Erik Erikson (1902-1994) was born in Frankfurt, Germany and studied Psychology under Anna Freud (Sigmund Freud's daughter) at the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute. He moved to the United States and became a U.S. citizen in 1939 where he taught at several major universities including Harvard, Yale, and the University of California at Berkley.

Some of his major works are: Childhood and Society (1950), Insight and Responsibility (1964) Identity, Youth, and Crisis (1968) Erikson, a student of Sigmund and Anna Freud, developed a Psychosocial stage theory of development. He is most well known for his writings on child psychology. He developed a stage theory much like Sigmund Freud's Stages of Psychosexual development, but rather than sexual impulses, Erikson was concerned more with the social aspects of development. He developed his theory of Psychosocial Development where he divides the human lifespan into eight stages. Through his theories, the term 'identity crisis ' was derived, as he saw each stage as having both a negative or a positive outcome, constituting a crisis at each stage of development.

Related Articles

Anna Freud (1895-1982) at psychology-glossary.com■■■■■■
Anna Freud (1895-1982) : Anna Freud became the official spokesperson for Psychoanalysis after her father's . . . Read More
Granville Stanley Hall at psychology-glossary.com■■■■■■
Granville Stanley Hall (1844 1924) the creator of the first US. Experimental psychology laboratory, founded . . . Read More
Lev Semionovich Vygotsky at psychology-glossary.com■■■■■
Lev Semionovich Vygotsky (1896-1934) Vygotsky was born in Russia in the same year as Piaget. Vygotsky . . . Read More
Despair at psychology-glossary.com■■■■
Despair refers to loss of hope Erik Erikson believed that those in late adulthood struggled with the . . . Read More
Initiative Vs Guilt at psychology-glossary.com■■■■
Initiative Vs Guilt: Initiative vs. Guilt is a stage in Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, . . . Read More
Germany at travel-glossary.com■■■■
Germany is a country in EuropeThis country . . . Read More
Frankfurt am Main at travel-glossary.com■■■■
Frankfurt am Main is a major city in GermanyThis city . . . Read More
Anatomy is destiny at psychology-glossary.com■■■■
Anatomy is destiny refers to the Freudian contention that a number of major Personality characteristics . . . Read More
Eysenck, Hans at psychology-glossary.com■■■■
Eysenck, Hans: Hans Eysenck (1916-1997) is probably best known as a Controversialist. Eysenck has received . . . Read More
Stanley B. Prusiner at psychology-glossary.com■■■■
Stanley B. Prusiner refers to the American neurologist and winner of the Nobel Prize for the discovery . . . Read More