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Erikson vs. Freud


Psychoanalysis (ניתוח הנפש)

  • 3 components:

  1. Psychological theory

  2. Method of therapy

  3. Methodology of research

  • Theory of the נפש of a person - focuses on the structure of the mind and of the healthy and pathological functions

  • Mental functioning of the person both healthy and sick are perceived as a continuum - רצף

    • We have both pathological and healthy aspects within us

  • Both have a mind characterized by the same structures and processes and the theory investigates both

    • As opposed to a dichotomy perception

  • 4 models:

  1. Typography model - different conscious levels - conscious, close to conscious, subconscious

    1. The importance of the subconscious - פסיכולוגיית המעמקים

  2. Structural model - hypothetical structures in personality

    1. Id, ego, and superego

  3. Dynamic model - A description of the dynamics of the energies and forces acting in the personality

    1. When a lot of energy goes to one place there is less than in another - but there is no loss of energy

  4. Psychosexual developmental model - Personality development over a chronological sequence of sexual development

  • Foundational criteria:

    • 'Psychic Determinism' - there is a reason and meaning to every experience, emotion or behavior (not necessarily conscious). 

      • Psychoanalysis promotes the exposure of unconscious casualty.

      • Is there free choice? - “the I is the master of his house”

        • There are ways to increase your choice - through this process of making the subconscious conscious and working through it

    • The human psyche strives for stability and balance between internal and external forces and different mental structures.

    • Conflict is inevitable - an important and integral part of the personality. 

      • Throughout life - attempts to achieve improvement between opposing forces


Personality - 3 Structures

  1. Id (סתמי) - model impulses

    1. Desire to satisfy immediate needs

  2. Ego (I) - one years old and up, Restraint and satisfaction while taking into account the limitations of reality.

    1. Meditation - balances the id and realistic requirements and the id and the superego

  3. Superego (the upper I) - ages 4-6, includes the norms and values of society

    1. Feelings of guilt, moral compass


The Dynamic Model

  • Man is a complex system powered by energy to which the 'Energy Conservation Law' applies. The source of the basic instinctual energy, which drives the mental processes - the impulses.

  • We have 2 main impulses that drive behavior - דחפי החיים ודחפי המוות

  • The impulse for life - Impulses designed to preserve and nurture the existence and continuity of sex; Build and promote

    • Main driving force: sex drive.

    • Motivates not only sexual activity but the redirection of sexual energy

    • For friendship, construction, creation, love, work, sports, art, etc. - all are a derivative of this impulse

  • Enjoyment isn’t enough to explain behavior so there must also be another impulse - death

  • The impulse of death - Destructive and aggressive impulses.

    • Main driving force: aggression instinct

    • Pushes for verbal and physical violence towards others and towards self.

    • This impulse is needed as well in order to balance us


Psychosexual Development Model

  • The principle of dividing life into stages - At each stage - a different erotogenic area (another physical area that causes pleasure).

    • Psychosexual stages - His satisfaction/dissatisfaction affects the psychological development

  • Each stage is a crucial (critical) period in which one learns something

    • If you do not learn at this stage - difficulties will be caused later.

  • The early years are crucial in shaping the personality.

  • A great crisis or anxiety that makes it difficult to cope:

    • Regression (retreat) - to an earlier developmental stage, where it was still good, and a retreat to the behavior that characterizes that stage.

      • Go back to a stage where they were better balanced

    • Fixation - is fixed at the stage when it is present and behaves according to its characteristics.

    • If over the course of time there weren’t signs of development - you can say he is fixated. If he had developed into the other stages and then returns to an earlier stage then you can say it is regression

      • Once you know which it is then you could know when the psychological issue arose within the child - later in life (regression) or at the time of that stage he is fixated in

    • Prevent normal development


Erikson

  • Treatment of battle-shocked soldiers: During World War II he treated soldiers who suffered from what was then defined as "battle neurosis" - the psyche that could not bear the traumatic sights of the war went into a state of shock, and personal identity was undermined. Erickson called this situation an "identity crisis" - משבר זהות. A concept which in his opinion expressed the fracture beginning in the human psyche

  • Psychoanalytic Therapy: Trained in psychoanalysis and practiced specifically working with children. In contrast to Freud, he saw the importance of the study of the 'ego' (ego) and the processes that take place in it for the purpose of a complete understanding of the mind.

    • The ego is what develops our identity

  • Anthropological research on the subject of identity: A study in the 1950s of Indian tribes and the ways in which they deal with the values of American society. Found that like soldiers who suffered from the shock of battle, here too there was an identity crisis between the members of the tribe, when the values they learned in American schools were contrary to the values of the tribe. Argued that these tribes were not given a reasonable period of time to adapt.


Erikson vs. Freud

  • Erikson started as a psychoanalyst - underwent an analysis with Anna Freud

    • Accepted the main points of Freud's theory (unconscious, impulses, emphasizing the importance of early life stages and more).

  • Differences in times of their stages:

    • Freud: theory goes until adolescence, focusing mainly on the early years

    • Erickson: theory continues over the duration of a person's lifetime.

  • Differences in the basis for division until stages (when to move from one stage to the next):

    • Freud: Psychosexual stages. Physical-biological criteria

    • Erickson: Psychosocial Stages. Focusing on the interaction with the environment and resolving conflicts between internal biological needs and demands and social forces

      • Greater emphasis on influences of the surroundings - this is something positive that leads to better development 

  • Differences in the role of the “I” (the ego):

    • Freud: Mediating id-reality, and making compromises with the upper self (the superego),

    • Erickson: Not just an entity serving two masters but an independent entity. All human behavior, whatever it is, operates under the auspices of the self

      • 2 main roles of the ego:

  1. Building and holding their identity

  2. Achievement of a feeling of control

    1. We see this by Bowlby who says that if a baby cries and someone answers than he feels he has control over the world and this can help him in his development

  • These two - depend on the environment and society. Without the support and help of society in the formation of identity and the creation of control, a person may reach chronic situations of confusion and helplessness.

  • Differences in social perception:

    • Freud: the environment/socialness 'interferes' and blocks the natural satisfaction of human needs (especially the id)

    • Erickson: A positive factor that aids development and functioning through encouragement and guidance

      • Also referred to negative effects of society and culture, such as conflicting and confusing values that make it difficult to form an identity, or societies that emphasize negative values and thus promote negative identity


Uniqueness of the Psychosocial Theory

  • Expanded to one’s whole lifespan

  • Combining the influence of the social/cultural context on development

  • Development of identity and control


Features of this Model

  • Focus on the healthy personality - during development, uniformity, good judgment, and the ability to function are created

  • A developmental crisis is not a pathology - part of the course of life

    • As opposed to Freud, puts more emphasis on what we can gain from these crisis

  • Every aspect that develops at a given stage will remain active and significant in the following stages as well

  • The most important task facing man: the formation of identity. When we are in identity confusion we experience pain and distress.

    • All our lives we have been dealing with the question "Who am I?" And at each stage we give more complex and cohesive answers to this question.

  • 4 components of identity:

  1. Uniqueness - awareness of being special and existing as a distinct and clear human entity

  2. Wholeness and synthesis - a sense of being one whole; Integration between different sides of the personality

  3. Uniformity and continuity - continuity between who we were in the past, who we are today and what we will probably be in the future. Contributes to a sense of permanence in the personality.

  4. Social belonging/solidarity - a sense of belonging and connection to the ideals and values of a particular group that gives the individual confidence

    1. It’s not me against the world rather I am a part of the world

  • Another central topic is achieving control

    • A person always has the need to control his surroundings

    • Control is a separate need - not a part of the impulses

    • If the environment interferes with the creation of a sense of self-control one may enter a state of helplessness

  • Influence of society:

    • Closely linked physical maturation processes to their personal and social meanings.

    • As the child grows and develops, society demands more from him and he must adapt to the requirements.

      • Need to balance how much we react to outer requirements and match them to myself

    • At each stage, a wider social circle influences development and coping with the central crisis - mother, parents and siblings, extended family, people in school, etc.

      • There is also certain points where there is a transition of who influences the child the most


Stages of Development

1. Freud - Oral Stage (0-1)

  • Erogenous area - the mouth

  • A state of complete dependence,

  • The mouth has a critical role in connection with the world: Survival + a major source of pleasure.

    • Nursing/swallowing - דחף החיים, biting - תוקפנות

  • Principle of behavior - principle of enjoyment

  • Positive learning - if a need is satisfied then we are optimistic, accept ourselves, and accept others

    • Go away from things that are painful and continue things that are enjoyable

  • Outcome of fixation (dissatisfaction or too much satisfaction that turns into a need later):

    • "טיפוס אוראלי": excessive preoccupation with the mouth

    • Accompanying character traits: dependence, passivity, childishness, symbolic forms of swallowing

    • Symbolic forms of bite: cynicism, domination, verbal aggression

    • There is only the option of fixation at this point because you can’t do regression since there are no stages that came before

  • According to the defense mechanisms of a person we can also hypothesis about what happened to that person at a certain stage


1. Erikson - Basic Trust vs. Lack of Trust (0-1)

  • Dependence

  • Key developmental challenge - learn to trust others who will meet their needs

    • Through this I learn both about the other and about myself

  • Expression during development: openness, self-confidence and security in the environment and in the world

  • Inconsistency leads to suspicion

  • The trust will be created by a type of sensitive care that is adapted to the individual needs of the child - to his own pace!

  • It is not the quantity that matters but the fit for the child.

  • Acquires an inner sense of trust in my abilities and attitude towards the world (will take care of or not take care of my needs)

    • Depends on how significant the child is meant to feel

  • "I can activate the environment" - I have meaning, I have confidence that it will be okay, I have hope.

  • Healthy development - the right balance in favor of basic trust with the basic suspicion necessary for caution in the appropriate circumstances

  • Successful solution: Acquisition of the trait of hope. A feeling that the future is predictable and positive and that one can cope and achieve what one desires, and also risk failing without too severe an injury to the ego.

  • In case of injury - extreme disturbances can be hopelessness and detachment from reality

*the previous stages are necessary for the future stages


2. Freud - Anal Stage (1-3)

  • Biology-physiology balance between holding (to guard within) to רפיה (to release, throw it outside)

  • Erogenous area - Anus (beginning of control - enjoys stopping and releasing).

    • The secretions themselves are also a focus of pleasure - typical games: wading in puddles, playing in the mud 

      • The child has this power of the secretions בלעדית on him

  • Principle of behavior - principle of reality

    • Ex: teaching to clean up

    • Satisfaction of impulses in the right place and time, taking into account the requirements of reality.

    • He listens to these limitations because he needs and wants them

  • Discovers that there is something he is only in control of, and has the power to decide whether to give it to his parents.

  • Beginning of ego development.

  • Positive learning: give, release, consider reality, creativity, productivity.

  • Outcome of fixation - טיפוס אנאלי

    • Excessive stopping and restraint: extreme order and cleanliness, stubbornness, possessiveness, punctuality, stinginess (Psychological stopping)

    • Excessive (aggressive anal) release: impulsivity, destructiveness, tantrums, excessive messiness.


2. Erikson - Autonomy vs. Embarrassment and Doubt (1-3)

  • Rapid physical, motor, linguistic development - active

  • Learning to stand on his own two feet (Eating and dressing)

  • Learns to obey the rules of the environment

  • Demonstrating his own will Doubts about his abilities and shame

  • Education for cleanliness - potential for conflict: Demonstration of independence Parents' views on discipline

  • The child learns to control himself and begins a sense of autonomy and independence ("mine", "I am alone")

  • The child struggles for separation ("No-no”)

  • Parental reactions - coercion, too much control over expectation of things he can not do, lack of worry

  • Successful solution: Achieving willpower, which is the basis for any independent action that a person initiates

  • When there is no development of autonomy, the will is damaged, and overcontrol can appear, attachments to rituals


3. Freud - Pali Stage (3-6)

  • Erogenous area - reproduction organs (masturbation and curiosity)

  • A key to the mother figure is intense love with erotic expression (against the background of the recognition of her importance as a caregiver and takes care of the fulfillment of needs)

  • Oedipus/Electra Complex (Freud: 'The Central Drama of Our Lives')

  • Forbidden impulses - ליבידינלית pulls to the mother, touch, heart, desire to control → wish for death

  • Fear of castration (negation of the source of pleasure and fantasies)

  • Emotions mixed in relation to the father

    • Solution: identify with the aggressor (if you can not defeat him, join him).

  • Effort of the father's values and ways of behaving "like a father to win in the future someone like the mother.” Socialization.

  • Empathy with values, prohibitions, control over impulses, depends on a positive resolution of conflicts during this period.

  • Daughter: At first - love for the character who takes care of her. During her observations she discovers that she and her mother are missing what sons and father have. 

    • Biological inferiority and social - jealousy - blames the mother for lack, and transfers love to the father. Identifying with her mother has a way of winning the father.

  • I am supreme - guilt (deeds, wishes)

  • A clear sexual identity for every parent, clear boundaries between the sexes and a boundary between generations - a key to a healthy identity.

  • Clear message to the child: An exclusive positive relationship in which the child cannot be filled by one of the parents even in his absence.

  • The principle of behavior - the principle of morality; Behavior according to the values and norms of society ('ideals')

  • A stage characterized by fantasies about conquest and competition

  • Permanent results: "Pali type": "male" men; Seductive women; Sexual problems.

  • Examples for unsuccessful solution expressions:

    • Difficulty in containing triangular ties. If you're my friend you're just my friend. Extreme fanaticism.

    • Difficulty in being able to contain a hierarchy (great fear or difficulty in accepting the authority of the employer/teacher/commander).


3. Erikson - Initiative vs. Guilt (3-6)

  • Kindergarten: Encouraging diverse activities, new challenges that have the power to encourage creativity

  • Linguistic + Cognitive Development - Able to learn new things and experience new situations to plan and work consistently to achieve a particular goal

  • Expansion of the social world (joint play, division of roles)

  • Accepting responsibility (home roles)

  • Ask “why” a lot

  • Too strict an approach -> Guilt

  • A balance between self-initiative and the demands of others

  • The child begins to talk, move and together with his curiosity develop the initiative - the child acts on the environment!

  • Fearful Initiative - The environment can blame the child for his attempts and cause guilt

    • Positive Solution: Purpose. Ability to set goals and move towards them with confidence without interruption of guilt or fear of punishment


4. Freud - Latency Stage (6-12)

  • The quiet before and after the storm

  • There is no erogenous area

  • Libido is directed to non-sexual (intellectual, social) activities

  • Decreased sexual interest on a physiological background


4. Erikson - Diligence vs. Inferiority (6-12)

  • Transition between kindergarten and elementary school teaches the requirements of the culture to which he belongs and the function required of him as a member of it

    • Reveals the importance of work that has a product on its side, and the need to receive recognition of its ability from the society in which it lives

  • Need to master the increasingly difficult skills of society, studies

  • Mental and social need to achieve (diligence)

  • An important role for parents and the school is to guide and encourage him to find a way to optimal realization

  • Successful solution: Competence/Ability (Competence/industry) 

    • Feeling competent and able to succeed in various tasks in various fields

  • Acquires the degree of ability that enables him to recruit skills to complete tasks

  • If ego fails to achieve a sense of competence - a sense of inferiority. 

    • Despair and feeling that he is not up to the tasks of life

      Unknown


5. Erikson - Defined Identification vs. Unclear (12-18)

  • For Freud this is the genital stage that lasts from young adulthood for the rest of their life

  • Interim situation (small-large) - ambiguity and instability in his position in the eyes of himself and the environment

  • Need to form a permanent self-identity that expresses his worldview and can guide him throughout his life

  • The significant figures - the peer group. 

    • Constitute a role model and also receives feedback from them on his behavior and shapes it accordingly.

  • The adolescent asks himself "Who am I?"

  • Does not have to answer unequivocally. It is a period of moratorium, a time-out for the adolescent to explore different identities and different roles, in order to come out of it with a relatively cohesive personal, sexual, professional and social identity.

  • In contrast to classical psychoanalysts, who argued that the major conflicts at this stage occur between the ego and the id, Erickson argued that the conflict is between different functions within the ego

  • Identity formation includes 3 important components:

  1. A sense of uniformity and consistency in the identity of the adolescent himself.

  2. A sense of uniformity and consistency in the way others see it.

  3. A match between the personal perception and the social perception regarding his personality.

  • Requirements to form an optimal sense of identity:

    • During childhood he acquired self-confidence in his ability and ability to take over new tasks

    • A sense of basic trust, autonomy and initiative

    • A variety of opportunities to experience new roles, imagination and reality, and support

    • Effort on the part of parents and other adults

  • Success in this task leads to a self-definition of identity and personality

  • If he does not succeed - the result will be a blurring of identity (role confusion, the adolescent's inability to choose a clear and consistent identity over time)

    • Another result could be a choice of negative identity, such as a criminal identity. The virtue achieved here is loyalty, which is consistently characterized by self-identity and identification with the family and society in which the adolescent grew up.

  • A normal and expected developmental crisis, which the adolescent usually manages to deal with.

  • Adolescence is marked by the search for self-identity.

  • This feeling develops gradually against the background of his different identities in previous years.

  • First - sometimes pressure to identify with a particular character in the environment

    • Now - he has the ability to combine different identities within his own unique and cohesive identity

  • Warns against the tendency to unnecessarily attribute a pathological nature to the adolescent crisis.

  • "Would some of our teens have experienced so much confusion and embarrassment if they did not know they were expected to have an identity crisis?"

    • An environment can transmit a wrong message that can exacerbate difficulties

  • Physical changes to the young adult can also cause certain losses of self confidence


Defining Adolescence

  • Early adolescence - defines physical development (girls 11-14; boys 12-16)

  • End of adolescence - defines psychosocial development

    • Until age 24? Economic, social, and familial independence

  • During adolescence the adolescent needs to find a new balance between the need for autonomous establishment, and the need to maintain contact with parents

  • Early adolescence: 12-14 - physical changes

  • High school adolescence: 15-17 - increase in independence

  • Later adolescence: 18-20 - adult roles

  • Physiological aspect - changes between sexes

    • Sexual puberty, changes in the brain

    • At age 12 the amygdala (the area responsible for emotions) is more active, at age 25 the frontal lobe is more active (deals with inhibitions, thinking, etc.)

  • Cognitive aspect - changes in the form of thinking

  • Social-emotional aspect - concretizing identity


Theories About Adolescence

  • In the psychological literature today - a certain reluctance from sweeping theoretical explanations that were very common until the 1970s

  • According to various researchers, Anna Freud, Erickson are no longer at the center of the stage and in their place - a trend of "mini-theories" that focus on certain issues in the broad field of adolescence

  • The ביוגנטית theory - Stanley Hall:

    • “Storm and stress” period - Many symptoms of instability - such as sharp fluctuations in mood.

      • The reason: mainly genetic and physiological factors

      • Many of his ideas are not accepted today.

    • Criticism:

      • Ignoring the influence of environmental and cultural factors

      • Non-universal model - observations prove that in many cases mental development during adolescence occurs without special pathology

    • However - the theory had a great influence on the scientific approach to the study of the period.

  • Anna Freud:

    • Acute fluctuations in the adolescent's emotional responses. Manifestations of maladaptation and instability mentally.

    • Origin: 'Instinct anxiety' - the strengthening of the ego and the instinctual impulses against the background of physical and hormonal changes.

    • The relative stability that existed during the period of latency is being undermined and the adolescent has to deal with the reawakening of strong passionate desires that arouse in him anxiety, stress and mental restlessness.

    • "Ego under siege": Strong pressure from the ego requires the ego to mobilize special defense mechanisms to deal with the many conflicts, chief among them:

      • Rationalism (intellectualization) - tendency to 'escape' to the intellectual world and asceticism (tendency to complete escape from anything that is somehow related to passion).

    • Criticism: Although often symptoms that sometimes require therapeutic intervention, in Anna Freud's model the pathological aspect is overemphasized and does not correspond to reality.

  • Mahler:

    • 0-3 and then from the cradle to the grave - the separation process never ends

  • Peter Bloss (psychoanalyst):

    • the second wave of separation-independence

  • Daniel Ofer:

    • Researched 10,000 adolescent boys and found that there was a split between those who were very chilled, those who were more uptight, and those in the middle

    • Checked the correlation to the type of parenting - the more intense children had parenting that was more נוקשה, those in the middle had both present parents but also responsible and involved


Achieving Identity

  • Identity: A structure of past abilities, beliefs and experiences concerning myself.

  • The more developed this structure, the more people are aware of their weaknesses and virtues.

  • The less developed this structure is, the more confused human beings seem to be in their distinction from others and the more they need external sources to evaluate themselves

  • Obscurity of identity (ערפול זהות): Are not engaged in an active exploration of roles and values, nor have they seriously committed to the identity of an adult.

    • Stunned at the possibilities that life offers until you have a hard time finding direction.

    • There are no long-term goals, living for the moment

    • The sense of self does not have a uniform center - "self is made of patches"

    • Normal in early puberty

  • Forming an identity early: Commitment to a system of roles and values without going through a crisis or investigation.

    • They were given roles assigned to them by others (usually parents)

    • Each has several aspects of identity determined by the environment. Here - the whole sense of identity.

    • "It is impossible to achieve a true identity without active search and active struggle" (Erickson)

  • Delayed identity formation: In the midst of an active exploration of personal identification options but have not yet committed to any of them.

    • Developmentally suitable for middle adolescence

  • Achieving identification: Commits to a particular set of roles and values selected after active investigation.

    • A sense of security in consistency and continuity to the self

    • Rarely happens before the late puberty/early adulthood period

  • Throughout the years of adolescence, there is an increase in the stable percentage of the צעירים in the situation of השגת זהות and a decrease in those with ערפול זהות

  • Not even in all areas of life (professional vocation/ideological-political beliefs)

  • Correlation with other variables:

    • Differences in self-worth

      • Identity Achievers> Delayed Formation> Premature Formation> Identity Blurring

    • Differences in anxiety levels

      • Delayed Formation> Identity Achievers>Premature Formation

    • Achieving more goal-oriented identities, choosing more demanding fields of study, taking upon themselves greater personal responsibility for their actions


Social-Emotional Changes

  • David Alkynd: egocentrism of the adolescence age

  1. Imaginary audience - קהל מדומה

    1. Unjustified concern of adolescents, that they are the focus of attention of others

    2. Can already think about the thoughts of others - able to imagine what others might think of them

    3. Can contribute to understanding:

      1. Desire for privacy - Escape from a mock audience

    4. Loud and rude behavior, which indeed draws attention to themselves - others have been looking at me critically, so why not behave like that

  2. A personal tale - מעשייה אישית

    1. The excessive belief of teenagers in their uniqueness to no one before them had thoughts and feelings like theirs.

    2. Their thoughts and feelings are beyond the ability of any other person (especially adults) to achieve or understand.

    3. “You don’t understand what it’s like to be loved”

    4. May include a feeling of not being vulnerable to risks:

      1. The belief in uniqueness sometimes expands to the feeling that bad things are unlikely to happen to them (ignoring the likelihood of a car accident if they drive too fast; Get pregnant etc)

    5. Personal issues that are not often talked about with adults - there is no broader point of view for seeing the new thoughts and feelings, come to the conclusion that they are special

      1. This leads to its preservation

    6. Leading to its development:

      1. Communication with close friends.

      2. Middle Adolescence - Understand that many of their thoughts and feelings are shared by others, and begin to lose their sense of difference.


Cognitive Changes

  • Formal operations:

    • Ability to think systematically (deductive)

    • Ability to think "what" (hypothetical): thinking about the possible and going beyond the necessary truth.

    • Abstract thinking, existential philosophical questions, understanding the finitude of life

    • The fourth organizer - Do I want to live this life?


6. Erikson - Intimacy vs. Loneliness (Early Adulthood)

  • Main task: Reaching intimacy with a partner (romantic + responsibility and commitment) and accepting responsibility in additional frameworks (Work)

  • Establishes itself and its status through productive work. Is asked to make important decisions in his life (choice Profession/Spouse)

  • The person's confidence in the self-identity he has formed for himself should be sufficient so that he does not fear losing himself in the context of the intimate marital relationship.

  • When the person is not cohesive enough, or he is not ready for the concessions required for an intimate partnership, he will suffer from loneliness.

  • A successful solution to the crisis yields the virtue of love, which is a state of mutual devotion, which allows for further examination and self-acquaintance within the relationship.


7. Erikson - Fertility vs. Stagnation (Adulthood)

  • Fertility - various responsibilities: raising and nurturing children, work, society.

  • Graduates who are unable to complete these קופאים על שמריהם

  • Crystallization of self-identity → choosing a life partner → family life

  • For proper parental functioning - Responsibility for the child and a willingness to take care of him and treat him accordingly, as opposed to a tendency to shut himself off and worry about his personal comfort

    • Distinguishing between the very desire to have children and devoting resources to creating an environment that enables good development 

    • Mental maturity is measured, among other things, by the attitude of responsibility and commitment to the family and children

  • Conflict: Tendency to egocentrism and self-love Responsibility for family and society

  • The main focus is on caring for and caring for children and investing resources to ensure security for future generations.

  • During this period the person has to give up and give of himself in order to take care of his children, and their success brings him satisfaction.

  • The positive result is fertility and good self-fulfillment, while a negative solution will lead to stagnation and a feeling of lack of interest in the next generation and in life in general.

  • Stagnation at this stage is sometimes referred to as a mid-life crisis. When the crisis is resolved in a positive way, the degree of concern is achieved, which is the person's ability to take responsibility not only for himself but also for his environment in general.

  • Evolving quality: caring and concern


8. Erikson - Satisfaction of the “I” vs. Despair (Old Age)

  • The way a person sums up for himself the course of his life and the lesson he draws from them for himself and his children

  • A productive and fulfilling life - <Integrity of the self

  • Disappointment - <Despair

  • The person makes a summary of the achievements and failures in his life.

  • When a person looks positively at his development and achievements, manages to integrate the good and evil he has achieved in his life, and feels that he is living a fulfilling and meaningful life, the result will be a sense of unity in the ego.

  • A negative result of such a summary will lead to a feeling of missing out and despair, due to the inability to correct.

  • The acquired virtue is wisdom, accompanied by coming to terms with death and a sense of satisfaction from the life that has passed.

  • "Healthy children should not be afraid of life if their parents are peaceful enough not to be afraid of death."


RB

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Erikson vs. Freud


Psychoanalysis (ניתוח הנפש)

  • 3 components:

  1. Psychological theory

  2. Method of therapy

  3. Methodology of research

  • Theory of the נפש of a person - focuses on the structure of the mind and of the healthy and pathological functions

  • Mental functioning of the person both healthy and sick are perceived as a continuum - רצף

    • We have both pathological and healthy aspects within us

  • Both have a mind characterized by the same structures and processes and the theory investigates both

    • As opposed to a dichotomy perception

  • 4 models:

  1. Typography model - different conscious levels - conscious, close to conscious, subconscious

    1. The importance of the subconscious - פסיכולוגיית המעמקים

  2. Structural model - hypothetical structures in personality

    1. Id, ego, and superego

  3. Dynamic model - A description of the dynamics of the energies and forces acting in the personality

    1. When a lot of energy goes to one place there is less than in another - but there is no loss of energy

  4. Psychosexual developmental model - Personality development over a chronological sequence of sexual development

  • Foundational criteria:

    • 'Psychic Determinism' - there is a reason and meaning to every experience, emotion or behavior (not necessarily conscious). 

      • Psychoanalysis promotes the exposure of unconscious casualty.

      • Is there free choice? - “the I is the master of his house”

        • There are ways to increase your choice - through this process of making the subconscious conscious and working through it

    • The human psyche strives for stability and balance between internal and external forces and different mental structures.

    • Conflict is inevitable - an important and integral part of the personality. 

      • Throughout life - attempts to achieve improvement between opposing forces


Personality - 3 Structures

  1. Id (סתמי) - model impulses

    1. Desire to satisfy immediate needs

  2. Ego (I) - one years old and up, Restraint and satisfaction while taking into account the limitations of reality.

    1. Meditation - balances the id and realistic requirements and the id and the superego

  3. Superego (the upper I) - ages 4-6, includes the norms and values of society

    1. Feelings of guilt, moral compass


The Dynamic Model

  • Man is a complex system powered by energy to which the 'Energy Conservation Law' applies. The source of the basic instinctual energy, which drives the mental processes - the impulses.

  • We have 2 main impulses that drive behavior - דחפי החיים ודחפי המוות

  • The impulse for life - Impulses designed to preserve and nurture the existence and continuity of sex; Build and promote

    • Main driving force: sex drive.

    • Motivates not only sexual activity but the redirection of sexual energy

    • For friendship, construction, creation, love, work, sports, art, etc. - all are a derivative of this impulse

  • Enjoyment isn’t enough to explain behavior so there must also be another impulse - death

  • The impulse of death - Destructive and aggressive impulses.

    • Main driving force: aggression instinct

    • Pushes for verbal and physical violence towards others and towards self.

    • This impulse is needed as well in order to balance us


Psychosexual Development Model

  • The principle of dividing life into stages - At each stage - a different erotogenic area (another physical area that causes pleasure).

    • Psychosexual stages - His satisfaction/dissatisfaction affects the psychological development

  • Each stage is a crucial (critical) period in which one learns something

    • If you do not learn at this stage - difficulties will be caused later.

  • The early years are crucial in shaping the personality.

  • A great crisis or anxiety that makes it difficult to cope:

    • Regression (retreat) - to an earlier developmental stage, where it was still good, and a retreat to the behavior that characterizes that stage.

      • Go back to a stage where they were better balanced

    • Fixation - is fixed at the stage when it is present and behaves according to its characteristics.

    • If over the course of time there weren’t signs of development - you can say he is fixated. If he had developed into the other stages and then returns to an earlier stage then you can say it is regression

      • Once you know which it is then you could know when the psychological issue arose within the child - later in life (regression) or at the time of that stage he is fixated in

    • Prevent normal development


Erikson

  • Treatment of battle-shocked soldiers: During World War II he treated soldiers who suffered from what was then defined as "battle neurosis" - the psyche that could not bear the traumatic sights of the war went into a state of shock, and personal identity was undermined. Erickson called this situation an "identity crisis" - משבר זהות. A concept which in his opinion expressed the fracture beginning in the human psyche

  • Psychoanalytic Therapy: Trained in psychoanalysis and practiced specifically working with children. In contrast to Freud, he saw the importance of the study of the 'ego' (ego) and the processes that take place in it for the purpose of a complete understanding of the mind.

    • The ego is what develops our identity

  • Anthropological research on the subject of identity: A study in the 1950s of Indian tribes and the ways in which they deal with the values of American society. Found that like soldiers who suffered from the shock of battle, here too there was an identity crisis between the members of the tribe, when the values they learned in American schools were contrary to the values of the tribe. Argued that these tribes were not given a reasonable period of time to adapt.


Erikson vs. Freud

  • Erikson started as a psychoanalyst - underwent an analysis with Anna Freud

    • Accepted the main points of Freud's theory (unconscious, impulses, emphasizing the importance of early life stages and more).

  • Differences in times of their stages:

    • Freud: theory goes until adolescence, focusing mainly on the early years

    • Erickson: theory continues over the duration of a person's lifetime.

  • Differences in the basis for division until stages (when to move from one stage to the next):

    • Freud: Psychosexual stages. Physical-biological criteria

    • Erickson: Psychosocial Stages. Focusing on the interaction with the environment and resolving conflicts between internal biological needs and demands and social forces

      • Greater emphasis on influences of the surroundings - this is something positive that leads to better development 

  • Differences in the role of the “I” (the ego):

    • Freud: Mediating id-reality, and making compromises with the upper self (the superego),

    • Erickson: Not just an entity serving two masters but an independent entity. All human behavior, whatever it is, operates under the auspices of the self

      • 2 main roles of the ego:

  1. Building and holding their identity

  2. Achievement of a feeling of control

    1. We see this by Bowlby who says that if a baby cries and someone answers than he feels he has control over the world and this can help him in his development

  • These two - depend on the environment and society. Without the support and help of society in the formation of identity and the creation of control, a person may reach chronic situations of confusion and helplessness.

  • Differences in social perception:

    • Freud: the environment/socialness 'interferes' and blocks the natural satisfaction of human needs (especially the id)

    • Erickson: A positive factor that aids development and functioning through encouragement and guidance

      • Also referred to negative effects of society and culture, such as conflicting and confusing values that make it difficult to form an identity, or societies that emphasize negative values and thus promote negative identity


Uniqueness of the Psychosocial Theory

  • Expanded to one’s whole lifespan

  • Combining the influence of the social/cultural context on development

  • Development of identity and control


Features of this Model

  • Focus on the healthy personality - during development, uniformity, good judgment, and the ability to function are created

  • A developmental crisis is not a pathology - part of the course of life

    • As opposed to Freud, puts more emphasis on what we can gain from these crisis

  • Every aspect that develops at a given stage will remain active and significant in the following stages as well

  • The most important task facing man: the formation of identity. When we are in identity confusion we experience pain and distress.

    • All our lives we have been dealing with the question "Who am I?" And at each stage we give more complex and cohesive answers to this question.

  • 4 components of identity:

  1. Uniqueness - awareness of being special and existing as a distinct and clear human entity

  2. Wholeness and synthesis - a sense of being one whole; Integration between different sides of the personality

  3. Uniformity and continuity - continuity between who we were in the past, who we are today and what we will probably be in the future. Contributes to a sense of permanence in the personality.

  4. Social belonging/solidarity - a sense of belonging and connection to the ideals and values of a particular group that gives the individual confidence

    1. It’s not me against the world rather I am a part of the world

  • Another central topic is achieving control

    • A person always has the need to control his surroundings

    • Control is a separate need - not a part of the impulses

    • If the environment interferes with the creation of a sense of self-control one may enter a state of helplessness

  • Influence of society:

    • Closely linked physical maturation processes to their personal and social meanings.

    • As the child grows and develops, society demands more from him and he must adapt to the requirements.

      • Need to balance how much we react to outer requirements and match them to myself

    • At each stage, a wider social circle influences development and coping with the central crisis - mother, parents and siblings, extended family, people in school, etc.

      • There is also certain points where there is a transition of who influences the child the most


Stages of Development

1. Freud - Oral Stage (0-1)

  • Erogenous area - the mouth

  • A state of complete dependence,

  • The mouth has a critical role in connection with the world: Survival + a major source of pleasure.

    • Nursing/swallowing - דחף החיים, biting - תוקפנות

  • Principle of behavior - principle of enjoyment

  • Positive learning - if a need is satisfied then we are optimistic, accept ourselves, and accept others

    • Go away from things that are painful and continue things that are enjoyable

  • Outcome of fixation (dissatisfaction or too much satisfaction that turns into a need later):

    • "טיפוס אוראלי": excessive preoccupation with the mouth

    • Accompanying character traits: dependence, passivity, childishness, symbolic forms of swallowing

    • Symbolic forms of bite: cynicism, domination, verbal aggression

    • There is only the option of fixation at this point because you can’t do regression since there are no stages that came before

  • According to the defense mechanisms of a person we can also hypothesis about what happened to that person at a certain stage


1. Erikson - Basic Trust vs. Lack of Trust (0-1)

  • Dependence

  • Key developmental challenge - learn to trust others who will meet their needs

    • Through this I learn both about the other and about myself

  • Expression during development: openness, self-confidence and security in the environment and in the world

  • Inconsistency leads to suspicion

  • The trust will be created by a type of sensitive care that is adapted to the individual needs of the child - to his own pace!

  • It is not the quantity that matters but the fit for the child.

  • Acquires an inner sense of trust in my abilities and attitude towards the world (will take care of or not take care of my needs)

    • Depends on how significant the child is meant to feel

  • "I can activate the environment" - I have meaning, I have confidence that it will be okay, I have hope.

  • Healthy development - the right balance in favor of basic trust with the basic suspicion necessary for caution in the appropriate circumstances

  • Successful solution: Acquisition of the trait of hope. A feeling that the future is predictable and positive and that one can cope and achieve what one desires, and also risk failing without too severe an injury to the ego.

  • In case of injury - extreme disturbances can be hopelessness and detachment from reality

*the previous stages are necessary for the future stages


2. Freud - Anal Stage (1-3)

  • Biology-physiology balance between holding (to guard within) to רפיה (to release, throw it outside)

  • Erogenous area - Anus (beginning of control - enjoys stopping and releasing).

    • The secretions themselves are also a focus of pleasure - typical games: wading in puddles, playing in the mud 

      • The child has this power of the secretions בלעדית on him

  • Principle of behavior - principle of reality

    • Ex: teaching to clean up

    • Satisfaction of impulses in the right place and time, taking into account the requirements of reality.

    • He listens to these limitations because he needs and wants them

  • Discovers that there is something he is only in control of, and has the power to decide whether to give it to his parents.

  • Beginning of ego development.

  • Positive learning: give, release, consider reality, creativity, productivity.

  • Outcome of fixation - טיפוס אנאלי

    • Excessive stopping and restraint: extreme order and cleanliness, stubbornness, possessiveness, punctuality, stinginess (Psychological stopping)

    • Excessive (aggressive anal) release: impulsivity, destructiveness, tantrums, excessive messiness.


2. Erikson - Autonomy vs. Embarrassment and Doubt (1-3)

  • Rapid physical, motor, linguistic development - active

  • Learning to stand on his own two feet (Eating and dressing)

  • Learns to obey the rules of the environment

  • Demonstrating his own will Doubts about his abilities and shame

  • Education for cleanliness - potential for conflict: Demonstration of independence Parents' views on discipline

  • The child learns to control himself and begins a sense of autonomy and independence ("mine", "I am alone")

  • The child struggles for separation ("No-no”)

  • Parental reactions - coercion, too much control over expectation of things he can not do, lack of worry

  • Successful solution: Achieving willpower, which is the basis for any independent action that a person initiates

  • When there is no development of autonomy, the will is damaged, and overcontrol can appear, attachments to rituals


3. Freud - Pali Stage (3-6)

  • Erogenous area - reproduction organs (masturbation and curiosity)

  • A key to the mother figure is intense love with erotic expression (against the background of the recognition of her importance as a caregiver and takes care of the fulfillment of needs)

  • Oedipus/Electra Complex (Freud: 'The Central Drama of Our Lives')

  • Forbidden impulses - ליבידינלית pulls to the mother, touch, heart, desire to control → wish for death

  • Fear of castration (negation of the source of pleasure and fantasies)

  • Emotions mixed in relation to the father

    • Solution: identify with the aggressor (if you can not defeat him, join him).

  • Effort of the father's values and ways of behaving "like a father to win in the future someone like the mother.” Socialization.

  • Empathy with values, prohibitions, control over impulses, depends on a positive resolution of conflicts during this period.

  • Daughter: At first - love for the character who takes care of her. During her observations she discovers that she and her mother are missing what sons and father have. 

    • Biological inferiority and social - jealousy - blames the mother for lack, and transfers love to the father. Identifying with her mother has a way of winning the father.

  • I am supreme - guilt (deeds, wishes)

  • A clear sexual identity for every parent, clear boundaries between the sexes and a boundary between generations - a key to a healthy identity.

  • Clear message to the child: An exclusive positive relationship in which the child cannot be filled by one of the parents even in his absence.

  • The principle of behavior - the principle of morality; Behavior according to the values and norms of society ('ideals')

  • A stage characterized by fantasies about conquest and competition

  • Permanent results: "Pali type": "male" men; Seductive women; Sexual problems.

  • Examples for unsuccessful solution expressions:

    • Difficulty in containing triangular ties. If you're my friend you're just my friend. Extreme fanaticism.

    • Difficulty in being able to contain a hierarchy (great fear or difficulty in accepting the authority of the employer/teacher/commander).


3. Erikson - Initiative vs. Guilt (3-6)

  • Kindergarten: Encouraging diverse activities, new challenges that have the power to encourage creativity

  • Linguistic + Cognitive Development - Able to learn new things and experience new situations to plan and work consistently to achieve a particular goal

  • Expansion of the social world (joint play, division of roles)

  • Accepting responsibility (home roles)

  • Ask “why” a lot

  • Too strict an approach -> Guilt

  • A balance between self-initiative and the demands of others

  • The child begins to talk, move and together with his curiosity develop the initiative - the child acts on the environment!

  • Fearful Initiative - The environment can blame the child for his attempts and cause guilt

    • Positive Solution: Purpose. Ability to set goals and move towards them with confidence without interruption of guilt or fear of punishment


4. Freud - Latency Stage (6-12)

  • The quiet before and after the storm

  • There is no erogenous area

  • Libido is directed to non-sexual (intellectual, social) activities

  • Decreased sexual interest on a physiological background


4. Erikson - Diligence vs. Inferiority (6-12)

  • Transition between kindergarten and elementary school teaches the requirements of the culture to which he belongs and the function required of him as a member of it

    • Reveals the importance of work that has a product on its side, and the need to receive recognition of its ability from the society in which it lives

  • Need to master the increasingly difficult skills of society, studies

  • Mental and social need to achieve (diligence)

  • An important role for parents and the school is to guide and encourage him to find a way to optimal realization

  • Successful solution: Competence/Ability (Competence/industry) 

    • Feeling competent and able to succeed in various tasks in various fields

  • Acquires the degree of ability that enables him to recruit skills to complete tasks

  • If ego fails to achieve a sense of competence - a sense of inferiority. 

    • Despair and feeling that he is not up to the tasks of life

      Unknown


5. Erikson - Defined Identification vs. Unclear (12-18)

  • For Freud this is the genital stage that lasts from young adulthood for the rest of their life

  • Interim situation (small-large) - ambiguity and instability in his position in the eyes of himself and the environment

  • Need to form a permanent self-identity that expresses his worldview and can guide him throughout his life

  • The significant figures - the peer group. 

    • Constitute a role model and also receives feedback from them on his behavior and shapes it accordingly.

  • The adolescent asks himself "Who am I?"

  • Does not have to answer unequivocally. It is a period of moratorium, a time-out for the adolescent to explore different identities and different roles, in order to come out of it with a relatively cohesive personal, sexual, professional and social identity.

  • In contrast to classical psychoanalysts, who argued that the major conflicts at this stage occur between the ego and the id, Erickson argued that the conflict is between different functions within the ego

  • Identity formation includes 3 important components:

  1. A sense of uniformity and consistency in the identity of the adolescent himself.

  2. A sense of uniformity and consistency in the way others see it.

  3. A match between the personal perception and the social perception regarding his personality.

  • Requirements to form an optimal sense of identity:

    • During childhood he acquired self-confidence in his ability and ability to take over new tasks

    • A sense of basic trust, autonomy and initiative

    • A variety of opportunities to experience new roles, imagination and reality, and support

    • Effort on the part of parents and other adults

  • Success in this task leads to a self-definition of identity and personality

  • If he does not succeed - the result will be a blurring of identity (role confusion, the adolescent's inability to choose a clear and consistent identity over time)

    • Another result could be a choice of negative identity, such as a criminal identity. The virtue achieved here is loyalty, which is consistently characterized by self-identity and identification with the family and society in which the adolescent grew up.

  • A normal and expected developmental crisis, which the adolescent usually manages to deal with.

  • Adolescence is marked by the search for self-identity.

  • This feeling develops gradually against the background of his different identities in previous years.

  • First - sometimes pressure to identify with a particular character in the environment

    • Now - he has the ability to combine different identities within his own unique and cohesive identity

  • Warns against the tendency to unnecessarily attribute a pathological nature to the adolescent crisis.

  • "Would some of our teens have experienced so much confusion and embarrassment if they did not know they were expected to have an identity crisis?"

    • An environment can transmit a wrong message that can exacerbate difficulties

  • Physical changes to the young adult can also cause certain losses of self confidence


Defining Adolescence

  • Early adolescence - defines physical development (girls 11-14; boys 12-16)

  • End of adolescence - defines psychosocial development

    • Until age 24? Economic, social, and familial independence

  • During adolescence the adolescent needs to find a new balance between the need for autonomous establishment, and the need to maintain contact with parents

  • Early adolescence: 12-14 - physical changes

  • High school adolescence: 15-17 - increase in independence

  • Later adolescence: 18-20 - adult roles

  • Physiological aspect - changes between sexes

    • Sexual puberty, changes in the brain

    • At age 12 the amygdala (the area responsible for emotions) is more active, at age 25 the frontal lobe is more active (deals with inhibitions, thinking, etc.)

  • Cognitive aspect - changes in the form of thinking

  • Social-emotional aspect - concretizing identity


Theories About Adolescence

  • In the psychological literature today - a certain reluctance from sweeping theoretical explanations that were very common until the 1970s

  • According to various researchers, Anna Freud, Erickson are no longer at the center of the stage and in their place - a trend of "mini-theories" that focus on certain issues in the broad field of adolescence

  • The ביוגנטית theory - Stanley Hall:

    • “Storm and stress” period - Many symptoms of instability - such as sharp fluctuations in mood.

      • The reason: mainly genetic and physiological factors

      • Many of his ideas are not accepted today.

    • Criticism:

      • Ignoring the influence of environmental and cultural factors

      • Non-universal model - observations prove that in many cases mental development during adolescence occurs without special pathology

    • However - the theory had a great influence on the scientific approach to the study of the period.

  • Anna Freud:

    • Acute fluctuations in the adolescent's emotional responses. Manifestations of maladaptation and instability mentally.

    • Origin: 'Instinct anxiety' - the strengthening of the ego and the instinctual impulses against the background of physical and hormonal changes.

    • The relative stability that existed during the period of latency is being undermined and the adolescent has to deal with the reawakening of strong passionate desires that arouse in him anxiety, stress and mental restlessness.

    • "Ego under siege": Strong pressure from the ego requires the ego to mobilize special defense mechanisms to deal with the many conflicts, chief among them:

      • Rationalism (intellectualization) - tendency to 'escape' to the intellectual world and asceticism (tendency to complete escape from anything that is somehow related to passion).

    • Criticism: Although often symptoms that sometimes require therapeutic intervention, in Anna Freud's model the pathological aspect is overemphasized and does not correspond to reality.

  • Mahler:

    • 0-3 and then from the cradle to the grave - the separation process never ends

  • Peter Bloss (psychoanalyst):

    • the second wave of separation-independence

  • Daniel Ofer:

    • Researched 10,000 adolescent boys and found that there was a split between those who were very chilled, those who were more uptight, and those in the middle

    • Checked the correlation to the type of parenting - the more intense children had parenting that was more נוקשה, those in the middle had both present parents but also responsible and involved


Achieving Identity

  • Identity: A structure of past abilities, beliefs and experiences concerning myself.

  • The more developed this structure, the more people are aware of their weaknesses and virtues.

  • The less developed this structure is, the more confused human beings seem to be in their distinction from others and the more they need external sources to evaluate themselves

  • Obscurity of identity (ערפול זהות): Are not engaged in an active exploration of roles and values, nor have they seriously committed to the identity of an adult.

    • Stunned at the possibilities that life offers until you have a hard time finding direction.

    • There are no long-term goals, living for the moment

    • The sense of self does not have a uniform center - "self is made of patches"

    • Normal in early puberty

  • Forming an identity early: Commitment to a system of roles and values without going through a crisis or investigation.

    • They were given roles assigned to them by others (usually parents)

    • Each has several aspects of identity determined by the environment. Here - the whole sense of identity.

    • "It is impossible to achieve a true identity without active search and active struggle" (Erickson)

  • Delayed identity formation: In the midst of an active exploration of personal identification options but have not yet committed to any of them.

    • Developmentally suitable for middle adolescence

  • Achieving identification: Commits to a particular set of roles and values selected after active investigation.

    • A sense of security in consistency and continuity to the self

    • Rarely happens before the late puberty/early adulthood period

  • Throughout the years of adolescence, there is an increase in the stable percentage of the צעירים in the situation of השגת זהות and a decrease in those with ערפול זהות

  • Not even in all areas of life (professional vocation/ideological-political beliefs)

  • Correlation with other variables:

    • Differences in self-worth

      • Identity Achievers> Delayed Formation> Premature Formation> Identity Blurring

    • Differences in anxiety levels

      • Delayed Formation> Identity Achievers>Premature Formation

    • Achieving more goal-oriented identities, choosing more demanding fields of study, taking upon themselves greater personal responsibility for their actions


Social-Emotional Changes

  • David Alkynd: egocentrism of the adolescence age

  1. Imaginary audience - קהל מדומה

    1. Unjustified concern of adolescents, that they are the focus of attention of others

    2. Can already think about the thoughts of others - able to imagine what others might think of them

    3. Can contribute to understanding:

      1. Desire for privacy - Escape from a mock audience

    4. Loud and rude behavior, which indeed draws attention to themselves - others have been looking at me critically, so why not behave like that

  2. A personal tale - מעשייה אישית

    1. The excessive belief of teenagers in their uniqueness to no one before them had thoughts and feelings like theirs.

    2. Their thoughts and feelings are beyond the ability of any other person (especially adults) to achieve or understand.

    3. “You don’t understand what it’s like to be loved”

    4. May include a feeling of not being vulnerable to risks:

      1. The belief in uniqueness sometimes expands to the feeling that bad things are unlikely to happen to them (ignoring the likelihood of a car accident if they drive too fast; Get pregnant etc)

    5. Personal issues that are not often talked about with adults - there is no broader point of view for seeing the new thoughts and feelings, come to the conclusion that they are special

      1. This leads to its preservation

    6. Leading to its development:

      1. Communication with close friends.

      2. Middle Adolescence - Understand that many of their thoughts and feelings are shared by others, and begin to lose their sense of difference.


Cognitive Changes

  • Formal operations:

    • Ability to think systematically (deductive)

    • Ability to think "what" (hypothetical): thinking about the possible and going beyond the necessary truth.

    • Abstract thinking, existential philosophical questions, understanding the finitude of life

    • The fourth organizer - Do I want to live this life?


6. Erikson - Intimacy vs. Loneliness (Early Adulthood)

  • Main task: Reaching intimacy with a partner (romantic + responsibility and commitment) and accepting responsibility in additional frameworks (Work)

  • Establishes itself and its status through productive work. Is asked to make important decisions in his life (choice Profession/Spouse)

  • The person's confidence in the self-identity he has formed for himself should be sufficient so that he does not fear losing himself in the context of the intimate marital relationship.

  • When the person is not cohesive enough, or he is not ready for the concessions required for an intimate partnership, he will suffer from loneliness.

  • A successful solution to the crisis yields the virtue of love, which is a state of mutual devotion, which allows for further examination and self-acquaintance within the relationship.


7. Erikson - Fertility vs. Stagnation (Adulthood)

  • Fertility - various responsibilities: raising and nurturing children, work, society.

  • Graduates who are unable to complete these קופאים על שמריהם

  • Crystallization of self-identity → choosing a life partner → family life

  • For proper parental functioning - Responsibility for the child and a willingness to take care of him and treat him accordingly, as opposed to a tendency to shut himself off and worry about his personal comfort

    • Distinguishing between the very desire to have children and devoting resources to creating an environment that enables good development 

    • Mental maturity is measured, among other things, by the attitude of responsibility and commitment to the family and children

  • Conflict: Tendency to egocentrism and self-love Responsibility for family and society

  • The main focus is on caring for and caring for children and investing resources to ensure security for future generations.

  • During this period the person has to give up and give of himself in order to take care of his children, and their success brings him satisfaction.

  • The positive result is fertility and good self-fulfillment, while a negative solution will lead to stagnation and a feeling of lack of interest in the next generation and in life in general.

  • Stagnation at this stage is sometimes referred to as a mid-life crisis. When the crisis is resolved in a positive way, the degree of concern is achieved, which is the person's ability to take responsibility not only for himself but also for his environment in general.

  • Evolving quality: caring and concern


8. Erikson - Satisfaction of the “I” vs. Despair (Old Age)

  • The way a person sums up for himself the course of his life and the lesson he draws from them for himself and his children

  • A productive and fulfilling life - <Integrity of the self

  • Disappointment - <Despair

  • The person makes a summary of the achievements and failures in his life.

  • When a person looks positively at his development and achievements, manages to integrate the good and evil he has achieved in his life, and feels that he is living a fulfilling and meaningful life, the result will be a sense of unity in the ego.

  • A negative result of such a summary will lead to a feeling of missing out and despair, due to the inability to correct.

  • The acquired virtue is wisdom, accompanied by coming to terms with death and a sense of satisfaction from the life that has passed.

  • "Healthy children should not be afraid of life if their parents are peaceful enough not to be afraid of death."