The Social / Emotional Side Of Development

Erikson was a German psychologist and psychoanalyst. He was a student of Freud, and was greatly influenced by his theories of personality development. Similarly to Winnicott, Erikson drew on his experiences as a child analyst, to inform his contributions. Erikson’s theories, like Winnicott, are highly regarded today.

This Trust vs. Mistrust crisis occurs during the first year and a half of life with hope being the basic virtue once the stage is successfully completed (McLeod, 2013). When a sense of trust is developed, the infant will know that if a new crises arises, their needs will be met by the outside world. These physical and emotional needs include: being fed when hungry, kept warm and dry, allowed undisturbed sleep, protection from disease and injury, and receive adequate stimulation (Hutchison,

The first stage of Erikson's psychosocial stage is trust vs. mistrust, which is experienced, in the first year of life. Infants learn to trust in order to satisfy their needs thus developing a feeling of self-worth. When infants receive inconsistent care they

Erikson was a psychologist who was greatly influenced by Freud. Although influenced by Freud there are some differences in there developmental stages. Erikson believed that development in an individual was molded by society, culture, and environment. While Freud’s belief was that development is in some way is influenced by the fixation of sexual interest of different areas of the body. The stages in Erikson’s development theory outline how important social experiences can shape us. While Freud’s theory is mainly based on ones sexuality. Additionally the other significant difference between Erikson’s and Freud’s theories is the outcome of a particular stage. Erikson believed that the outcome of a certain stage was not permanent and that it could be changed later on in life. While Freud presumed that if an individual became fixated on a stage problems associated with that stage would be carried on through life.

Erikson’s theory of personality is based on his eight stages of development. In each of these eight stages of

| Development of basic trust, a derivative of the positive attachment between the infant and the primary caretaker, occurs during the first year. This is a cornerstone of emotional development. (0 - 1) Ability to control oneself in a given environment. Developing rudimentary selfconcept - displaying pleasure at being ‘good‘, yet shame, upset, distress and embarrassment at being ‘bad’. (1 - 3) Initially no moral development, as baby but shows needs by crying, cooing, smiling etc. (0-1). No understanding of right or wrong, starts to understand yes/ no. Can have tantrums and sudden mood changes,

At three months of age, infants will spend their time watching what is going on around them. They will show their first real smile, perhaps accompanying it with some gurgling in an attempt to start interacting with others, especially parents/guardians.

Erikson believed that during this age children begin realizing that they have a will and they begin to understand that their actions are their own. Children will begin to accept and proclaim their own independence. However, just like Freud, Erikson believed that if parents are too strict with their children, or punished them too harshly this could result with the child having unhealthy feelings of shame and doubt.

Well, Erikson dedicated his time investigating the development of a child to adulthood. During that process, he recognizes the importance of the first four stages of the life cycle, simply because they are the “prerequisites in physiological growth, mental maturation, and social responsibility to experience and pass through the crisis of identity.” (d’Heurle & Tash, 2004, Pg. 255) Those stages are imperative for his growth, without them, his future could possibly look bleak; ultimately, become troublesome. (d’Heurle & Tash, 2004, Pg. 259) The others were equally important and slightly more reliant on the earlier teachings, which will also prepare the child for either an accomplished life and a hopelessly, depressed and despair life.

Erikson’s main contribution to psychology was his developmental theory. He developed eight psychosocial stages of development and believed that each stage presents

Many of our temperament traits are evident at birth. However, other characteristics such as trust, guilt and competency are learned based upon our life experiences and the support we receive as we grow and develop. Based upon his research, Erikson became aware of the influence maturation and social demands have on behavior and ultimately on our development. He believed these two forces "push[ed] humans everywhere through…[a set of] eight psychosocial crises" (Sigelman, C. & Rider, E., 2009, pg.332). He organized life into eight stages that extend from birth to death.

"Erikson's main contribution was to bridge the gap between the theories of psychoanalysis on the problems of human development, which emphasize private emotions, and the broader social influences that bear upon the individual. He was a strong proponent of the concept that social environment plays a major role in the development of personality. Going beyond the of a child's early life, Erikson concentrated on broader issues of peer culture, school environment, and cultural values and ideals. This led him to study the period of adolescence, in which he documented the interaction of a person's inner feelings and impulses with the world that surrounds the person."

Early childhood on social and emotional development is something very important in a child’s early stages in life. This is where children often learn about their reactions and responses on how they act as well on how others react towards them. In this stage, children learn a lot from the way their parents, friends, teachers, etc, express themselves. In the essay I will be talking about how we can help our children interact with others being social, expressing their feelings, and understanding the way other peers feel. Sharing feelings will definitely be very big in their life so they show a good solid understanding of how to interact with other people even outside the home. Being a parent to the child will help them the most in their life

Erik Erikson is known for his psychoanalytic theory of psychosocial development comprising eight stages from infancy to adulthood. Psychologist Erik Erikson, is a major contributor to developmental psychology, who proposed a comprehensive theory of the ways that individuals develop their identity, a sense of who they are, and society's influence on that development. Erikson stated that people go through crisis at each stage of their lives. The stages each had a developmental task to be mastered. As an individual resolved these various crises an individual would have a better harmony with their social environment that they live in. If an individual could not successfully resolve a crisis, they would be” out of step”, and the individual would have a greater difficulty in their dealing with a crisis in the future. Erikson did however recognize that an individual can develop through a stage negatively and still go on with their life. Erikson stated that each of the psychological stages have a basic conflict and important event leading to growth. The theory was developed from his hundreds of clinical observations in children.

Erikson’s theory followed Freud´s and it was based on many of Freud´s ideas. He had studied at Anna Freud, Freud’s daughter in Vienna. Erikson´s and Freud´s theories have similarities. Both theories admit the importance of the unconscious on development. They also both separates development into stages of a person´s life and handle similar age spans for these developmental stages. However, there are also differences that exist between names of the stages and the developmental subjects that are assumed during each stage. Part of the reason for that is that each psychologist has his own exclusive view of what causes a person’s development.