Erik Erikson

2. Erik Erikson • Coolest sounding name in psychology?

3. Ego Psychology • Stresses the importance of the ego in development • Freud’s view of the ego vs. Erikson’s view • Emphasizes the integration of biological and social forces in the development of the ego

4. Ego Development • Occurs in a series of predetermined stages • Eight stages • Each stage has a crisis • A crucial period in which a decisive turn is unavoidable • Stages are dependent on each other • A positive or negative turn at an earlier stage affects later stages

5. Oral-Sensory Stage • Birth – 1 year • Basic trust vs. mistrust • Similar to Freud’s oral stage • If mother acts in a loving or considerate manner, the infant will develop basic trust • Ego understands people are dependable • If mother is unreliable or rejecting the infant will develop mistrust

6. Muscular-Anal Stage • 2 – 3 years • Autonomy vs. shame and doubt • Similar to Freud’s anal stage • Child’s muscles mature, starts to learn how to control them • Parents attempt to teach child to obey them – conflict of will and power

7. Muscular-Anal Stage • If parents guide their children's behavior gradually and firmly • Autonomy and self-control is engendered • If too permissive or too harsh • Child senses defeat and has shame and doubt concerning their abilities to make effective judgments

8. Locomotor-Genital Stage • 4 – 5 years • Initiative vs. doubt • Similar to Freud’s phallic stage • At this point child senses they are an individual • Must find out what kind of people they may become

9. Locomotor-Genital Stage • Start to see fantasy play about being an adult • Occupation • Various roles • Marriage (to the opposite sex parent) • If family understands and guides such play in socially acceptable acitivityue • Initiative is sparked (play more) • If children are punished for such fantasy play • Guilt occurs

10. Latency Stage • 6 – 12 years • Industry vs. inferiority • Similar to Freud’s latency stage • Period where children start to learn new skills • If children succeed they will develop a sense of industry • If children fail they will develop feelings of inferiority

11. Adolescence • 13 – 19 years • Identity vs. role confusion • From the previous stages a person has a sense they are somebody • Part of a family • Sense of independence • Ability to take initiative • Able to complete tasks

12. Adolescence • But “who” are they? • Identity • The things we are, the things we want to become, and the things we are suppose to become

13. Adolescence • Identity Crisis • Role confusion • Who and what one should become • Embrace simple ideologies of other (heroes)

14. Adolescence • Identity • Role confusion

15. Young Adulthood • 20 – 24 years • Intimacy vs. isolation

16. Young Adulthood • Such relations are only possible after an identity has been established • Share identity • Must be willing to sacrifice • Must be willing to regulate the cycles of • Work • Procreation • Recreation

17. Young Adulthood • Success means you have the capacity for intimacy • Failure means you experience a sense of isolation • Will not take a chance with your identity • Love is only superficial • Success means you have the capacity for intimacy • Failure means you experience a sense of isolation • Will not take a chance with your identity • Love is only superficial

18. Middle Adulthood • 25 – 64 years • Generativity vs. stagnation • Are you going to be productive and contribute to the welfare of the next generation?

19. Middle Adulthood • Generativity • Concerned not only with self development but also helping the next generation • Does not have to involve own children • Stagnation • Lack of productivity, boredom, and interpersonal impoverishment

20. Late Adulthood • 65 years – death • Ego integrity vs. despair • Death is near. . . .How was your life?

21. Late Adulthood • Ego integrity • Adapted to triumphs and disappointments • Generated ideas (or others) • Conclude your life had meaning and unity • Accept your death as part of life

22. Late Adulthood • Despair • Unable to accept inevitable failures of life • Had a selfish or uncaring life • Despair because you know you are going to die – no way to “redo” your life

23. Eight Stages of Man

25. “It is not things in themselves that trouble us, but our opinions of things.” • “Change your thoughts and you change your world." • “I do not react to some absolute reality, but to my perception of this reality. It is this perception which for me is reality.”

26. Awareness is everything! • Conscious experience is all that matters • The past is only important if it affects your thoughts and feelings now • Even if “reality” exists, it doesn’t matter • Note how different from other approaches • Trait • Genetic • Psychodynamic

27. Humanistic Psychology • The study of the mind is different than any other science • The mind is aware! • The mind is attempting to understand the mind

28. Awareness • Existentialism • The cs mind has a sense of “existence” • Phenomenological • The “phenomenon” of experience • Humanistic • This phenomenon is uniquely human

29. Phenomenological, Humanistic, and Existentialism • Free will • Awareness • Meaning • Responsibilities of free will • The object of study are human beings

30. Free Will • Previous approaches • CS experience is personality • The UCS mind does not matter • The past does not matter • Only times these do matter is if you let them • Gordon Liddy example

31. Awareness • What does it feel like to exist? • Umwelt • Senses you feel as a biological organism • Mitwelt • Feelings related to social experiences • Eigenwelt • Feelings when you think of your own existence

32. What would you have been like if you. . . • Were born to an extremely wealth family? • Were born to an extremely poor family? • Were born in North Dakota in 1952? • Were born in England in 1500?

33. Thrown-ness • The circumstances into which you happened to be born • What time period do you think it is most difficult to find a sense of meaning?

34. Meaning • Modern times • Why are you here? • What should you be doing? • Angst • Existential anxiety

35. What to do? • “Lucky mud” • Free choice – must not “blow” your chance to find “meaning” • Not a “true” meaning, but a personal “meaning”

36. Authentic Existence • Come to terms with your existence • Life is shot • You will die • You are in control of your choices – find meaning • Still not a “happy” existence • Life is shot • Your will die • Meaning is only an illusion

37. Bad Faith • Avoid Angst • Stop worrying about the problems of existence

38. Bad Faith • Problems • 1) Living a lie • Might as well just be the “unlucky mud” • 2) Still will not be happy • 3) Still making a choice • Chosen not to chose is a choice • “Man is condemned to freedom”