ERIK ERIKSON’S

PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORY

He believed that our past achievements and

failures influence our future life.
 I. PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGES
Stage Psychosocial Crisis Basic Virtue Age
1. Trust vs. Mistrust Hope 0 - 1½

2. Autonomy vs. Shame Will 1½ - 3

3. Initiative vs. Guilt Purpose 3-5

4. Industry vs. Inferiority Competency 5 - 12

5. Identity vs. Role Fidelity 12 - 18

Confusion

6. Intimacy vs. Isolation Love 18 - 40

7. Generativity vs. Care 40 - 65

Stagnation

8. Ego Integrity vs. Despair Wisdom 65+

 Stage 1. Trust vs. Mistrust
⚫ This stage begins at birth ⚫ Failures contribute to
andcontinues to approximately 18 depression, hopelessness,
months of age. difficulties in engaging others,
⚫ During this stage, the infant is suspiciousness, and withdrawal
uncertain about the world in (characteristics seen in disorders
which they live, and looks in the schizotypal and major
towards their primary caregiver depressive spectrum).
for stability and consistency of
care.
During the first stage of psychosocial
development, children develop a sense of
trust when caregivers
provide reliability, care, and affection.
A lack of this will lead to mistrust.
Stage 2: Autonomy Versus Shame and Doubt
⚫ Autonomy versus shame and doubt is the second ⚫ Failures in this
stage of Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial negotiation
development. contributed to
⚫ This stage occurs between the ages of 18 months narcissistic
to approximately 3 years. According to Erikson, vulnerability,
children at this stage are focused on developing delinquency, and
a sense of personal control over physical skills obsessive behavior.
and a sense of independence.
Children who successfully complete this stage
feel secure and confident, while those who do
not are left with a sense of inadequacy and self-
doubt. Erikson believed that achieving a
balance between autonomy and shame and
doubt would lead to will, which is the belief that
children can act with intention, within reason
and limits.
 Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt
⚫ Initiative versus guilt start at 3-5 years old. Erikson saw failures
⚫ During the initiative versus guilt stage, children assert here contributing to
themselves more frequently through directing play and generalized anxiety,
other social interaction.
phobias, inhibitions,
⚫ During this period the primary feature involves the child
regularly interacting with other children at school.
impotence, or
⚫Central to this stage is
psychosomatic
play, as it provides children
illness.
with the opportunity to explore
their interpersonal skills
through initiating activities.

When an ideal balance of individual initiative

and a willingness to work with others is
achieved, the ego quality known
as purpose emerges.
 Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority

⚫ Erikson's fourth psychosocial crisis, Failures in this negotiation

involving industry (competence) vs.
Inferiority occurs during childhood
between the ages of five and twelve.
⚫ Children are at the stage where they will
be learning to read and write, to do sums,
to do things on their own. Teachers begin
to take an important role in the child’s
life as they teach the child specific skills.
during the ages 7 to 11
contributed to work inhibitions,
feelings of inadequacy, or a
compensatory and defensive
drive for money, power, and
prestige.

Successfully finding a balance at this stage

of psychosocial development leads to the
strength known as competence, in which
children develop belief in their abilities to
handle the tasks set before them.
 Stage 5: Identity vs. Confusion
⚫ The fifth stage of Erik Erikson's theory of Failures here contribute to
psychosocial development is identity vs. role difficulties leaving home,
confusion, and it occurs during adolescence, prolonged dependence, the
from about 12-18 years. resurgence of borderline
⚫ During this stage, adolescents search for a and narcissistic
sense of self and personal identity, through an phenomena, and
intense exploration of personal values, beliefs, manifestations of role
and goals. diffusion in work or career.
Children who successfully complete this stage
feel secure and confident, while those who do
not are left with a sense of inadequacy and self-
doubt. Erikson believed that achieving a
balance between autonomy and shame and
doubt would lead to will, which is the belief that
children can act with intention, within reason
and limits.
 WHAT IS IDENTITY?

When psychologists talk about identity, they are referring to

all of the beliefs, ideals, and values that help shape and guide
a person's behavior.

According to Erikson, our ego identity constantly changes due

to new experiences and information we acquire in our daily
interactions with others
 Stage 6: Intimacy Versus Isolation

⚫ This stage takes place during young Erikson saw the

adulthood between the ages of formation of healthy adult
approximately 18 to 40 yrs. During this relationships as
stage, the major conflict centers on manifesting successful
forming intimate, loving relationships resolution of this stage.
with other people.
⚫ Successful completion of this stage
can result in happy relationships
and a sense of commitment, safety,
and care within a relationship.

Successful resolution of this stage results in the

virtue known as love. It is marked by the ability
to form lasting, meaningful relationships with
other people.
 Stage 7: Generativity Versus Stagnation

⚫ Generativity versus stagnation is the seventh of eight stages of Erik

Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. This stage takes place
during middle adulthood (ages 40 to 65 yrs).
⚫ Giving back to society through raising children, being productive at
work, and becoming involved in community activities and
organizations. Through generativity, it develop a sense of being a part
of the bigger picture.
⚫Success in this stage will
lead to the virtue of care.
Care is the virtue achieved when this stage is
handled successfully. Being proud of your
accomplishments, watching your children grow
into adults, and developing a sense of unity
with your life partner are important
accomplishments of this stage.
 Stage 8: Integrity Versus Despair

⚫ Integrity versus despair is the eighth and Erikson connected to

final stage of Erik Erikson’s stage theory of the depression-
psychosocial development. This stage related episodes of
begins at approximately age 65 and ends at old age.
death.
⚫ It is during this time that we contemplate
our accomplishments and can develop
integrity if we see ourselves as leading a
successful life.

Those who feel proud of their accomplishments

will feel a sense of integrity. Successfully
completing this phase means looking back with
few regrets and a general feeling of satisfaction.
These individuals will attain wisdom, even
when confronting death.
Individual
Psychology

Alfred Adler
Posits that humans are primarily motivated by
social connectedness and a striving for
superiority or success. He believed that feelings
of inferiority drive individuals to achieve
personal goals.
Striving for Success or Superiority
The one dynamic force behind people’s behavior is the striving for
success or superiority.

Everyone begins life with physical deficiencies that activate

feelings of inferiority

Psychologically unhealthy individuals strive for personal

superiority, whereas psychologically healthy people seek success
for all humanity.
The Striving Force as Compensation
Humans are “blessed” at birth with small, weak, and inferior
bodies

People strive for superiority or success as a means of

compensation for feelings of inferiority or weakness.

Without feelings of inferiority people would never set a goal of

superiority or success.
Striving Superiority

• Some people strive for superiority • Paternal

with little or no concern for others authoritarianism
• Their goals are personal ones may also lead to an
• Strivings are motivated largely by unhealthy style of
exaggerated feelings of personal life. A child who
inferiority sees the father as a
• Kids from authoritarian families tyrant learns to
are less resourceful, less strive for power and
socially-adept, and more likely personal superiority
to become involved in bullying (M. Badillo).
(Gwen Dewar, Ph.D.)
 Striving Success
• Psychologically healthy people who
are motivated by social interest and
the success of all humankind.
• Concerned with goals beyond
themselves
• Their own success is not gained at
the expense of others but is a
natural tendency to move toward
completion or perfection.
• The mother’s job is to develop a
bond that encourages the child’s
mature social interest and fosters a
sense of cooperation (M. Badillo).
• Social interest develops
in the social
environment and the
other people contribute
to this process.
(S. Z. Dobreva and K.V.
Ivanova).
• The Father demonstrate
a caring attitude toward
his wife as well as to
other people (M. Badillo
).
Family Constellation
Positive Negative
Oldest Child Nurturing and protecting of others Highly anxious
Good organizer Exaggerated feelings of power
Unconscious hostility
Fights for acceptance
Must always be “right,” whereas others are always
“wrong”
Highly critical of others
Uncooperative
If they have formed a cooperating style when If they have already developed a self-centered style
a baby brother or sister is born of life when a baby brother or sister is born
Second Child Highly motivated Highly competitive
Cooperative Easily discouraged
Moderately competitive
A healthy desire If the older child has extreme hostility and
to overtake the older rival vengeance, the
second child may become highly competitive or
overly discouraged
Youngest Child Realistically ambitious Pampered style of life
Dependent on others
Wants to excel in everything
Unrealistically ambitious
Often the most pampered and, consequently,
run a high risk of being problem children
Only Child Socially mature Exaggerated feelings of superiority
Low feelings of cooperation
Inflated sense of self
Pampered style of life
Psychoanalytic
Social Theory
- Karen Horney
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOANALYTICAL SOCIAL THEORY

HORNEY
Optimistic one and is
centered on cultural forces
that are amenable to change
Man is ruled not by the
pleasure alone but two
guiding principles: safety
and satisfaction
FREUD
Pessimistic concept of
humanity based on innate
instincts and the
stagnation of personality
Psychoanalytic Social
Theory
- is based on the assumption that social and cultural
influences highlighting childhood experiences are
primarily responsible for shaping an individual's
personality.
- our childhood experiences and unconscious desire
shape our behavior
- Psychoanalytic Social Theory is the idea of
Neurosis
The Impact of Culture

cultural influences as the

primary bases for both neurotic
and normal personality
development. Modern culture,
she contended, is based on
competition among individuals
“Everyone is a real or potential
competitor of everyone else”
Importance of
Childhood
Experiences
• Horney believes that
childhood has a great effect
on our behavior as we grow
• If we felt unloved, unwanted
and so much negative feelings
dominate our childhood there
will be a big problem when we
grow up.
• Abused children has a big
possibility to be aggressive
BASIC HOSTILITY AND BASIC
ANXIETY

Basic hostility

• parents who do not satisfy

the child’s need for safety
and satisfaction may
develops this feelings
• Children who lack warmth
and affection fail to meet
their needs for safety and
satisfaction
• Aggression which a child
develops “basic evil”
Basic Anxiety

• Is the feeling of
being isolated,
helpless, small, and
insignificant,
because of abuse
and/or neglect.
 Four general ways that people protect themselves
against this feeling of being alone:

3. Power, prestige and

1. Affection
- possession
a strategy that -Power (tendency to dominate
does not
others)
always lead to
-Prestige (protection against
authentic love.
humiliation, a tendency to humiliate
others)
2. Submissiveness
-submit themselves either - Possession (tendency to deprive
to people, institutions others)
such as an organization
or a religion
4. Withdrawal
-submit in order to gain - developing an independence from
others or by becoming emotionally
affection.
detached from them. By psychologically
withdrawing, neurotics feel that they
cannot be hurt by other people
Neurosis
- Is a psychological condition that arises when an

individual is unable to meet their basic needs for safety,

love and self-esteem

- An attempt to make life bearable

- Irrational defense against anxiety that become a

permanent part of personality and affect behavior

Result: Anxiety, depression and feeling of inferiority

Neurotic needs
Neurotic
- A propensity toward anxiety
negativity and self-doubt .
Neurotic need
-A Neurotic need arises when
a person’s basic need are not
met, leading to anxiety and
attempt to feel the need.
10 Neurotic Needs
1. The neurotic need for affection and approval
- neurotics attempt indiscriminately to please others
-live to the expectations of others, tend to dread self-assertion
2. The neurotic need for a powerful partner
-Lacking self-confidence, attach themselves to a powerful partner
3. The neurotic need to restrict one’s life within narrow borders
-Neurotics frequently strive to remain inconspicuous
-take second place to be content with very little
- downgrade their own abilities and dread making demands on others
4. The neurotic need for power.
- Power and affection are perhaps the two greatest neurotic needs
- power (needs for prestige, possession and manifests) to control others
and to avoid feelings of weakness or stupidity.
5. The neurotic need to exploit others.
- basis of how they can be used or exploited, but at the same time, they
fear being exploited by others
6. The neurotic need for social recognition or prestige.
- combat basic anxiety by trying to be first, to be important, or to attract attention to
themselves.
7. The neurotic need for personal admiration.
-need to be admired for what they are rather than for what they possess
- inflated self-esteem must be continually fed by the admiration and approval of others
8. The neurotic need for ambition and personal achievement.
-often have a strong drive to be the best—the best salesperson, the best bowler, the best
lover
- must defeat other people in order to confirm their superiority
9. The neurotic need for self-sufficiency and independence
- have a strong need to move away from people, thereby proving that they can get along
without others
-Ex: the playboy who cannot be tied down by any woman exemplifies this neurotic need.
10. The neurotic need for perfection and unassailability
- By striving relentlessly for perfection, neurotics receive “proof” of their self-esteem and
personal superiority. They dread making mistakes and having personal flaws, desperately
attempt to hide their weaknesses from others
Neurotic trends
- THEORIZED HOW TO COMBAT BASIC ANXIETY/ NEUROTIC DEFENSE

Compliant type(moving towards people):

- characterized by a strong need to please others, often at
the expense of one’s own needs and desires

Aggressive type(moving against people):

- characterized by a need to dominate and control others,
often through aggressive or manipulative behavior

Detached type(moving away from people) :

- characterized by a tendency to withdraw from social
interactions and avoid connections with others
KEY TERMS AND CONCEPT

Horney insisted that social and cultural influences

where more important than biological ones
Children who lack warmth and affection fail to meet their
needs for safety and satisfaction
Feelings of isolation and helplessness trigger basic
anxiety
The idealized self-image results in neurotics’ attempts to
build a godlike picture of themselves
Self-hatred is the tendency for neurotics to hate and
despise their real self
The 3 neurotic trends (moving towards, against or away
from people) are combinations of 10 neurotics trends
 ANALYTICAL
PSYCHOLOGY
CARL JUNG

“Knowing your own darkness is the best method for

dealing with the darkness of other people.”
 Basic tenet of
analytical
psychology
Humans have a vast and mysterious
potential within their unconscious.
Unconsciousness contains broad
psychic energy rather than simply
sexual energy.
Humans are extremely complex
beings who possess a sanely of
opposing qualities.

Analytical psychology is essentially a psychology of opposites.

People are extremely complex beings who possess a variety of
opposing qualities, such as introversion and extraversion,
masculinity and femininity, and rational and irrational drives.
LEVELS OF THE PSYCHE
Conscious and Personal Conscious

PERSONAL UNCONSCIOUS CONSCIOUS

» The unconscious refers to those » These are the images sensed
psychic images not sensed by the by the ego that are said to be
ego.
conscious.
» Some unconscious processes flow from
» The ego then represents the
our personal experiences, but others
conscious side of
stem from our ancestors' experiences
personality, and in the
with universal themes.
psychologically mature
» Jung divided the unconscious into individual, the ego is
the personal unconscious, which secondary to the self.
contains the complexes and the
collective unconscious, which
includes various archetypes.
 COLLECTIVE
UNCONSCIOUS

» our innate tendency to react in

a particular way whenever our
personal experiences stimulate
an inherited predisposition
toward action.

» Contents of the collective

unconscious are called
archetypes.

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O R G A N I C S C O M P A N Y
 ARCHETYPES
archetypes originate through the repeated
experiences of our ancestors and that they are
expressed in certain types of dreams, fantasies,
delusions, and hallucinations.
» Persona – what we show to others.
» Shadow – dark side of personality. (to reach
full psychological maturity, realize or accept)
» Anima – feminine side of men
» Animus – masculine disposition of women
» Great mother – every man or woman
possess it.
Fertility and nourishment.
» Wise old man - wisdom and meaning
» Hero - overcoming the darkness of
prehuman unconsciousness
» Self - archetype of archetypes because it
pulls
together the other archetypes and unites them
in
 DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONALITY

» Jung’s emphasis of the second half of life particularly, middle and old age.
» This is the time when people may acquire the ability to attain self-
realization.
 STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
» 4 STAGES FOR CARL JUNG
1. Childhood – Birth until adolescence.
2. Youth – Puberty until middle life.
(extraverted development and for being
grounded to the real world of schooling,
occupation, courtship, marriage, and
family)
3. Middle life – From age 35 or 40 until old
age. This is the time when people
adopt introverted attitude.
4. Old age – This is the time for
psychological rebirth, self-realization,
and preparation for death.
» Self-Realization or individuation.
- According to Jung this represents the
highest level of human development. The
process of becoming an individual or whole
person.
- What does make a whole person whole?
- minimized their persona
- recognized their anima or animus
- acquired a workable balance between
introversion and
extraversion
- elevated all four of the functions to a superior
position, an extremely difficult
accomplishment.
- Self-realization is extremely rare and is
achieved only by people who are able to
assimilate their unconscious into their total
personality.
The self-realized person is
dominated neither by
unconscious processes nor
by the conscious ego but
achieves a balance
between all aspects of
personality.