Erik Homburger Erikson

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how Erik Homburger Erikson was a psychoanalytic theorist from Germany, who followed in the footsteps of Freud and is known as a Freudian ego-psychologist. In particular, it examines how, unlike Freud, Erikson believed that people experience change throughout life. It looks at how Erikson developed eight psychosocial stages that start at approximately birth and span throughout late adulthood.

From the Paper:

"Erikson is famous for "refining and expanding Freud's theory of stages" (www.ship.edu). Erikson believes that development happens due to the epigenetic principle. The epigenetic principle states that we develop by predetermined personalities in the eight stages. Our failure or success determines the progress at the current stages, past stages, and future stages. If a person interferes with his or her development or someone else interferes with it, then the development of the person, as a whole, won't be complete. On the other hand, if the stage is completed correctly then we will carry virtue from that stage throughout the rest of our development. If the stage is completed, however un-correctly, then the person will suffer from either maladaptations or malignancies. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Boeree, Dr. C. George. Personality Theories: Erik Erikson. 1997. 2 Nov. 2004 www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/erikson.html
• Erikson,Erik. Identity and the Life Cycle. New York: W.W.Norton & Company, 1959.
• Santrock, J. W. (2008). Life-Span Development (11th Ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
• Sharkey, Wendy. Erik Erikson. 2 Nov. 2004 http://fates.cns.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/erikson/htm

More papers on Erik Homburger Erikson:

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• Term Paper # 124648 : "Erik Erikson's Philosophy"
• Descriptive Essay # 133342 : "Erik Erikson"

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