Abstract Finding with Eriksons Psychosocial Doxy - Report Example

i. Abstract This study explored psychosocial crisis according to Erickson’s eight stages of development. Taking a case study on respondents above eighteen (18) years of age, the psychosocial crisis in accordance with the theory will be concerned with the young adults, adulthood and respondents considered to be of old age in their development but within the realm of Erickson’s theory. Through qualitative questionnaire, the report intends to elicit the participants’ comments on different psychosocial crises but the report will be interested in answers on their social and psychological priorities. The report hypothesized that Erickson’s developmental stages were essential in understanding respondents’ psychosocial crisis. Data analysis indicated that in particular, the fourth stage as indicated by the Erickson Industry Status Interview and Psychosocial Stage Inventory are essential in determining respondents progress in other stages and how best they deal with life’s psychosocial crisis. On the one hand, support for mapping life’s psychosocial crisis against Erickson’s psychodynamic stage theory of development and contemporary additions to psychodynamic stage theories of personality development was ascertained through different answers provided in the interview processes. On the other, the report found support for the entire hypothesis indicating initial validity of the theory’s stages thus becoming a useful diagnostic tool in understanding life’s psychosocial crisis. Key words: Psychosocial stage inventory, psychosocial crises, eight epigenetic stages Table of Contents i.Abstract 1 1.0.Introduction 3 2.0.Report Aim 6 3.0.Report Method 7 3.1.Subjects of the Study 7 3.2.Measures of the Study 7 4.0.Results and Discussions 9 1.0. Introduction Erikson’s theory have been researched widely and its application for psychodynamic stage development and life’s psychosocial crisis have been captured in the theory’s eight epigenetic stages (Erikson 1994) with every stage having a goal to attain and understand person’s psychosocial crisis if a healthy personality is to be developed. According to studies that have been concerned with understanding how the theory reflects life’s psychosocial crisis, there is consensus that Erikson reflects critical periods of crises and conflict for the development of attributes such as autonomy, ego qualities as trust, initiative, and identity (Rosenthal, Gurney & Moore, 1981; Newman & Newman, 2014). According to studies that have attempted to evaluate Erikson’s theory within the framework of psychodynamic stages of development and social and psychological priorities have noted that there is need to understand life’s psychosocial crisis since there are dimensions of social interaction that have become possible with increasing maturity thus giving rise to successive stages of people’s development (Bockting & Coleman, 2016; Baltes & Schaie, 2013). One way in which the theory remains poignant in understanding life’s psychosocial crisis is that completion of Erikson’s stages leads to the next stage and that an upset of one stage makes it difficult for one to perform successful in the succeeding stages (Slater, 2003). This study considers this point by assessing ways in which respondents’ failure to accomplish one stage determined life’s psychosocial crisis. The distinctiveness of this theory is that nonetheless, one is expected to navigate the passage of live and as such, make different choices about their life especially in an environment of uncertainty. It is to this extent that this study assesses how one tackles life’s psychosocial crisis by relying on factors such as personal wisdom and authenticity to make sense of the different stages the theory proposes. This report borrows works of other theorists such as Brown and Lowis (2003) who supported Erikson’s that a developmental task is generated as a result of a given period in individual lives. The point Brown and Lowis argue about is that successful achievement of a given stage in life is a precursor of happiness and success with later task. On the other hand, failure in completing a given task leads to difficult and unhappy undertakings with later tasks. Erikson understood the psychosocial crisis of such failures as integrity versus despair (Domino & Affonso,1990). However, since this report is concerned with social and psychological priorities and mapping such priorities against Erikson’s psychodynamic stage theory of development as well as contemporary additions to psychodynamic stage theories of personality development, we recognized that integrity according to Erikson has two different meaning. First, the theory considers integrity as consistency. With regard to consistency, the report discerns responses to conceptualise consistency in values, actions, measures, methods, outcomes, principles and expectations in life that shaped one’s psychosocial crisis. Secondly, integrity is seen as one’s subjective quality of being truthful and honest as motivations for their actions. We assess this position by borrowing studies such as Sacco (2013) to conceptualise how one’s subjective quality of being truthful and honest are pertinent to the assessment of respondent’s psychosocial development especially in late adulthood. Rutjens, van Harreveld, van der Pligt, Kreemers & Noordewier (2013) cited a study by Domino and Affonso (1990) identifying different processes that are essential when coping with social and psychological priorities and psychosocial crisis as Erikson suggests. Relating this point to the research questionnaire and studies such as Zhang (2013) that have researched on ways in which gender affects crisis resolution, we deal with approaches respondents used to narrow their goals and limiting the domains in which they expends effort to resolve these crises and how best their resolution mechanisms reflected Erikson’s eight stages of development. Furthermore to these points is that it may not be possible for one to be concerned with everything thus the scope of our interests contracts (Mwoma and Pillay, 2015). Enhancing the profile of specific goals that accepts social-emotional experiences and contribute to people’s development or growth is essential in this case. According to Erikson competence is the dominant virtue appearing in the fourth stage of individuals’ life cycle, Industry versus Inferiority. This report establishes this point by ascertaining the extent to which participants are industrious; engaging in activities beside and along others, ways in which such activities shaped psychosocial crisis. However, resolutions on psychosocial crisis should be assessed in terms of competence development where individual need to have been progressed successfully through three prior stages (Perry, Ruggiano, Shtompel, & Hassevoort, 2015). According to Erikson success in previous stages brings about the acquisition of autonomy, trust, and initiative. Study that investigated psychosocial crisis among twelve (12) 25-55 years old respondents noted that by dealing with parents self, and basic family, the individuals are able to expand ever outward thus beginning to look to their environment for solutions with regard to the crises. Overall the study concentrates its findings within the realm of problem solving skills, intellectual levels and language skills that are in tandem with eight epigenetic stages. 2.0. Report Aim The aim of the report is to develop an interview technique that identifies Erikson’s development and correlation of the development to psychosocial crisis. The rationale for this aim is three-fold. First, the report considers that the structure of Erikson’s theory may be strengthened by identifying social and psychological priorities and mapping’ them against Erikson’s psychodynamic stage theory of development as well as contemporary additions to psychodynamic stage theories of personality development. Secondly, the aim of the report provides essential tool that can be used in organising information and ideas. Contemporary studies have found that for a theory to find solution to psychosocial crisis the research aim should be designed to account for both change and stability in individuals (Sarkar N.D.; Pretorius & Van Niekerk, 2015). Therefore, the aim of the report focuses on Erikson’s different stages by addressing individual continuity and change. Thirdly, the report aim has been identified to integrate theoretical orientation with Erikson’s psychosocial theory because it attempts to provide the direction of individuals’ development and the barriers to processes of development so that psychosocial crisis can be assessed and a proposal provided to deal with crises that recur as themes from individual life to another. Just like Slater (2003) noted, Erikson’s theory presents a number of implication for the manner in which young adults, adulthood and old age deal with crises in their lives. The report aim therefore the report to understand levels of crises and social and psychological priorities and aid in understanding why individuals may device coping styles that help them maintain a sense of wellness especially when confronted by crises. 3.0. Report Method 3.1. Subjects of the Study Two (2) participants, one male and one female aged 22 and 25 years old respectively were identified to answer the questionnaire as attached in appendix 1 below. Before commencement of the interview, the report sent a letter to the two respondents explaining the overall purpose of the study along with the report consent form. The report further obtained a dully signed consent from the two participants acknowledging that they were in agreement with the purpose of the study. Furthermore, the interview processes conformed to “not-at-risk” requirements for use of human subjects. Each of the two respondents answered the questionnaire individually and independently. The study further administered self-report measures. The questionnaire session/interview processes for the two respondents was audiotaped/audio recorded. 3.2. Measures of the Study The report adopted Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory approach for the two respondents with the aim of assessing how they felt about their preadolescent (Franz & White, 1985). The measure contained 2 different items that were linked to positive self-esteem and 2 that were linked to negative self-esteem. The four items as attached in appendix one was concerned with the respondents’ social and psychological priorities on parents, peers, personal interests and school. The report adopted Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory (EPSI) in measuring the two respondents’ processes of resolving crises linked with the different psychosocial stages as described by Erikson’s theory (McAdams & Zapata-Gietl, 2015). While the two respondents theoretically progressed on all the eight stages, only the first seven stages were fully utilized. Pretorius and Van Niekerk (2015) while comparing twenty and twenty four year old respondents noted that the older respondent scored higher with regard to positive direction on each of the Erikson’s eight subscales than the younger respondents. This study conforms to this report as the older respondent performed better than the younger respondent. Mwoma and Pillay (2015) developed a questionnaire with 12 adults aged between 18 and 25 years that established two distinct dimensions of social and psychological priorities, identity development and psychosocial crisis. The social and psychological priorities, identity development and psychosocial crisis placed subjects in one of four statuses on the ground of two criteria----commitment and crisis in the areas of occupational choice. This report followed this approach in ascertaining social and psychological priorities and psychosocial crisis. The questionnaire as attached did not only develop a similar interview for the purposes of extending studies by Mwoma and Pillay (2015) to Erikson’s different stages but sought to understand psychodynamic stage theories of personality development. Core areas of the questionnaire included the following: The main priorities in the lives of the two respondents Significant events or experiences that can come to their minds at the time of interview How best they can describe their personality Most important part of their lives that is worth living How best they can describe their lives Where they see their lives in the next five years if their life was to proceed In addition to the leading cues as provided above, each interview question added optional follow up and exploratory questions that intended to elicit views and personality understanding from the cues or interview question presented to the respondents. Responses from interview questions were scored on the basis of cues presented to the two respondents with a seven-point Likert scale adopted as the scoring point. Four unrelated scorers rated every interview recording and returned the study’s score sheets with different scores on each subject and area. 4.0. Results and Discussions The results of the study was analysed after collapsing all the questions and answers from the two respondents. The data for different subscales (such as autonomy, trust, industry, initiative, intimacy and identity as well as Erikson Psychosocial State Inventory, age, EPSI total and scores self-esteem was established. It has to be noted that low correlations were established especially among the earlier stages and the intimacy and identity stage thus the result indicated that a successful completion of individual’s crisis of each of the Erikson’s early stages of development was positively related to self-esteem. DISCUSSION PART UNDERWAY (ABOUT 450-500 WORDS) References Baltes, P. B., & Schaie, K. W. (Eds.). (2013). Life-span developmental psychology: Personality and socialization. Elsevier. Bockting, W., & Coleman, E. (2016). 8 Developmental Stages of the Transgender Coming-Out Process. Principles of Transgender Medicine and Surgery, 137. Brown, C., & Lowis, M. J. (2003). Psychosocial development in the elderly: An investigation into Erikson's ninth stage. Journal of Aging Studies, 17(4), 415-426. Domino, G., & Affonso, D. D. (1990). A personality measure of Erikson's life stages: The Inventory of Psychosocial Balance. Journal of Personality Assessment, 54(3-4), 576-588. Erikson, E. H. (1994). Identity and the life cycle. WW Norton & Company. Franz, C. E., & White, K. M. (1985). Individuation and attachment in personality development: Extending Erikson's theory. Journal of personality, 53(2), 224-256. McAdams, D. P., & Zapata-Gietl, C. (2015). Three strands of identity development across the human life course: Reading Erik Erikson in full. The Oxford handbook of identity development, 81-94. Mwoma, T., & Pillay, J. (2015). Psychosocial support for orphans and vulnerable children in public primary schools: Challenges and intervention strategies. South African Journal of Education, 35(3), 1-9. Newman, B. M., & Newman, P. R. (2014). Development through life: A psychosocial approach. Cengage Learning. Perry, T. E., Ruggiano, N., Shtompel, N., & Hassevoort, L. (2015). Applying Erikson’s Wisdom to Self-Management Practices of Older Adults: Findings from Two Field Studies. Research on aging, 37(3), 253-274. Pretorius, K., & Van Niekerk, A. (2015). Childhood psychosocial development and fatal injuries in Gauteng, South Africa. Child: care, health and development, 41(1), 35-44. Rosenthal, D. A., Gurney, R. M., & Moore, S. M. (1981). From trust on intimacy: A new inventory for examining Erikson's stages of psychosocial development. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 10(6), 525-537. Rutjens, B. T., van Harreveld, F., van der Pligt, J., Kreemers, L. M., & Noordewier, M. K. (2013). Steps, stages, and structure: Finding compensatory order in scientific theories. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 142(2), 313. Sacco, R. G. (2013). Re-Envisaging the Eight Developmental Stages of Erik Erikson: The Fibonacci Life-Chart Method (FLCM). Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology, 3(1), 140. Sarkar, D. A study on the child development. A Peer-Reviewed International Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, 4, 99-104. Slater, C. L. (2003). Generativity versus stagnation: An elaboration of Erikson's adult stage of human development. Journal of Adult Development, 10(1), 53-65. Zhang, L. F. (2013). Psychosocial development and the big five personality traits among Chinese university students. Learning and Individual Differences, 23, 163-167. Read More

This report borrows works of other theorists such as Brown and Lowis (2003) who supported Erikson’s that a developmental task is generated as a result of a given period in individual lives. The point Brown and Lowis argue about is that successful achievement of a given stage in life is a precursor of happiness and success with later task. On the other hand, failure in completing a given task leads to difficult and unhappy undertakings with later tasks. Erikson understood the psychosocial crisis of such failures as integrity versus despair (Domino & Affonso,1990).

However, since this report is concerned with social and psychological priorities and mapping such priorities against Erikson’s psychodynamic stage theory of development as well as contemporary additions to psychodynamic stage theories of personality development, we recognized that integrity according to Erikson has two different meaning. First, the theory considers integrity as consistency. With regard to consistency, the report discerns responses to conceptualise consistency in values, actions, measures, methods, outcomes, principles and expectations in life that shaped one’s psychosocial crisis.

Secondly, integrity is seen as one’s subjective quality of being truthful and honest as motivations for their actions. We assess this position by borrowing studies such as Sacco (2013) to conceptualise how one’s subjective quality of being truthful and honest are pertinent to the assessment of respondent’s psychosocial development especially in late adulthood. Rutjens, van Harreveld, van der Pligt, Kreemers & Noordewier (2013) cited a study by Domino and Affonso (1990) identifying different processes that are essential when coping with social and psychological priorities and psychosocial crisis as Erikson suggests.

Relating this point to the research questionnaire and studies such as Zhang (2013) that have researched on ways in which gender affects crisis resolution, we deal with approaches respondents used to narrow their goals and limiting the domains in which they expends effort to resolve these crises and how best their resolution mechanisms reflected Erikson’s eight stages of development. Furthermore to these points is that it may not be possible for one to be concerned with everything thus the scope of our interests contracts (Mwoma and Pillay, 2015).

Enhancing the profile of specific goals that accepts social-emotional experiences and contribute to people’s development or growth is essential in this case. According to Erikson competence is the dominant virtue appearing in the fourth stage of individuals’ life cycle, Industry versus Inferiority. This report establishes this point by ascertaining the extent to which participants are industrious; engaging in activities beside and along others, ways in which such activities shaped psychosocial crisis.

However, resolutions on psychosocial crisis should be assessed in terms of competence development where individual need to have been progressed successfully through three prior stages (Perry, Ruggiano, Shtompel, & Hassevoort, 2015). According to Erikson success in previous stages brings about the acquisition of autonomy, trust, and initiative. Study that investigated psychosocial crisis among twelve (12) 25-55 years old respondents noted that by dealing with parents self, and basic family, the individuals are able to expand ever outward thus beginning to look to their environment for solutions with regard to the crises.

Overall the study concentrates its findings within the realm of problem solving skills, intellectual levels and language skills that are in tandem with eight epigenetic stages. 2.0. Report Aim The aim of the report is to develop an interview technique that identifies Erikson’s development and correlation of the development to psychosocial crisis. The rationale for this aim is three-fold. First, the report considers that the structure of Erikson’s theory may be strengthened by identifying social and psychological priorities and mapping’ them against Erikson’s psychodynamic stage theory of development as well as contemporary additions to psychodynamic stage theories of personality development.

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