Erikson's Psychoanalytic Ego Psychology

What Erikson is known for

theory of psychosocial development

ego psychology

theory that emphasizes the integration of biological and psychosocial forces in the determination of personality fucntioning with a special focus on developmental crises

Freud vs Erikson

• Freud: ego is weak in comparison to the id

• Erikson: ego is a powerful agency that helps people resolve inner conflicts and environmental challenges, ultimately promotes health

Main focus of ________________ is the development of a ________________ as individuals resolve the crises inherent in the developmental process.

ego psychology; strong ego identity

Erikson maintained that personality develops in a predetermined order through _____ stages of psychosocial development, from ___________ to ___________.

8; infancy; adulthood

epigenetic principle

principle that there is a genetically determined sequence of human development that occurs in a series of stages, universal to humankind, and unfolds in a predetermined sequence

For Erikson these crises are of a ____________ nature because they involve ____________ needs of the individual which conflict with the needs of society

psychosocial

Term for psychosocial development

ego development

Crisis

maturation process’ critical points

basic virtues

characteristic strengths of which the ego can use to resolve subsequent crises

Positive resolution of each crises

strengthening of the ego; increases the changes of positive resolution in later stages

What does failure to complete a stage lead to?

reduced ability to complete further stages and development of an unhealthy personality and sense of self

ego strength=

virtue

virtues

human qualities or strengths that emerge from successful resolution of the crisis association with various developmental stages

Oral-sensory stage- Basic trust vs mistrust

• 0-1 year

• ego strength: hope

• pleasure centers around the mouth and feeding

Basic trust vs mistrust conflict

consistent, predictable, and reliable parenting leads to trust which carries on with them into other relationships and if these needs are not met, infant will not have confidence in the world

hope

developing a sense of trust, the infant can have hope that as new crises arise there is a real possibility that other people will be there as a source of support

Muscular-anal stage- Autonomy vs shame and doubt

• 2-3 years

• ego strength: will

Autonomy vs shame and doubt conflict

if children are encourages and supported in their increased independence, the become more confident and secure in their own ability to survive in the world; if they were criticized or overly controlled, they begin to feel inadequate in their ability to survive, and become overly dependent on others and lack self-esteem

will

if children in this stage are encouraged and supported in their increased independence, they become more confident and secure in their own ability to survive in the world

locomotor-genetical stage- initiative vs guilt

• 3-5 years

• ego strength: purpose

initiative vs guilt conflict

children plan activities, make up games, and initiate activities with others and this makes them feel secure in their ability to lead others and make decisions; if too much criticism or guilt, the child can become slow to interact with others and may inhibit their creativity

purpose

thinking big, identifying with parents, and beginning a new set of life goals

What is also involved in the initiative/ locomotor-genital stage?

oedipus complex

Some _________ is, of course, necessary; otherwise the child would not know how to exercise ____________ or have a conscience

guilt; self-control

Latency stage; industry vs inferiority

• 6-12 years

• ego strength: competence

Industry vs inferiority conflict

if children are reinforced for their initiative, they begin to feel industrious (competent) and feel confident in their ability to achieve goals; if initiative is not encouraged, then the child begins to feel inferior, doubting their own abilities, and therefore may not reach their potential

Some _____________ may be necessary so that the child can develop __________. Again, a balance between competence and ___________ is necessary.

failure; modesty; modesty

What two things, according to Erikson, is important during the latency stage?

• school attendance

• interaction with peers

Adolescence; Identity vs role confusion

• 13-19 years

• fidelity

• identity crisis

• moratorium

fidelity

a sense of loyalty and commitment; involves being able to commit oneself to others, on the basis of accepting others, even when there may be ideological difference

identity

multifaceted concept that involves knowing who you are and where you are going, as well as what you are not and do not want to be. the unified sense of self as uniquely different from others

Two identities involved in identity vs role confusion

sexual and occupational

identity crisis

developmental turning point, associated primarily with adolescence, where choices need to be made in various areas of life such as career, mate, and ideology to live by

role confusion

concern for who they are and what they will become

When identity crisis is not resolved

negative identity

negative identity

scornful and hostile toward roles offere, loyalties to those who are destructive to themselves

Erikson believed pressuring someone into an identity can result in ___________ in the form of establishing a ____________ and in addition to this feeling of unhappiness.

rebellion; negative identity

young adulthood- intimacy vs isolation

• 20-24 years

• ego strength: love

Intimacy

the ability to establish close relationships with others, to abide by commitments with significant compromised and sacrifices necessary

isolation

inability to take chances with one’s identity by showing true intimacy; involves a fear of commitment which leads to loneliness, and sometimes dperession

Successful completion of the intimacy vs isolation stage can result in happy ____________ and a sense of __________, safety, can care within a relationship

relationships; commitment

middle adulthood- generatively vs stagnation

• 25- 64 years

• ego strength: care

generatively

psychologically refers to “making your mark” on the world through creating or nurturing things that will outlast an individual process of establishing and or enhancing a creative and productive career and of being concerned with ensuring the well-being of the next generation

During middle age, individuals experience a need to _______ or __________ things that will outlast them, often hacing mentees, or crating positive changes that will benefit other people

create’ nurture

stagnation

lack of productivity, boredom, and interpersonal impoverishment

Success leads to feelings of usefulness and accomplishment, while failure results in ___________ _________________ in the world

shallow involvement

late adulthood; ego integrity vs despair

• 65- death

• ego strength: wisdom

ego integrity

in the elderly, feeling their lives has positive meaning and have been worth living

despair

negative outcome involving fear of death, see lives as failures, unable to rectify mistakes do to lack of time remaining

Erikson believed if we see our lives as unproductive, feel guilt about our past, or feel that we did not accomplish our life goals, we become dissatisfied with life and develop despair, often leading to _________ and ______________.

depression; hopelessness

wisdom

detached concern with life itself in the face of death, life is put into perspective, with acceptance and a deeper insight into one’s own and other’s motives and behaviors and having empathy, sympathy, and compassion for others; enables a person to look back on their life with a sense of closure and completeness and accept death without fear

Wis people are not characterized by a continuous state of ego integrity, but they experience both ego integrity and despair. This late life is characterized by both integrity and despair as alternating states that need to be ___________.

balanced

Positive evaluations of Erikson’s personality development

• realistic perspective of personality development

• middle and late adulthood were considered active and significant times of personal growth

• relatable

• ties important psychosocial development across the entire lifespan

negative evaluation of Erikson’s personality development

• vague

• does not deal with cognitive or emotional development

• shaped by Erikson’s own experiences

• ambiguous terminology

James Marcia

develops four identity statuses of psychological identity development, primarily focusing on adolescent development; theory of identity achievement argues that two distinct parts form an adolescents identity: crisis and commitment

crisis

a time when one’s values and choices are being reevalutated

Erikson had suggested that the normal conflict occurring in adolescence is the opposition between identity and confusion, whereas, Marcia elaborited by suggesting this stage consists neither of identity resolution nor identity confusion, but rather the extent to which one has both explored and ____________ to an identity in a variety of life domains including politics, occupation, religion, intimate relationships, friendships, and gender roles

committed

Marcia’s 4 Identity Statuses

1. identity diffusion

2. foreclosure

3. moratorium

4. identity achievement

identity diffusion

lack firm commitments and are not actively in crisis

foreclosure

never experienced crisis but made firm commitments to goals, beliefs, and values

moratorium

state of crisis and actively considering alternatives in attempt to make decisions

identity acheivement

undergone a period of crisis and as a result, developed firm commitments

Jean Phinney

developed a model of Ethnic Identity based on Erikson’s theory of development, following Marcia’s ego-identity theory

ethnic identity

as sense of belonging and commitment to a group because the individual shares a common heritage, knowledge, attitudes, and values with other members

bicultural identity

positive attitudes toward their own ethnic group and toward the majority group

Jacob Orlofsky’s 3 major criteria of assessing a person’s level of intimacy

1. Close relationships with male or female friends?

2. Does he or she have an enduring heterosexual relationship?

3. Are the person’s close relationships deep or superficial?

Orlofsky’s 6 relationship/intimacy statuses

1. intimate individuals

2. preintimate individuals

3. stereotyped individuals

4. pseudointimate individuals

5. isolated individuals

6. merger individuals

intimate individuals

deep relationships with male and female friends and involved in enduring, committed heterosexual relationships

preintimate individuals

close emotional ties but ambivalent about committing to enduring love relationships

stereotyped individuals

have many relationships, but superficial, lack closeness and commitment

pseudointimate individuals

relationships lack depth, but still in enduring heterosexual commitments

isolated individuals

withdrawn from social situations and relationships with peers

merger individuals

committed themselves to enduring relationships but become absorbed in their relationships at the expense of their own autonomy and sense of self enmeshment

Assessment techniques

• egalitarian and personal with patients

• disciplined subjectivity

• transference

• free association

• dream analysis

• play-therapy techniques

disciplined subjectivity

sought to analyze and understand the patient’s problems through empathy as well as by examining the historical events that affected the patient’s life

Erikson developed the procedure because he was interested in…..

building a bridge between psychoanalysis and history

psychohistorical analysis

technique for analyzing the lives of historical figures on the basis of Erikson’s theory of ego development