Franz and White (1985) argue that while Erikson's stages are generally sound, they could be made stronger by a discussion of the underlying process of interpersonal attachment. They argue that the tension of intimacy vs. isolation do not adequately account for how males and females form interpersonal attachments.
The writers are clear, however, that these shortcomings do not invalidate Erikson's theory.
Instead, they are looking for ways in which his theory could be made stronger and more nuanced.
In conclusion, Erikson's models remain quite relevant, as can be seen in the illustrations of these stages and in the body of research that his work has spawned. Erikson is among the first theorists who...
Of course, not every individual resolves all of these conflicts successfully. "Erikson is not explicit but presumably assumes character types comprised of combinations of the sets of traits related to the eight stages of development. Whenever a fixation occurs, it is likely to jeopardize sound development in subsequent stages as well [Erikson said] -- 'failure is cumulative'" ("Erik Homburg Erikson,"2008). Influences The era when Erikson developed his theory of development was
Erik Erikson: The Eight Stages of Development Biography Although not as famous as Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson was no less influential in the development of 20th century psychology. Like Freud, Erikson viewed human beings as developing through a series of 'stages,' but he broke with Freud in terms of his emphasis on social development, versus sexual development. Erikson was the first major theorist to question Freud's emphasis on the Oedipus Complex and
" (Harder 2002) This stage depends on the ability to help others and care for others in order to find strength, as one's family is usually grown and new goals must be developed. This ability Erikson calls "generativity." Success during this stage means not feeling inactivity and meaninglessness. (Myers. Stages) The article discusses the father's success at generativity, or ability to find meaning in life and the ability to transmit values
I had to learn that I couldn't be good at everything naturally. I learned that if I wanted to be better at a skill, there were things at which I had to work. Identity v. Role Confusion Erikson's fifth stage of psychosocial development, Identity v. Role Confusion, is one I remember very clearly. As a typical teenager, I struggled to "find myself." There were so many identities out there to choose
guilt stage, that occurs in the preschool years, where the child is about 31/2 to 51/2 years old. During this stage the child learns: (1) to imagine, to broaden his skills through active play of all sorts, including fantasy (2) to cooperate with others (3) to lead as well as to follow (Wagner, 2007). Immobilized by guilt, he is: (1) fearful (2) hangs on the fringes of groups (3)
Erik Erikson has emerged as one of the most highly regarded contemporary psychoanalytic theorists and his psychosocial stages of development have attracted attention from many personality researchers who seek to explain personality development across the entire span of a person's life (Crain, 2011). Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development are still taught in college psychology courses, human development courses, and are referred to in developmental research. Nonetheless, there have been
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