Critically evaluate Erikson’s psychosocial stage theory of human development: with particular reference to identity development during adolescence.
Critically evaluate Erikson’s psychosocial stage theory of human development: with particular reference to identity development during adolescence.
Erikson is a neo-Freudian, who chose not to criticise but to develop Freud’s ideas. Erikson extended many aspects of Freud’s ‘psychosexual stage theory’ within his ‘psychosocial stage theory’ (1975; 1968; 1963). Erikson suggested the ego as the driving force in personality development, unlike Freud who suggested this to be the id. There were originally eight universal stages of development in the psychosocial stage theory which span across an individual’s entire life; these eight stages later had a ninth stage added. Each stage in the psychosocial stage theory is marked with a crisis. Individuals must learn to balance both the positive and negative poles of the crises by understanding each as useful; thus allowing positive outcomes to suffice. These outcomes are often referred to as ‘virtues’. Although the ninth stage of Erikson’s theory sees all previous conflicts merge. The ninth stage also sees a reversal of crises, as the negative pole now takes dominance over the positive. Erikson’s psychosocial stages are an elaboration upon the three stages Freud proposed, which cease post-adolescence. According to Erikson failure to pass through any stage successfully in the psychosocial stage theory does not stop individuals entering into further stages. Overcoming these past failings can be achieved in future crisis resolution, according to Erikson. This is also a development upon Freud’s psychosexual stage theory, as Freud believed that failing to overcome a crisis resulted in an individual becoming fixated with the stage for the rest of their life.
The stage of Erikson’s psychosocial stage theory which has received most theoretical and experimental interest is the fifth stage, ‘adolescence’; thus I will use this stage to provide a brief illustration of the acquisition of a virtue. This stage sees individuals
Erikson is a neo-Freudian, who chose not to criticise but to develop Freud’s ideas. Erikson extended many aspects of Freud’s ‘psychosexual stage theory’ within his ‘psychosocial stage theory’ (1975; 1968; 1963). Erikson suggested the ego as the driving force in personality development, unlike Freud who suggested this to be the id. There were originally eight universal stages of development in the psychosocial stage theory which span across an individual’s entire life; these eight stages later had a ninth stage added. Each stage in the psychosocial stage theory is marked with a crisis. Individuals must learn to balance both the positive and negative poles of the crises by understanding each as useful; thus allowing positive outcomes to suffice. These outcomes are often referred to as ‘virtues’. Although the ninth stage of Erikson’s theory sees all previous conflicts merge. The ninth stage also sees a reversal of crises, as the negative pole now takes dominance over the positive. Erikson’s psychosocial stages are an elaboration upon the three stages Freud proposed, which cease post-adolescence. According to Erikson failure to pass through any stage successfully in the psychosocial stage theory does not stop individuals entering into further stages. Overcoming these past failings can be achieved in future crisis resolution, according to Erikson. This is also a development upon Freud’s psychosexual stage theory, as Freud believed that failing to overcome a crisis resulted in an individual becoming fixated with the stage for the rest of their life.
The stage of Erikson’s psychosocial stage theory which has received most theoretical and experimental interest is the fifth stage, ‘adolescence’; thus I will use this stage to provide a brief illustration of the acquisition of a virtue. This stage sees individuals