Erik Homburger Erikson

1
Erik Homburger Erikson

• 1902-1994
• A modern psychologist

2
Biography

• Born in Frankfurt, Germany
• Mother was Danish and Jewish
• Father was Danish and Christian (unknown to
  anyone other than his mother)

3
Biography

• Mother married Dr. Homburger (Jewish)
• Erik adopted at around age 7
• Erik was Arian (ethnicity) in a Jewish community

4
Biography

• Great confusion in high school
• Dr. Homburger wanted Erik to be a doctor
• Erik wanted to be an artist
• Erik leaves on a Wanderjahr

5
Biography

• Erik joins a high school friend, Peter Blos in
  Vienna, Austria.
• He teaches art to the children of students at the
  Freudian Institute.
• He becomes friends socially with Anna Freud and
  other students.

6
Biography

• Erik decides to study under Freud
• He marries Joan Serson
• They move to America during the 1930s
• He became Americas first child psychologist
• Upon arrival in America, he changes his name from
  Erik Homburger to Erik Erikson (son of Erik).

7
Connection to Freud

• Erikson initially felt that his own theory was
  simply an elaboration of Sigmund Freud's
  psychoanalytic theory.
• Eventually, he decided he disagreed with too many
  of Freud's key points.

8
Connection to Freud

• He felt Freud was correct in noting that people
  go through specific stages in developing their
  personalities, but he came to believe that Freud
  had overemphasized the role that sexual
  development plays and that Freud had neglected
  adult personality development.

9
Psychosocial Development

• In his theory of psychosocial development,
  Erikson identified eight distinct periods of
  personality development. In each stage, according
  to his theory, the individual undergoes a
  "crisis" that will lead to either a healthy or an
  unhealthy trait.

10
(No Transcript)
11
Difference 1

• Erikson developed eight psychosocial stages- idea
  that development is contingent on ones
  interaction with the people in the world around
  him or her.
• Freud developed five psychosexual stages- idea
  that development as driven by unconscious
  aggressive and sexual urges.

12
Difference 2

• Freud had only five stages ending at the age of
  18, while Erikson described eight stages ending
  at the close of life.

13
Difference 3

• Freuds system depicts problems in development to
  be persistent. Unresolved issues led to
  psychological problems that cold never be
  overcome.
• Erikson depicted these issues as problems that
  could be overcome and resolved at any point in
  life.

14
As you read the article, make the following
notes

• Significant events in Eriksons personal life
• For each stage take notes about
• What the crisis is
• What ages the stage encompasses
• Significant issues of each stage
• Healthy outcome