ERIKSON’S THEORY DEVELOPMENT OF EMOTIONAL
ERIKSON’S THEORY OF EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT Erik Erikson maintained that personality develops in a predetermined order, and builds upon each previous stage. This is called the epigenic principle. Psychological stages Erikson’s (1959) theory of psychosocial development has eight distinct stages. Like Freud, Erikson assumes that a crisis occurs at each stage of development. For Erikson (1963), these crises are of a psychosocial nature because they involve psychological needs of the individual (i.e. psycho) conflicting with the needs of society (i.e. social). According to the theory, successful completion of each stage results in a healthy personality and the acquisition of basic virtues. Basic virtues are characteristic strengths which the ego can use to resolve subsequent crises. Failure to successfully complete a stage can result in a reduced ability to complete further stages and therefore a more unhealthy personality and sense of self. These stages,