Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory is the most significant developmental theory. Erikson’s writings are not only extensive, but also complicated as they incorporate some conceptual ground (Gilleard " Higgs, 2016). Erikson derived his idea from “Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of development.” While Freud limited his focus on childhood, asserting that an individual’s personality is developed at the age of five (Sousa, 2011), Erikson extended the argument to all ages in what is referred to as lifespan theory. According to Erikson, the development of personality is continuous as it keeps unfolding as a person advances in age (Gilleard " Higgs, 2016). Similarly, Freud’s theory is viewed as a “psychosexual theory of development” because it highlights the significance of sexual drives in addition to genitalia in the development of a child. Erikson shifted from this thought as he believed social as well as cultural factors influences the development of a person throughout the lifespan (Sokol, 2009). It is as a result of this that Erikson’s theory is referred to as a psychosocial theory of development. Although Erikson’s theory departs from the sexual primary demonstrated in Freud’s theory, it is apparent that his psychoanalytic theory is a product of Freud’s thoughts. Equally, it is evident that Erikson’s theory acknowledges the value infantile sexuality and libidinal drives despite its inclination to social tensions. Based on the richness of information in Erikson’s theory, one can conclude that this theory extends to diverse psychological domains as well as all elements of lifespan.
Eight Stages of Development
Erikson’s theory is renowned for describing eight critical psychosocial tensions that human beings ought to balance in their entire lives. The eight tensions are also known as “stages” although the term stage often leads to misunderstanding of the important features of Erikson’s theory (Gilleard " Higgs, 2016). For instance, the reference of tensions as stages influence individuals to think that the occurrence of tensions observe a specific sequence. That is, a specific sequence occurs at a particular time and it loses value after the passage of that time. However, this assumption is not viable as Erikson argued that the eight tensions occur in a person at all periods in the lifespan although they become relevant at varied points in time and their relevance will remain throughout a person’s life (Fleming, 2004). This assertion is supported by tension five which is known as “identity vs. role confusion.” According to Erikson, the adolescence period together with young adulthood is the key developmental period for individuals to address the identity tension. He further argued that individuals’ identities cannot be achieved or completed when a person grows to a young adult. Equally, Sousa (2011) notes that previous research showed that Erikson psychosocial development is relatively independent of age in individuals aged 47 years. According to Erikson, normative as well as non-normative events influence continuity of identity negotiation in advanced age of development, adulthood. Based on Erikson’s argument, it is apparent that none of the human development can be complete.
Trust vs. Mistrust
Erikson argued that the most important psychological task for infants during development is to establish a sense that the environments together with the caregivers are not only responsive and reliable, but also consistent (Fleming, 2004). His argument was based on the fact that individuals at infancy need to be assured that there basic needs can be availed (Chung, 2018). According to Erikson, basic trust is fostered by a receptive caregiver. That is, when infants are in distress as a result of factors such as hunger, exhaustion, and other distressful factors they expect a responsive caregiver to provide them with the required need to overcome their source of distress (Chung, 2018).
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
Unlike infants understanding that their dependence on others can help them address predictable environment, toddlers develop a sense of autonomy. Chung (2018) associates this stage with increased exploration by individuals. According to Erikson, toddlerhood is associated with advancement towards developing individuality (Fleming, 2004). Just like other tensions, demonstration of this developmental trait is characterized by biological and cultural factors. Erikson asserts that defecation in addition to the toilet training is the hallmark of the establishment of autonomy in toddlers. He argues that toilet training is a constant domain that should be practiced by all toddlers irrespective of their environmental factors because they have control over the process (Fleming, 2004). According to Erikson, toilet training informs the toddlers the essence of “holding on” as well as “letting go” which is critical for development.
Initiative vs. Guilt
According to Erikson, the third tension advances an individual’s autonomy. He asserts that in early childhood individuals take greater risks by excluding themselves from the caregivers to actively interact with the environment without supervision (Fleming, 2004). This assertion is also noted by Chung (2018) who asserts that individuals experience ego crisis as a result of the created frictions between autonomy and doubt. Erikson further notes that this tension or stage is characterized by guilt as children often engage in activities when their caregivers are not seeing.
Industry vs. Inferiority
Just like the third tension which is an extension of the second tension, the fourth tension is an extension of the third tension. That is, tensions 2 to 4 are associated with development of autonomy (Fleming, 2004). At middle childhood, individuals develop their inventiveness ability. Based on this tension, industry refers to a person’s ability to start and complete a task. In addition to having skills and motivation to perform a specific task, an individual gains self-regulation at this stage. According to Erikson, this is a critical period for developing mastery on cultural expectations.
Identity vs. Role Confusion
Erikson argues that when individuals start to enter adolescence stage, they associate themselves with new and unique activities. According to Gilleard and Higgs (2016), this is the most critical stage of human development. They argue that adolescence is an important moment as it the point of transition from the stages of child development to other three stages of development referred to as adult development. Similarly, Sokol notes that the psychosocial role of adolescence stage is the establishment of identity (Sokol, 2009). At this stage, individuals identify their cognitive skills in addition to physical abilities. Gilleard and Higgs further note that this stage is well pronounced in Erikson’s work. According to Gilleard and Higgs (2016), the increased focus on identity can be attributed to Erikson’s personal issues as well as other important themes that defined Erikson’s life as he advanced in age.
Intimacy vs. Isolation
The advancement of youths into adulthood is characterized by their embracement of intimate relationships in addition to increased independence (Chung, 2018). That is, individuals at emerging adulthood as well as adulthood stage involve themselves with romantic as well as platonic relations (Malone et al., 2016). According to Erikson, at this stage individuals learn to share oneself with other people. Chung (2018) asserts that the development of the sense of identity influences individuals to focus on making independent decisions on when to establish relationships. However, individuals who engage in relationships without understanding their sense of identity often experiences emotional distress (Malone et al., 2016).
Generativity vs. Stagnation
Erikson argues that individuals who are completely in adulthood stage often start thinking on what to loose or stop. The decisions of these individuals are usually based on their developed identity and their need to pass specific traits to the future generations (Sousa, 2011). According to many people, generativity is associated with having children to ensure continuity of generation and culture. However, some studies indicate that generativity can also refer to activities that are aimed at benefitting future generations. According to Sousa (2011), generativity can result in specific advantages to aging as it is characterized by cognitive in addition to emotional capacilties. The activities of generativity may include teaching and civic participations that are intended at nurturing a personal narrative (Sousa, 2011).
Integrity vs. Despair
According to Erikson, the developmental task of old age is usually reflective. That is, people at old age often reflect on their past to evaluate their successes and failures (Fleming, 2004). They look at their past actions and behaviors to determine whether their lived life was good or characterized by regrets which they would have avoided by making different choices. Chung (2018) associates this stage with increased mentorship. He argues that individuals at this stage have broad understanding of how things work. At later stages, they employ wisdom in all their activities to have a peaceful life (Chung, 2018).
In conclusion, Erikson’s psychosocial development contributes significantly to the understanding of the stages of the human development. This theory helps individuals to understand the behaviors of individuals at different lifespan. Equally, it allows one to monitor the development progress of a child since every person is expected to undergo all the outlined stages of development.
References
Chung, D. (2018). The Eight Stages of Psychosocial Protective Development: Developmental Psychology. Scientific Research.
Fleming, J. (2004). Erikson’s Psychosocial Developmental Stages. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ab44/d6a2d3178e4e159108ab5333504d23cc9508.pdf
Gilleard, C. " Higgs, P. (2016). Connecting Life Span Development with the Sociology of the Life Course: A New Direction. Sociology, 50(2): 301–315.
Malone, J. et al. (2016). Midlife Eriksonian Psychosocial Development: Setting the Stage for Cognitive and Emotional Health in Late Life. Dev Psychol, 52(3): 496–508.
Sokol, T. (2009). Identity development throughout the lifetime: an examination of Eriksonian theory. Graduate Journal of Counseling Psychology.
