Psychosocial Theory
Eric Erikson invented one of the most popular theories of lifespan development. According to him, life unfolds through a sequence of opposing challenges: trust versus mistrust, freedom versus shame, initiative versus guilt, effortfulness versus inferiority, identity versus role confusion, intimacy versus isolation, generativity versus stagnation, and integrity versus despair (Maree, 2022). Trust and mistrust affect life for up to 1.5 years when basic connections are formed (Maree, 2022).
Autonomy or shame lasts up to 3 years, associated with the development of the will. The preschool stage is characterized by a craving to explore the world. The industrious vs. inferiority stage, or the school age, implies the development of self-confidence.
Adolescence is associated with forming an identity by age 18 (Maree, 2022). Youth involves a choice between intimacy and stagnation and is associated with building relationships. Adulthood implies the formation of parental care, while the age after 65 is characterized by reflection on accumulated wisdom.
My Lifespan Development
I have gone through five life stages: trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame, initiative vs. guilt, industriousness vs. inferiority, and identity vs. confusion. I am in the intimacy vs. isolation stage, but I have not encountered generativity vs. stagnation and integrity vs. despair. In the first two stages, I learned to eat and walk, build associative bonds, and begin to gain independence.
The third and fourth periods gave me the cognitive ability to learn, reading and writing skills, and the recognition of social roles. The fifth stage gave me a sense of individuality; I gained independence. I will form close bonds and learn to explore interpersonal relationships (Butkovic et al., 2020). In the final stages, I will not acquire new cognitive or physical skills but strengthen my self-reflection ability.
Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity
Sexual orientation implies attraction either to the opposite sex, one’s own, or both sexes equally. Gender identity is a person’s inner feeling of being a man, a woman, or someone else. According to Erikson’s theory, gender identity and sexual orientation are formed between the ages of 6 and 18 (Attila et al., 2023).
Erikson shares the belief that feeling the connection with biological sex and being heterosexual are the only standard developmental options (Bradford & Syed, 2019). The development of gender identity occurs from the moment of recognizing social roles, and gender identity has a full impact on sexual orientation. Violations can lead to a personality crisis without forming a clear idea of oneself. The modern approach does not imply that identity and sexual orientation are the same.
Summary
Erik Erikson’s theory is one of the fundamental approaches, determining maturation as a set of stages for overcoming inner conflicts. I developed this theory in accordance with the stages. According to Erikson, gender identity and sexual orientation are almost identical, and the violation of gender identity leads to personal problems. This approach is outdated; in modern terms, gender identity and sexual orientation may not be interrelated, and deviations from the old norm are not signs of personality disorders.
References
Attila, F. L., Owusu, F., Agyei-Sarpong, K., & Donkoh, H. (2023). Socio-cultural and psycho-theoretical perspectives of adolescence and sex education. Mediterranean Journal of Social & Behavioral Research, 7(1), 1-7. Web.
Bradford, N. J., & Syed, M. (2019). Transnormativity and transgender identity development: A master narrative approach. Sex Roles, 81(5-6), 306-325. Web.
Butkovic, A., Tomas, J., Spanic, A. M., Vukasovic Hlupic, T., & Bratko, D. (2020). Emerging adults versus middle-aged adults: Do they differ in psychological needs, self-esteem and life satisfaction. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21(3), 779-798. Web.
Maree, J. G. (2022). The psychosocial development theory of Erik Erikson: Critical overview. In Evans, R., & Saracho, O.N., The Influence of Theorists and Pioneers on Early Childhood Education, 119-133.