The Application of Erik Erikson's Theories

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Erik Erikson was a researcher of the Psychodynamic perspective who lived through the years 1902 to 1994. He developed a theory that dealt with the stages of human development and was referred to as a Neo-Freudian. A Neo-Freudian are those “who have revised Sigmund Freud’s theory” (Massey, 1986). His theory argued that “both society and culture challenge and shape us” (Feldman, 2011). Erik Erikson’s theory of psychological development does not specify specific ages, so the age categories can only be guessed upon. It is my personal thought that this was a smart move due to different age milestones for different cultures. The essay titled Erik Erikson: Ages, stages, and stories argues that the stages “are organized into a system of polarities that tempt us to think about psychological dynamics in a form that is more binary than Erikson intended.” Each stage has a ‘resolution’ or goal. Each stage presents a “crisis or conflict that the individual must resolve” (Feldman, 2011, p.16) The purpose of this paper we will be applying Erikson’s eight stage theory to our research subject Belinda Hickman and projecting what the subject will encounter in later life stages. Belinda Hickman is a 21 year old female of mixed Hispanic/Caucasian decent living in Lincoln, Nebraska. She was born and raised in the same town by her parents Rob and Patricia Hickman. The subject’s parents are married she still lives at home while going to school. Infancy: Trust v. Mistrust. The first stage of Erikson’s theory occurs in infancy, which occurs roughly from birth to 18 months. Infancy is an important stage according to Erikson’s theory. In this stage, the individual learns how to trust other individuals. If all the individual’s needs are met in this stage... ... middle of paper ... ...chosocial Stages Applied to Supervision. Guidance & Counseling, 21(3), 168-173. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Ginsburg, H. J. (1992). CHILDHOOD INJURIES AND ERIKSON'S PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGES. Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 20(2), 95-100. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Massey, R. F. (1986). Erik Erikson: New-Adlerian. Individual Psychology: The Journal of Adlerian Theory, Research & Practice, 42(1), 65. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Goodwin, A. (1998). Freud and Erikson: Their Contributions to the Psychology of God-Image Formation. Pastoral Psychology, 47(2), 97-117. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Bradley, C. L., & Marcia, J. E. (1998). Generativity-Stagnation: A Five-Category Model. Journal of Personality, 66(1), 39. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Feldman, Robert S.. Development across the life span . 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.

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