Theory of personality ( Erikson's & Attatchment)

Theory of Personality-II
DR HARI RAM SEDAI
1ST
YEAR RESIDENT
PSYCHIATRY, NMCTH

CONTENT
Erikson’s Theory
Attachment Theory
References

Introduction
• Erik Erikson (1902–1994)
• American child psychoanalyst
• Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial
development was first introduced in his
landmark book, "Childhood and Society,"
published in 1950

• Erikson's psychosocial development theory is a model of human
development that describes how we develop a sense of self
throughout our lives
• Erikson believed that personality develops in a series of stages
from infancy to old age
• Each stage is characterized by a psychosocial crisis, a conflict
between two opposing forces
Erikson Theory Of Psychosocial Development

Crisis
• According to Erik Erikson, a crisis refers to a critical turning point in
psychological development, occurring at each stage of his Eight
Stages of Psychosocial Development
• These crises are not catastrophic events but rather opportunities for
growth and mastery
• Successfully resolving each crisis leads to healthy personality
development, while failure results in challenges that may persist
into later stages

Key Features of Erikson’s Crises:
 Psychosocial Nature:
• Each crisis involves a conflict between two opposing forces, such as
(trust vs mistrust or identity vs role confusion)
• These conflicts arise from the interaction between individual needs
and societal expectations
• How we resolve these crises affects our development and our
ability to form healthy relationships

 Epigenetic Principle:
• Erikson believed development follows a sequence, with each
stage building upon the resolution of previous stages
• Unresolved crises can influence future stages but can be
addressed later through new experiences or interventions
• Failure may result in physical, cognitive, social, or emotional
maladjustment

 Potential Outcomes:
• Successful resolution leads to a virtue or strength that promotes
well-being
• Unsuccessful resolution may result in difficulties but does not
preclude eventual mastery

 The Ego:
• Part of the personality that mediates between the individual and society
• The ego helps us to adapt to our environment and to achieve our goals
 Identity:
• A sense of sameness and continuity over time in the psychological and
social sense
• Identity is formed through our interactions with others and our
experiences in the world

Erikson’s Eight Stages Of Psychosocial Development
1) Trust vs Mistrust (Infancy)
2) Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt (Early Childhood)
3) Initiative vs Guilt (Preschool)
4) Industry vs Inferiority (School Age)
5) Identity vs Role Confusion (Adolescence)
6) Intimacy vs Isolation (Young Adulthood)
7) Generativity vs Stagnation (Middle Adulthood)
8) Integrity vs Despair (Late Adulthood)

1) Trust vs Mistrust
• Occurs from birth to 18 months
• Infants learn to trust their caregivers to meet their basic needs
• If they are consistently met, they develop a sense of trust in the world
• If needs are not met, they develop a sense of mistrust
Crisis: Can I trust the world to meet my needs?
Virtue: Hope
Important event: Feeding
Successful outcome: Trust in the world and others
Unsuccessful outcome: Mistrust, anxiety, and insecurity

2) Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt
• Occurs from 18 months to 3 years
• Toddlers learn to control their bodies and their environment
• If they are encouraged to explore and make choices, they develop a
sense of autonomy
• If shamed or punished for their explorations, they develop a sense of
shame and doubt
Crisis: Can I assert my independence?
Virtue: Will
Important event: Toilet Training
Successful outcome: Sense of autonomy and self-confidence

3) Initiative vs Guilt
• Occurs from 3 to 5 years
• Pre-schoolers learn to take initiative and to set goals
• If they are encouraged to take risks and to try new things, they develop a sense of
initiative
• If made to feel guilty for their actions, they develop a sense of guilt
Crisis- Can I take initiative without feeling guilty?
Virtue: Purpose
Important Event: Exploration
Successful outcome: Sense of purpose and ability to initiate tasks.
Unsuccessful outcome: Feelings of guilt, self-doubt, and inhibition

4) Industry vs Inferiority
• Developing competence in academic and social tasks
• School-aged children learn to master new skills and to be productive
• If they are encouraged to learn and to achieve, they develop a sense of industry
• If made to feel inferior or incompetent, they develop a sense of inferiority
Crisis: Can I be competent and productive?
Virtue: Competency
Important Event: School
Successful outcome: Sense of industry and accomplishment
Unsuccessful outcome: Feelings of inferiority, incompetence, and inadequacy

5) Identity vs Role Confusion
• Establishing a sense of identity and role in society
• Adolescents explore different roles and identities in an attempt to find their
place in the world
• If they are able to successfully integrate their different identities, they develop
a sense of identity
• Unable to find their place in the world, they develop a sense of role confusion
Crisis: Who am I, and what is my place in the world?
Virtue: Fidelity
Important Event: Social Relationship
Successful outcome: Sense of identity and self-definition
Unsuccessful outcome: Role confusion, identity crisis, and rebellion

6) Intimacy vs Isolation
• Developing close relationships and forming intimate connections
• Young adults form close relationships with others
• If they are able to form healthy and intimate relationships, they develop a sense
of intimacy
• If unable to form close relationships, they develop a sense of isolation
Crisis: Can I form meaningful relationships?
Virtue: Love
Important Event: Love Relationship
Successful outcome: Intimacy and the ability to form lasting relationships.
Unsuccessful outcome: Feelings of isolation, loneliness, and fear of commitment

7) Generativity vs Stagnation
• Middle-aged adults focus on giving back to others and making a difference in
the world
• If they are able to find meaning and purpose in their lives, they develop a sense
of generativity
• If unable to find meaning and purpose, they develop a sense of stagnation
 Crisis: Can I contribute to the next generation?
 Virtue: Care
 Important Event: Work & Parenthood
 Successful outcome: Sense of generativity, productivity, and care for others
 Unsuccessful outcome: Feelings of stagnation, unproductiveness, and
self-centeredness

8) Integrity vs Despair
• Occurs from 60 years and beyond
• Reflecting on life and evaluating its meaning and accomplishments
• Older adults reflect on their lives and come to terms with their mortality
• If they are able to look back on their lives with satisfaction and meaning, they
develop a sense of integrity
• If unable to find satisfaction in their lives, they develop a sense of despair
Crisis: Have I lived a meaningful life?
Virtue: Wisdom
Important Event: Reflection on Life
Successful outcome: Sense of integrity, wisdom, and fulfilment
Unsuccessful outcome: Feelings of despair, regret, and fear of death

Criticism
Lack of Empirical Evidence
Cultural and Gender Bias
Overemphasis on Childhood and Adolescence
Linear Development Model
Western Individualism
Overgeneralization
Neglect of Biological Factors

Lack of Empirical Evidence
• Based largely on qualitative observations rather than quantitative research
• Critics argue that the stages are more descriptive than predictive, making them difficult to test
scientifically
Cultural and Gender Bias
• Erikson’s work has been criticized for focusing primarily on Western, male experiences, potentially
neglecting cultural and gender differences
• Some argue that his concepts of autonomy, identity, and generativity may not fully apply to
collectivist cultures where group harmony is prioritized over individual development
Ambiguity in Stages
• The transitions between stages are not always clear-cut, and people may experience multiple stages
simultaneously or regress to earlier ones
Overemphasis on Childhood and Adolescence
• Critics argue that while Erikson extended Freud’s work to include the entire lifespan, the theory still
places disproportionate emphasis on the early stages, especially identity formation in adolescence

Linear Development Model
• The theory assumes a linear progression through stages, which may not reflect real-life development
where people revisit earlier stages or skip some entirely.
• The assumption that successful resolution of earlier conflicts is necessary for progression may not
always hold true in practice
Western Individualism
• The emphasis on individual identity and autonomy aligns with Western values, potentially limiting its
applicability to collectivist or interdependent cultural contexts
Overgeneralization
• Erikson’s stages are broad and apply universally to all individuals, but critics argue they may not
account for unique, individual differences or the impact of factors like socioeconomic status, trauma,
or disability
Neglect of Biological Factors
• While Erikson’s theory addresses social and psychological factors, it pays little attention to biological
or genetic influences on development

Attachment Theory
• British Psychologist John Bowlby in 1969
• He described attachment as a “lasting
psychological connectedness between human
being”
• Believed that the earliest bonds formed by
children with their caregivers have a
tremendous impact that continues throughout
life
John Bowlby (1907-1990)

Mary Ainsworth (1913-1999)
• Canadian developmental psychologist
• Ainsworth was a Bowlby’s colleague who expanded the
attachment theory
• Attachment is not just a connection between two
people
• It is a bond that involves a desire for regular contact
with that person and the experience of distress during
separation from that person

Components of Attachment
Safe Haven
Secure Base
Proximity Maintenance
Separation Distress

• Safe Haven: When the child feel threatened or afraid, they can
return to the caregiver for comfort and soothing
• Secure Base: The caregiver provides a secure and dependable
base for the child to explore the world
• Proximity Maintenance: The child strives to stay near the
caregiver, thus keeping the child safe
• Separation Distress: When separated from the caregiver, the child
will become upset and distressed

Phases Of Attachment
 Pre-attachment Stage (Birth to 8 or 12 weeks)
• Babies orient to their mothers
• Follows them with their eyes over 180 degree range
• Turn towards and move rhythmically with their mothers voice
 Attachment in the Making (8 to 12 weeks to 6 months)
• Infants become attach to one or more person in the environment

 Clear Cut Attachment (6 - 24 months)
• Infants cry and show other signs of distress when separated from
the care taker or mother
• Sometimes seeing the mother after separation is sufficient for
crying to stop
 (25 Months and Beyond)
• Mother figure is seen as independent, and a more complex
relationship between the mother and child develops

Ainsworth's “Strange Situation”
• In her 1970's research, Mary Ainsworth expanded greatly upon Bowlby's original
work
• In the study, researchers observed children between the ages of 12 and 18
months as they responded to a situation in which they were briefly left alone
and then reunited with their mothers
 Four major styles of Attachment:
 Secure attachment
 Ambivalent-insecure attachment
 Avoidant-insecure attachment
 Disorganized-Disoriented attachment (Later added by Mary Main and Judith Solomon)

Parent & Child
alone in room
Child explores
the room with
Parent
supervision
Stranger enters
the room talks
to the Parent &
Child
Parent quietly
leaves the
room
Parent returns
& comforts
Child
Ainsworth's “Strange Situation”

Secure Attachment
• Securely attached children exhibit distress when separated from
caregivers and are happy when their caregiver returns
• These children feel secure and able to depend on their adult
caregivers
• When the adult leaves, the child may be upset but he or she feels
assured that the parent or caregiver will return
• Know their parent or caregiver will provide comfort and reassurance
& are comfortable seeking them out in times of need

Ambivalent Attachment
• Ambivalent attached children usually become very distressed when
a parent leaves
• Research suggests that ambivalent attachment is a result of poor
maternal availability
• Show conflicting behaviour towards caregiver, may seek comfort
when distressed but also resist caregiver attempts to provide it

Avoidant Attachment
• Children with an avoidant attachment tend to avoid parents or
caregivers
• When offered a choice, these children will show no preference
between a caregiver and a complete stranger
• Research has suggested that this attachment style might be a result of
abusive or neglectful caregivers
• Children who are punished for relying on a caregiver will learn to
avoid seeking help in the future

Disorganized-Disoriented Attachment
• Mary Main & Judith Solomon
• A pattern of attachment in which infants show contradictory
reactions to their caregiver after being reunited
• Inconsistent, neglectful or frightening caregiving
• Severe form can cause personality disorder and dissociative
disorder later

• Contradictory, confused, fearful behaviour
towards caregivers
• Fear of apprehension towards care giver
• Trauma, neglect or inconsistent caregiving

Fig: INTERNAL WORKING MODEL (Bretherton, & Munholland, 1999)

Children Who don’t form Secure Attachments
• Research suggests that failure to form secure attachments early in
life can have a negative impact on behaviour in later childhood and
throughout the life
• Children diagnosed with oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD),
conduct disorder (CD) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
frequently display attachment problems due to early abuse, neglect
or trauma
• Clinicians suggest that children adopted after the age of six months
have a higher risk of attachment problems

• While attachment styles displayed in adulthood are not necessarily
the same as those seen in infancy, research indicates that early
attachments can have a serious impact on later relationships
• Those who are securely attached in childhood tend to have good
self-esteem, strong romantic relationships and the ability to self-
disclose to others
• As adults, they tend to have healthy, happy and lasting
relationships

Attachment disorders
Characterized by Biopsychosocial pathology that results from
maternal deprivation, lack of care and interaction with the
mother or caregiver
Negative Attachment Experiences can cause:
• Failure to thrive syndrome
• Psychosocial Dwarfism
• Separation anxiety disorder
• Avoidant personality disorder
• Depressive disorder
• Academic problems

Bowlby described a Predictable set and sequences of Behavior
patterns in children who are separated from their mothers for
Long period of time (>3 months)
• Protest: Child protects the separation by crying, calling out,
and searching for the lost person
• Despair: Child appears to lose hope that the mother will return
• Detachment: Child emotionally separates himself or herself
from the mother

Anaclitic Depression
• Also known as Hospitalism
• Was first described by Rene Spitz in 1945
• Infants who had made normal attachments but were then suddenly
separated from their mothers for varying time and placed in institutions or
hospitals
• The children become distressed, withdrawn, non responsive, and
vulnerable to physical illness but recovered when their mothers returned
or when surrogate mothering was available

Separation Anxiety
• Response of a child who is isolated or separated from its mother or
caretaker
• Sense of distress during separation is perceived and experienced as
anxiety
• It is most common at 10 to 18 months of age and generally disappears
by the end of the third year
• It is usually expressed with tearfulness or irritability

Criticism
• Overemphasis on Early Childhood: It prioritizes early experiences,
neglecting later influences
• Cultural Bias: It reflects Western parenting ideals, not universal
practices
• Reductionism: Oversimplifies human behavior, ignoring factors like
genetics and environment
• Determinism: Overstates the long-term impact of early attachment

• Methodological Concerns: Questions about the validity of research
methods, like the Strange Situation
• Limited Scope: Ignores influences beyond caregiver-child
relationships, such as peers or siblings
• Gender Bias: Historically focused on mothers, neglecting other
caregivers

References
• Introduction to Psychology 7th edition, C.T Morgan
• Kaplan & Sadock’s Comprehensive Textbook Of Psychiatry, 11th
edition
• Kaplan & Sadock’s Synopsis Of Psychiatry, 12th edition
• Scheck, T.A (1999). Criticism of erikson theory of development.
In human development quarterly (vol2, issue1)

Theory of personality ( Erikson's & Attatchment)

Theory of personality ( Erikson's & Attatchment)

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