Erikson

Question 1

How did Erikson’s ego psychology theory drift from Freud’s psychoanalysis?

Answer 1

• rather than being id-ego-superego, it was interaction btw id-ego-superego and external social world
• emphasised psychosocial rather than psychosexual
• shifted from abnormal defensively motivated behaviours to HEALTHY fning of ego

Question 2

What is the difference btw Eriskon and Freud’s ego?

Answer 2

• Erikson’s ego is the centre of personality, Freud’s is a reified part of his tripartite theory

Question 3

What is the role of Erikson’s ego?

Answer 3

• main role was to establish and maintain our sense of identity

Question 4

What was Erikson’s focus of the mother’s role in the formation of the ego?

Answer 4

• social interaction btw the infant and its interpersonal world

Question 5

What was Erikson’s epigenetic principle?

Answer 5

• that there are 8 various stages of life –> need to overcome these crises in order to get to the next stage
• each one is built on a previous stage

Question 6

What are the 8 stages of Erikson’s personality development?

Answer 6

• hope
• will
• purpose
• competence
• fidelity
• love (young adulthood)
• care
• wisdom

Question 7

Which parts of each stage must someone overcome to reach the next stage?

Answer 7

• syntonic vs. dystonic: both are just as important as each other

Question 8

What is the basic strength that emerges in young adulthood?

Answer 8

• LOVE

Question 9

What did Erikson about identity crisis?

Answer 9

• that some adolescents experience identity crisis –> a temporary period of confusion and distress as they experiment with alternatives before settling on a set of values and goals.

Question 10

What did Baumeister say against Freud’s ‘identity crisis’?

Answer 10

• although adolescents question their self-values, they experience identity exploration, not confusion

Question 11

What is some refutability against Erikson’s theory?

Answer 11

• James Marcia identified 4 different modes of identity formation’
• Rosenthal developed the Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory
• over 300 studies alone on ego-integrity

Question 12

What are Marcia’s ‘modes of identity formation’?

Answer 12

• identity achievement: definite commitments
• moratorium: exploring possible commitments
• identity foreclosure: adopted others’ commitments (inflexible, susceptible to cult-following)
• identity diffusion: no characteristics, can lead to alcoholism etc.