- past, present and
anticipated
• From adolescence forward, personality development
is characterized by an identity crisis
 CRITICAL PERIODS
• Maturational timetable
• Each stage is a critical period
• A person has only a limited time to develop
each stage specific capability
• There are no second chances in development
• Developments within each psychosocial stage
are critical for the final development of a fully
integrated
 STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
• The Oral-Sensory Stage (0 – 18 month)
• The Anal-Musculature Stage (18 month – 3 years)
• The Genital-Locomotor Stage (3 – 5 years)
• Latency (6 – 11 years)
• Puberty and Adolescence (12 – 21 years)
• Young Adulthood (21 – 35 years)
• Adulthood (35 – 55 years)
• Maturity (55 < )
 The oral-Sensory Stage
(0 – 18 month)
• Trust vs. Mistrust
• Pleasant sensory experience sense of
basic trust
• Unpleasant sense of mistrust
• The emotional crisis Trust vs Mistrust
• Complete trust or complete mistrust?
 The Anal-Musculature Stage
(18 month – 3 years)
• Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
• Infant must learn WHEN TO HOLD ON and
WHEN TO LET GO of all his bodily muscles
• Must develop the capability of being able to
control his own overall bodily movements
• The ability to control himself a sense of
autonomy
• Inability to control himself shame and
doubt
 The Genital-Locomotor Stage
(3 – 5 years)
• Initiative vs Guilt
• If the child is to successfully resolve the
oedipal conflict he must begin to
INDEPENDENTLY move away from the
parental figures he must be able by
himself to move freely in interaction with his
environment sense of initiative
• Reverse side sense of guilt
 LATENCY
(6 – 11 years)
• Industry vs Inferiority
• Enter the school
• Learns any kind of skills
• Learns what to do and how to do sense
of industry
• If he feels that he fail to learn it sense of
inferiority
 PUBERTY AND ADOLESCENE
(12 – 21 years)
• Identity vs Role Confusion (Identity diffusion)
• Feeling about WHO HE IS and WHAT HE
CAN DO
• Who am I Self Definition
• Identity crisis
• Find his role in society sense of
identity
 YOUNG ADULTHOOD
(21 – 35 years)
• Intimacy vs Isolation
• Form a relationship with another person
• Must be able to give of himself totally
(feelings, ideas, goals, attitude and values)
• Give and Take
 ADULTHOOD
(35 – 55 years)
• Generativity vs Stagnation
• Playing the role of a productive and
contributing member of society sense of
generativity
• Reverse side sense of stagnation
 MATURITY
(55 < )
• Ego Integrity vs. Despair
• If he has successfully progressed through his
previous stages of development sense
of ego integrity feel a full and complete
life
• If he has failures through his previous stages

sense of despair
 ERIKSON’S METHOD OF
INVESTIGATION
• PERSONALITY is a product of history,
culture, and biology
• He employed anthropological, historical,
sociological and clinical methods to learn
about children, adolescents, mature adults and
and elderly people
 Learning Task
• Summary the Erikson’s Methods of investigation:
Anthropological Study and Psychohistory
• Discuss the ego implication in social life
• Why does each stage in Psychosocial
Development is critical period?
• What kind of psychosocial needs that should be
fulfilled in each stage?
• Differentiate the mature personality and immature
personality
 Learning Task
• Brown family is a kind of family which is
devoted to God. One day, the family was
shocked because their son, Sam (19 years old)
is being caught by the police in a drug party.
Please discuss what makes Sam involved in
drug.
Thank you…