Assignment 2: LASA 1: Development Throughout the Lifespan
Erikson and Freud are two of the few theorists who have developed a lifespan approach to development. Freud's approach to development was psychosexual while Erikson's was psychosocial. Even though Freud's theory is better known, Erikson's theory remains a leading and very much applied model in personality and developmental psychology today.
When considering these two stage-oriented theories, you can directly compare the majority of their stages. These are matched in the following table:
Approximate AgeFreud's Stages of Psychosexual DevelopmentErikson's Stages of Psychosocial developmentInfancy (Birth to 1 year)Oral stageTrust versus mistrustEarly childhood (1-3 years)Anal stageAutonomy versus doubtPreschool (3-6 years)Phallic stageInitiative versus guiltSchool age (7-11 years)Latent periodIndustry versus inferiorityAdolescence (12-18 years)Genital stageIdentity versus role confusionYoung adulthood (19-40 years) Intimacy versus isolationMiddle adulthood (40-65 years) Generativity versus stagnationOlder adulthood (65-death) Integrity versus despair
When considering Erikson's eight stages of development, the way a person moves through each stage directly affects their success in the next stage. Their personality is being built and shaped with each stage. At each stage, there is a turning point, called a crisis by Erikson, which a person must confront.
In this assignment, you will observe or interview two different people, each at a different stage of development. For a third observation, take a look at yourself and the stage that you are in (this stage must be different from your other two observations).
• Record your three observations in a template. Include the following information:
- Name
- Age
- Gender
- Current developmental stage
- Status within the stage (i.e., identity achievement or role confusion)
- Events that have lead to this status
Download a Development Template to record your observations.
• Summarize what you have learned about psychosocial development through these observations/interviews.
• Summarize the trends you see in your observations/interviews regarding psychosocial development.
• How does movement through Erikson's stages influence personality development? Again, be specific.
• How do Erikson's stages of development compare to Freud's stages? How are they similar? How are they different?
• Between these two theories, which one do you feel best explains your own personality development? Justify your answers with specific examples.
Write a 2-3-page paper in Word format. Insert your chart at the end of your paper. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M3_A2.doc.