An analysis of development using Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory
Introduction
Erikson’s theory of life stages development was conceptualized by Erik Erikson to explain various stages in psychosocial development. He claimed that personality develops in a way that is pre-set, and it encompasses eight stages. This stage varies from infancy to adulthood, where a person goes through a psychosocial crisis that has an impact on their personality development. He argues that the crisis is psychosocial because they are composed of the psychological needs of an individual and disagrees with the requirements of a given environment. The theory suggests that a strong personality results from a complete breakthrough of each of the stages and enables individuals to obtain all the necessary virtues. He argues that one can have difficulty implanting further steps if he or she fails to complete any of the stages as it weakens one’s personality and lowers their self-esteem.
Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development puts into consideration the influence of external factors, parents, and the environment at large on personality development from the childhood stages to adulthood. According to Erikson, every individual has to go through the eight stages of personality development to complete the entire life cycle. Those who do not manage to overcome the identity crisis do not produce a stable identity. They become enthusiastic about their delayed behaviors and actions and claims it is difficult to maintain a good relationship in life. This paper focuses on the theoretical analysis of my development using Erikson’s psychosocial theory.
Trust vs. Mistrust
This is the first stage of the theory of psychosocial development when one is born and continues up to approximately 18 months of age. This is the point when the newborn child is not sure about the world about their new world. At this point, I was forced to look up to my caregiver for stability, protection, and care. As a child, you are subjected to predictable care that is reliable and consistent. This makes one build trust with the world, and this trust is extended to other relationships making one feel secure even in difficult times. The first two years of life emphasize the parents nurturing their ability and care for a child in terms of visual contact and touch. Furthermore, at this stage, when one’s needs are not met, you will develop some sense of suspicion, anxiety, and mistrust. At this point, you may develop some confidence in the world around us and one’s ability to change things.
Erikson’s development theory arguers that when one completes this stage successfully, they will develop the virtue of hope. This stage led to my development of trust, which promotes confidence that in times of difficulties, this is a possibility that you will get help from the people you trust. If prop may care is given to the baby, he or she will develop trust, confidence, and optimism. Without trust, a child will create some feeling of insecurity, worthlessness, and fear.
Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
This is the second stage in the development of Erikson’s theory, which occurs between 18 months and approximately three years of a child’s life. When one is on this stage of psychosocial development, they are said to be focused on acquiring a sense of individual control over physical skills and a knowledge of independence. This stage enabled me to acquire the virtue of will. During this stage, I was given a lot of encouragement and support as it is in this stage when one acquires independence. At this stage, people increase their level of confidence and security and the ability to survive in the environment they are living in.
According to Erikson, people feel inadequate in their potential to survive hence increasing their dependence on others in case they are criticized or controlled in this stage of development. This results in reduced self-esteem and too much doubt and shame in your ability. At this stage, as a child, you develop in the body and become more mobile. This stage enabled me to discover my skills in climbing and playing, modeling, and playing with toys. This illustrates one’s growth and a sense of independence and autonomy. The parents should allow their children to explore their limits and become more tolerant of their failures. At this stage, children become stubborn, angry, and naughty to show their personality to their parents and other children. The main aim of this stage is for a child to develop his or her self-control without the loss of esteem.
Initiative vs. guilt
At this stage of development, the child is likely to assert himself of herself more frequently. This stage makes people more aggressive to their parents than they used to before. As a child at this stage, there will be an increase in your interactions with other children of your age. The main activity at this age is identified as play since it gives a child a chance to explore his or her interpersonal skills through the activities that they engage in. You can come up with events and conceptualize games that you can play with others. A child is expected to come up with a sense of initiative and the feeling of security in his or her ability to guide others in the process of decision making. The child will start to be rebellious, thus forcing the parents to punish them sometimes. You will begin to ask questions due to the increased thirst for knowledge.
This period makes a child experience a desire to copy what the adults do around us and creating play situations from what they learn. We came up with stories with friends, make toy phones, toy cars, playing out roles in a trial world as this is what we believe to be an adult means. Freud influenced Erikson, discouraging biological sexuality in favor of the psychosocial structures of conflict among children and parents. He claimed that during this stage, we usually get more involved in the “Oedipal struggle” and chose to struggle through social role identification. A child experiences guild whenever he or she is frustrated over natural desires and goals.
Industry vs. inferiority
When one is at this stage, often called Latency, we are capable of creating, learning, and achieving different skills and knowledge, which develops a sense of industry. Erikson argues that a child will begin to learn new things like reading, writing, and other activities. The teachers are the ones who are primarily in charge of the child at this stage, taking up the most crucial role. The primary source of self-esteem at this stage in life comes from their peers as they become more significant. One feels the desire to seek approval from the peers through demonstrating competence that is valued, and one begins to feel a sense of accomplishment. One acquired confidence in achieving his or her goal due to the encouragement and reinforcement they obtain from their initiative. Discouragements of a child’s actions make them feel inferior and doubtful of their capabilities and hinders them from achieving what they wanted. This stage makes one to develop a sense of competence ones they get through it.
Identity vs. role confusion
This stage occurs during the adolescent years, which lies between 12-18 years. At this stage, one feels the importance of acquiring a sense of persona; Identity by exploring their beliefs, goals, and values. Erikson suggests that you will develop a transition from childhood to adulthood. One begins to feel more independent and start to consider starts to think about what might happen in the future. During this stage, a person begins to learn on roles that they will occupy as an adult. At this stage, you will work hard on finding out who you are. The two central identities explored are this stage are sexual and occupational. A successful completion of this stage results in the virtue of fidelity. This is the ability to relate to other people based on acceptance despite the differences in ideas between people. If one has difficulty in obtaining a role or get a crisis in self-identification as an adolescent, you may begin to experiment with different lifestyles in search of self-identification.
Intimacy vs. isolation
This is the sixth phase, where people aim at getting into a meaningful and intimate relationship with other people around them. You begin to share with people personal information about who you are. Many of the relationships formed at this stage results in long-term commitments developed on love and trust. Completing this stage successfully may result in happy relationships, and one develops some sense of care, obligations, and safety. However, whenever you avoid relationships and commitments, you end up isolated, lonely, or depressed. This stage leads to the creation of the virtue of love. Significant correlations at this phase are usually with marriage partners and friends.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Erikson eight stages of life are a funnel to assist people in discovering their personalities. Every person will undergo all these stages at different points in life, as some mature faster than others. Other people have a slow progression in maturity than others and may get stuck in certain stages for ling, perhaps going through some steps more than once. Erikson’s theory is a presumption for more understanding of people’s lives from birth until death. This phases of life help individuals to achieve their full Identity and ego. People discover their true Identity after successfully going through each stage of development in time. Erikson psychosocial theory of evolution puts into consideration the impact of external factors we go through as human beings. It considers the transition in parenthood, relationships, and social participation, as well as the effects it has on personality development from childhood and the experiences we experience.
Socially, the youth’s need for independence increases over time, and their primary social support moves away from our families and towards our peers. Due to the increase in the demand for peer influence, youths become sensitive to peer pressure. The late stages of adolescent people in step six establish close relationships with their families and friends, provided these relationships are of positive influence. The people at this stage create meaningful connections with peers outside their family and friends cycle, including bosses, coaches, teachers, and other people. Romantic relationships flourish at this face and become intense, unlike during the early adolescence, where they were more flirtatious and ended up fading quickly. However, by the late times of this phase, many relationships become stable, more mature, and emotionally intimate.
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