Deck 6: Erik Erikson: Identity Theory

Question 1

Describe the kinds of identity crises Erikson experienced in childhood and adolescence. Note how they were reflected in his theory.

Answer 1

The kinds of identity crises that "Mr. E" experienced in childhood and adolescence:
"Mr. E" experienced several identity crises in his childhood and at the stage of adolescence. In his childhood, his mother did not tell him who his real father was. She was from a wealthy family of Jewish origin and she was married to a person who disappeared very soon after marriage.
She was given baby by another man whose name was not revealed by her. To avoid unhealthy questions, she left the country. Later, she was married to the pediatrician of the baby (Mr. E) in Country G. Hence, Mr. E's identity remained to be a question forever.
During Mr. E's school days, G people ignored him, as his looks were very different and his parents were from Jewish origin. Hence, he faced crises in his identity.
He was an average student in academics but he was talented in art. This talent made him to prove himself and create a unique identity.
Reflections of identity crisis in the theory of Mr. E:
The theory of Mr. E focuses on the development of personality. He states that the personality of a person is developed only when he does not face any crisis of identity in his childhood.
This theory is based on the impact of social and cultural forces faced by an individual in his lifetime.

Question 2

Describe research findings on the development of ego identity in adolescence and on generativity in middle age.

Answer 2

Research on development of ego identity in adolescence and on generativity of middle ages:
Ego identity scale is nominated to measure progress of ego identity at the stage of adolescence. The generativity scale is a form of 20 item self report inventories that measures generativity level or dormant adulthood.
Mr. E enunciated social and historical factors that hinder the creation of ego identity. In turn this affects nature of personality. It also focuses on fluctuations of emotional life from initial time in following ways. They are:
1. Changes in positive emotionality (PEM) are active and happy participating in a person's work and environments.
2. Negative emotionality (NEM) is characterized through feeling of anxiety, stress, anger, and number of other negative emotions.
Mr. E defines identity consolidating process to deal success of social realities in adult life. It involves number of adjustments that change social world demands. He also believed that identity consolidation occurs in 20s because at this stage people take adult responsiveness like family, marriage, and career.
A study stated that women graduates at 21 to 27 age groups having ranked higher in ego resiliency and found marriage identity remain high in identity consolidation than people who failed to meet these criteria.
Studies on women from 22 to 60 age groups were found to have positive relation and readiness to change in respect to identity commitment at various developmental stages. Looking forward into contemplating life and positively linked likelihood exploring varied identity in later part of life.
There were also women who dealt with fluctuating physical realities in adult life like body image in breast cancer after undergoing surgery. This identity crisis is very hard to be resolved.
Research in adulthood of psychosocial development depicted generativity over mid ages with positive correlation like power and intimacy motivation. Thus Mr. E predicted generativity suggests needs that felt closer to others and strong in relation to themselves.
There was also another study that coupled with generativity and nurturance. These factors were considered as characteristics needed for teaching and mentoring next generation. The middle age generativity experiences affectionate and warm parenting in childhood.
Research also supported significance of father and mother in child's emotional well-being. The middle age adults scored high in generativity believing in goodness and worthy human life to be satisfied with self than people who scored low generativity.
Other studies also extended findings stating people with increased generativity score high meticulousness, altruism, dutifulness, extraversion, competence, and openness than the ones with low generativity.
In a larger scale cultural fluctuations had negative impact over attitude of younger generation over their elders. This may prevent usefulness in occurrences of mentoring activities.
There were other researches that proved decrease in generativity among old people out of touch with modern technological developments. They feel obsolete regard with internet and social media. They were also unable to relate and mentor young generations. In addition, they believed to be not appreciated or esteemed leading disengagement of generative goals and behaviors.

Question 3

In what ways is Erikson's theory similar to and different from Freud's theory

Answer 3

The following are the ways by which Mr. E's theory is similar and different to the theory of Mr. F:
Mr. E developed eight stages of personality development. Among the eight stages, four stages were similar to Mr. F's theory and remaining four stages were different from his theory.
The stages that are similar to Mr. F's theory are anal, oral, phallic, and latency stages.
Oral-sensory stage:
Oral-sensory stage of development of Mr. E is almost the same as Mr. F. Oral stage is the foremost stage that occurs in psychosexual development. The sexual behavior starts at the birth and lasts sometimes until the age of two. At this stage, the infant's principal pleasure occurs with mouth. In addition, the baby derives pleasure from biting, sucking, and swallowing.
The baby is more dependent on its mother. However, Mr. E adds that both biological and social environment is involved in the oral-sensory stage between a mother and her child.
The way by which a baby communicates with its mother help us in understanding whether there is trust or mistrust between the two individuals. If the mother exhibits love and affection, then there is an act of trust whereas when she exhibits hatred towards the baby, there is an act of mistrust.
Muscular-anal stage:
Generally in the current trend, the parents change themselves according to the requirements of infant an in turn they expect a little from their infant. The situation fluctuates hugely at 18 months with new demand. This new demand may refer to the toilet training made for a child. This toilet training experience affects one's personality.
The child learns to do many things on its own without getting much help from its parents. They learn to walk, push and pull each other, lean, bite, and swallow eatables. They try to communicate in a much better way than they were before. The child feels proud of itself in this stage.
The most important crisis that might take place between the baby and the mother is toilet training. Some parents might expect that the baby must learn the time and place of using toilet. The parents might feel annoyed if the baby does not listen to them. This might avoid the baby from being independent. Hence, the conflict is more psychosocial when compared with biological.
Locomotor-genital stage:
Locomotor-genital stage begins from the age of 3 and lasts up to 5 years. This is similar to the phallic stage of Mr. F. Here, the focus shifts from anus to individual's genitals. This is related to the id impulse and societal demands reflected over a child's expectation from parents.
The children take initiatives and accomplish their tasks on their own. They create their own desire to fulfil their needs and wishes.
There are two phases of locomotor-genital stage. The first stage is the stage in which the parents might support the child. This will motivate the child and it starts to do things on its own. The second phase is that the parents might scold the child which may demotivate it and hence the child drops the initiative of setting goals and targets.
Latency stage:
This stage occurs at the age of 6 and lasts till the age of 11. The child does not feel about sex and learns the art of friendship with the people of same sex groups. It learns good manners and behavior in school from the teachers and friends. The child experiences success and feels that it had successfully completed the given task.
The difference in theory occurred when Mr. E focused on psychosocial correlates. Mr. F concentrated only on the biological factors. In addition, he says that both the biological and social factors affect the personality development of an individual.
The theory of Mr. E involves certain personal conflicts that are being met out during different stages of the life of a person.

Question 4

Discuss how the ethnic identity of ethnicminority adolescents can affect the formation of ego identity as well as subsequent attitudes and behavior.

Question 5

What did Erikson mean by the concept of identity confusion What evidence did he find for it among Native Americans Among combat veterans of World War II

Question 6

How can online role-playing games help adolescents establish an ego identity

Question 7

How does Erikson's epigenetic principle of maturation account for the effects of genetic and social factors on personality

Question 8

In what ways do people high in generativity differ from people low in generativity

Question 9

Describe the role of conflict in the stages of psychosocial development.

Question 10

Describe the proposed stages for the development of gender preference identity.

Question 11

Describe the four childhood stages of psychosocial development. Discuss the effects of various parental behaviors on the possible outcomes of each stage.

Question 12

Contrast identity cohesion and role confusion as adaptive versus maladaptive ways of coping during adolescence.

Question 13

What is the major difference between the first four developmental stages and the last four developmental stages

Question 14

What factors affect the development of ego identity Why do some people fail to achieve an identity at this stage

Question 15

How can the conflicts of the adult stages of psychosocial development be resolved in positive ways

Question 16

What are the two ways of adapting to maturity and old age How can a person achieve the positive way of adapting

Question 17

Describe the basic strengths at each stage of psychosocial development.

Question 18

Distinguish between the two types of maldevelopment. How can these conditions be corrected

Question 19

How does Erikson's image of human nature differ from Freud's

Question 20

What methods of assessment did Erikson use in developing his theory

Question 21

Based on the results of his play-constructions research, what did Erikson conclude about sex differences in personality On what grounds can we criticize these conclusions