Erik Erikson
June 15th 1902-May 12th 1994
Erik Erikson was a German born American psychologist and
psychoanalyst known for his theory on psychosocial development on
human beings.
Biography & Initial Start to Research
His mother raised him by herself for a time before marrying a physician,
Dr. Theodor Homberger. The fact that Homberger was not in fact his
biological father was hidden from him for many years. When he finally
did learn the truth, he was left feeling very confused about who he really
was. This early experience helped spark his interest in the formation of
identity. Growing up he was teased for being a Nordic and for also being
Jewish. This has a profound effect on his identity as a person
School Of Thought:
Erik Erikson was an Ego Psychoanalysis.
Work:
He may be most famous for coming up with the phrase Identity Crisis which is the failure to achieve ego
identity during adolescence. He is also known for his stages of psychosocial development which he
explained using 8 stages. ( Shown in Figure 1.1 ) The purpose of the theory was to find the reason why
individuals act and think a certain way. His ideas were greatly. He emphasized the role of culture and
society that can take place within the ego its self.