Erik Erickson Research Paper

Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development
Joyce Williams
ECE332
Prof. Jessica Rodriguez May 4, 2012

Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development
In our American society, adults have grown accustom to asking children this one question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, and our children have given us various replies such as a doctor, a nurse, a policeman, etc…, and care givers have given little or no thought as to how the kind of treatment that a child receives in the early stages of life will impact the child’s chances of obtaining that goal in life. This concern is exactly what Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development addresses due to the impact that the children’s mental wellness has on their life. Our children must first have a firm foundation where they feel mentally secure in order to obtain the level of confidence that it takes to reach their goals in life because if they do not, those goals may become no more than pipe dreams.
Erik Erikson’s theory of Psychosocial Development is based on the premise that all human beings are social in nature (having an inner instinct to form relationships with others) and possess a deeply embedded desire/need to belong, with emphasis on a person’s
This is exactly what Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development addresses due to the hugh influence that their quality of mental wellness will have on their life. Our children (in the first stages of life) have to have a concrete foundation of mental security in themselves as well as in their abilities in order to garner the level of confidence that it will take to achieve those goals because without that foundation their chances of reaching them could become slim to