Erik Erikson's Theory of Human Development

Erik Erikson was born in Frankfurt, Germany on June, 15th 1902. His Jewish mother raised him by herself until she married a Pediatrician. Experience about truth helped spark his interest in formation of identity. He was a teacher and an artist in the late 1920s. This is where he found Anna Freud, who was an Austrian psychoanalyst. Anna Freud influenced him to join Vienna institute and study children’s psychoanalysis. Erikson’s early work focused mainly on extending and testing Freud's theory concerning the effects on cultural and social factors in human psychology. In 1933, he immigrated to the US and taught at Harvard and Yale University. In 1950, Erik wrote his first book concerning society and childhood. He explained the eight stages of human development theory. He died on May 12th 1994.

Erikson studied several aboriginal children where he learnt the effects of culture and society on child development. He concluded that, human beings have to resolve different disputes and conflicts as they move from one development stage to another. The theory has eight stages of development in human life cycle. Each stage consists different conflicts that must be resolved by every individual. If unable to resolve the conflict, one has to struggle and confront with it later.

Stage 1- Oral Sensory: Birth to 1 year (infancy)

Stage 2- Muscular-Anal: Age 1 to 3 years (toddler) 

Stage 3- Locomotor: Age 3 to 6 years (preschool)

Stage 4- Latency: Age 6 to 12 years (school age)

Stage 5-Adolescence: Age 12 to 20 years (adolescent)

Stage 6-Young Adulthood: Age 20 to 35 years

Stage 7- Middle Adulthood: Age 35 to 65 years

Stage 8- Maturity: Age 65 to death