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Erickson's Human Development Theory: Social Application

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Based on Eric Erickson's 8 stages of Personality Development Theory.

Techniques and approaches developed

a. Populations on which the techniques are used

b. Multicultural issues in using these approaches

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Solution Summary

The solution looks at the work of Erik Erickson, a German-American Erikson is a psychologist and psychoanalyst who developed theories of the self and of personality development. The solution provides comprehensive discussion on the following:

- the particulars of Erickson´s human development theory
- a discussion of the approaches/techniques
- a look at the multicultural/social application of his theory

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Dear Student,
I decided to give you a discussion as there aren't many published work that explain present an application of the quantified work of Erikson in terms of its application to explain social behavior. Perhaps you have some in your materials. Therefore, use this solution as a guide in understanding those passages you have.

Erik H. Erikson's Personality Development Theory

German-American Erikson is a psychologist and psychoanalyst who developed theories of the self and of personality development. A Neo-Freudian, he studied the span of human development in the varied stages of life. He proposed the following 8 stages that encompass thus:

? Hope - Basic Trust vs. Mistrust - Infant stage. Does the child believe its caregivers to be reliable?
? Will - Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt - Toddler stage. Child needs to learn to explore the world. Bad if the parent is too smothering or completely neglectful.
? Purpose - Initiative vs. Guilt - Kindergarten - Can the child plan or do things on his own, such as dress him or herself. If "guilty" about making his or her own choices, the child will not function well. Erikson has a positive outlook on this stage, saying that most guilt is quickly compensated by a sense of accomplishment.
? Competence - Industry vs. Inferiority - Around age 6 to puberty. The child is comparing self worth to others (such as in a classroom environment). Child can recognize major disparities in personal abilities relative to other children. Erikson places some emphasis on the teacher, who should ensure that children do not feel inferior.
? Fidelity - Identity vs. Role Confusion - Teenager. There is a questioning of self. Who am I, how do I fit in? Where am I going in life? Erikson believes that if the parents allow the child to explore, they will conclude their own identity. However, if the parents continually push him/her to conform to their views, the teen will face identity confusion.
? Love (in intimate relationships, work and family) - Intimacy vs. Isolation ...

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