preview

Erikson and Personal Psychosocial Stage

Better Essays

Renowned psychologist Erik Erikson is best known for his theory of psychosocial stages of personality development. Unlike Freud, Erikson’s theory spans a person’s entire lifespan, from childhood to old age. One of the main elements of Erikson’s psychosocial stage theory is the development of ego identity (Cherry, 2013). Ego Identity is the conscious sense of self that we develop through social interaction (Cherry, 2013). Erikson believed that our ego identity is constantly changing due to new experiences and information we acquire in our daily interactions with others (Cherry, 2013). The stages of Erikson’s theory are concerned with becoming competent in an area of life (Cherry, 2013). Erikson believed that if a stage is handled …show more content…

I do try to make connections when I can. My life consists most of going to the gym, bike riding or running, work, and school. These activities keep me fairly busy, and I don’t always have a lot of time for going out. I am not really into the bar scene as I don’t drink. Very shortly after I graduated with my undergraduate degree, I was diagnosed with some serious health problems. I was hospitalized three times before doctors arrived at an accurate diagnosis. The resulting ongoing issues with my health sometimes inhibit the forming of meaningful relationships. Although I am shy by nature, I try not to let this keep me from getting along and conversing with people at work and in general. It is just that shyness is a tendency, one that I need to be aware of. I try to get outside of my comfort zone and talk to people to form acquaintance-type relationships. Although these are not meaningful relationships, they are the type of relationships I have with people at work, and it makes work more pleasant to have people to talk to and converse with as I go throughout the day. Being shy, and in a stage where I should be finding meaningful relationships is a hindrance, and could be seen as a negative effect on the stage that I am currently in. My mother tells me that when I was very young I was very extroverted and made a lot of friends easily. As I got older I developed a weight problem and was overweight throughout middle school and high school. I

Get Access