Theory of Socioemotional Development
Psychology
Erick Erikson’s Theory of Socioemotional Development
Erik Erikson, American psychoanalyst, is known in the field of psychology for his contribution in studying the socioemotional aspect of development among humans. Called the theory of socioemotional development, Erikson posits in his theory that, “people grow and develop “socialized by and socialize others — parents, siblings, peers, teachers… processes that involve changes in an individual’s relationships with other people, changes in emotion, and changes in personality” (Santrock, 2001:338). Erikson identified different dichotomies that specifically delineate positive and negative aspects of socioemotional developments among individuals. These dichotomies are placed at various levels, where different socioemotional characteristics are manifested at each level of the individual’s development.
Erikson’s theory is an essential tool to understanding human behavior because it serves as a guideline for people to understand the different changes in socioemotional characteristics of people as they grow older. Of course, there are certain exceptions or people who deviate from the normative socioemotional development that Erikson formulated in his theory, but in general, his studies provide an overview of the nature of human personality and behavior at each stage of his/her development.
This paper aims to discuss and analyze the relevance and significance of Erik Erikson’s theory of socioemotional development to the behavioral development of the individual. Each level/stage and dichotomies present in this theory is explained and applied in the context/perspective of behavioral development. This paper posits that through Erikson’s theory, individuals have a better understanding of what is the normative and healthy way to develop socioemotionally as one adapts to biological, psychological and social changes through the years.
In Erikson’s theory, he identifies 8 (eight) stages of socioemotional development, wherein there are positive (normative) and negative (deviant) traits of an individual, as s/he grows older. These stages are the following: (1) The Infant: Trust vs. Mistrust; (2) Toddlers: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt; (3) Childhood: Initiative vs. Guilt; (4) School days: Industry vs. Inferiority; (5) Adolescence: Identity vs. Role Confusion; (6) Young Adulthood: Intimacy vs. Isolation; (7) Adulthood: Generativity vs. Stagnation; (8) Old Age: Integrity vs. Despair (Dundy, 1976). These dichotomies illustrate how healthy development of the individual is illustrated through the normative stages, starting from trust development during the infancy stage towards integration in the old age stage.
Take as example stages 4-7 in Erikson’s stages of development. Deviant behavior may develop if the individual experiences a feeling of inferiority, which may lead to role confusion as the individual tries to adapt to different social influences around him/her. At stage 6 of socioemotional development, s/he may have established social relationships with other people, or continue to be isolated by his/her social environment. The critical stage of socioemotional development comes during adulthood, where an individual is determined by the society as either a productive or non-productive (stagnating) member of the society. Deviating from the normative stages of development leads to the cultivation of deviant behavior, which may result to conflicts among other members of the society, who have gone through the normative stages of socioemotional development. This example illustrates the importance of determining an individual’s socioemotional development, since, primarily, these characteristics actually determine or ‘predict’ the kind of life and behavior the individual will potentially subsist to, given his/her social environment and reaction to it.
Bibliography
Dundy, E. (1976). “Life is all ups and no downs on this carousel.” New York Times Web site (NYTimes.com). Available at http://www.nytimes.com/books/99/08/22/specials/erikson-carousel.html.
Santrock, J. (2001). Psychology. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Book Co.