AP+P3+2014-15+Erik+Erikson

Lauren Letarte, Sophia Phillips, Chris Bohlman

Erik Erikson

__Aim--Sophia:__

Erik Erikson aimed to, with personal and external studies, uncover the subconscious and conscious motivations that create human personality. His interest in the topic spurred from his experiences as an illegitimate child who was lied to about the identity of his father for much of his childhood, as well as having an unknown, mixed ethnic background of which he was teased about. Thus, finding an answer to “the formation of identity [would ease] a feeling of confusion about who he really was” (Cherry 1). This manifested in his studies primarily with children but also with emotionally distraught individuals of various ages in order to break down identity growth throughout the life cycle. His theory of the psychosocial stages proposed that identity crises exist at each stage of development because the “ psychological needs of the individual (i.e. psycho) conflict with the needs of society (i.e. social)” (McLeod 1). When applied, this revealed that distress felt at certain points in a person’s life could often be traced back to failures of development in previous stages, which then heavily influenced their ability to deal with the additional crises of the current stage. However, Erikson noted that his findings were more of an overview than a full explanation of personality maturation; he was unsuccessful in finding an explanation as to how failure in previous stages directly affects subsequent stages. Regardless, he achieved his goal of finding understanding in psychosocial human growth both for himself and others, and the adoption of his theories into common psychological belief has validated and preserved his work for further discussion and research.

Cherry, Kendra. "Erik Erikson Biography: 1902-1994." Psychology. About.com, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2014. McLeod, Sam. "Erik Erikson." Simply Psychology. SimplyPsychology.org, 2008. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.

__Historical--Lauren:__ Although born in Frankfort, Germany, in 1902, Erik Erikson has made an extreme impact on history worldwide. Often compared to Sigmund Freud, Erikson “has made a contribution to the field of psychology with his developmental theory” (Sharkey). Growing up preferring art, language, and sociality over biology and chemistry, Erikson spent a majority of his time focused on the outside world and humanity. In 1933, attending Harvard Medical School, he made history as Boston’s first child analyst. He is most renowned, however, for his theory of eight stages of psychological development. These stages are still put to use and followed by many doctors, psychiatrists, and parents today. Erikson’s theory has brought forth a further understanding in human identity at particular age groups as well as aiding in steps toward the understanding of particular individuals on a more personal level. Overall, without Erikson’s contribution to the furthering of humanity, the skills to recognize particular aspects of life would not be available and the advancement throughout history would not have taken place.

Sharkey, Wendy. "Erik Erikson." Psychology History. Muskingum, May 1997. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.

Miller, P. (1983). Theories of Developmental Psychology. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company.

Santrock, J.(1996). Child Development. Dubuque, IA: Brown and Benchmark Publishers.

__Cultural--Chris__ The cultural impact of Erik Erikson was rather important when looking at his contributions to the aspect of social psychology. Erikson spurred the evolution of social development culture by introducing his stages, which reflected his belief in how identity was made throughout life (Cramer). Erikson believed that sociocultural forces were at play throughout the life of a person, and these influenced the feelings in later adulthood. Culturally, this had an impact because it showed how surroundings were important and how human society affected development. Erikson himself says, “e go identity… must have derived from all of his pre-adult experience in order to be ready for the tasks of adulthood” (Erikson). This shows how Erikson believes that culture in a psychological sense is what makes an individual able to translate to adulthood tasks well. Erikson’s achievements show how psychosocial development is more complicated than one might think, as it includes a variety of influences that even extends to one’s adulthood. His psychosocial cultural impact is large, simply because of his realization that culture itself is the driving force behind maturity in adulthood.

Cramer, Craig. “Erik Erikson's 8 Stages of Psychosocial Development”. Cortland: 1997. Web. 15 October 2014.

Erik, Erikson. “The Problem of Ego Identity”. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association: 1956. Web. 15 October 2014.