Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development, Essay Example

Elizabeth Smith is a 12 year old female whose parents became divorced when she was two years old. Since her parents were only married for a short while, she has been raised primarily by her mother, who lives in Florida. Her father travels frequently, but Elizabeth is sent to spend some holidays and occasional weekends with him. Her father has been in a consistent relationship for several years and Elizabeth looks towards her father’s girlfriend as a second father figure. One of the more prominent details concerning Elizabeth’s life pertains to the fact that she has two separate families. Her father’s family has close ties as does her mother’s family, although the two seldom interact beyond what is necessary for Elizabeth’s care. Elizabeth’s father is a family friend, and I was granted permission by her father and his girlfriend to observe her for this assignment. She will be examined during an interaction with neighborhood children who are visiting her while she is present. She will also be accompanied by several of her cousins, who are approximately her age. This will be a cross-sectional study of her behaviors (Cook & Cook, 2013). I hypothesize the Elizabeth will fall into the role confusion stage of Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development based on the fact that she has just entered this stage (Cook & Cook, 2013).

Situation Description

While Elizabeth was playing with her friends and cousins, it appeared that she constantly felt the need to be in control and that all attention had to be focused on her. At the same time, she often attempted to push the group towards engaging in activities that appeared to be too childish for their age level. Many of the children wanted to play sports, video games, or watch television, while Elizabeth argued that she wanted to play with dolls. Since the other children were not able to be convinced, Elizabeth sought the care of her father to see if he wanted to play. Her father said that it would be best for her to return and play with her friends, although they could play together later.

Despite her childish behavior, Elizabeth appears to be very intelligent. When the children were watching television, she was able to read subtitles that had appeared on the screen both quickly and fluently. The other children were impressed with her ability to do so. After watching television, the group began to play house and Elizabeth wanted to be the mother. She fought briefly with her friend Sarah before Sarah finally gave in and allowed Elizabeth to take the lead. Sarah initially agreed to allow Elizabeth to be the mother if she would be able to get a turn, and while Elizabeth initially agreed to this, this never occurred.

After the game, Elizabeth claimed she felt tired, but it appears that this is primarily because she did not want to play jump rope outside. This time, her father gave in and let her stay inside. Inside the house, it appeared that Elizabeth was still energetic, but upset that she did not get her way. She had just said goodbye to her friends, and seemed to welcome the opportunity to choose any activity that she could even though it was on her own. Elizabeth asked her father to play dolls again, and the two did so for a bit before her father reminded her that she didn’t go outside because she said she was too tired to do so. This made Elizabeth upset, and she threw a brief tantrum before going to her room and laying in her bed. She appeared to lay on her bed in an attempt to please her father, which was apparent because there were no signs that she wished to sleep.

Analysis

Elizabeth’s age classifies her as being in the 5^th stage of Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory. This indicates that the major choice she must make at this point in her life is whether she is able to grow into an adult identity or whether her experiences will force her to remain confused about this role. This psychological conflict is entitled “Identity vs. Role Confusion”. Based on the previously described observations, it appears that Elizabeth currently falls into the role confusion category.

When a child reaches age 12, they are forced to make many decisions about who they are, and we expect to see a certain level of maturity develop in these children. They are expected to become more independent, select activities and hobbies they prefer as their own preference, uninfluenced by the adults around them. To actively answer the question “Who am I?”, these children must continue to seek for this answer in the context of their friends and family. The inability to do so often results in confusion, and if this important question is not answered at this point in life, the child may never be able to determine who they are in the context of society.

In Elizabeth’s case, it is clear that she has her preferences. She demands that the children play with dolls, and she lets them know immediately that if they play house she must be the mother. In addition, she is unwilling to negotiate about these things with her peers. Therefore, it is clear that she knows what she wants. However, it is important for her to work towards this in a more mature manner. Although it is clear that her friends appreciate her as a person and value her input, they become upset that Elizabeth is unwilling to compromise with them. This is an obvious sign of immaturity that can potentially hinder her ability to find her identity.

It is important for Elizabeth to become more independent as she grows older and cease her reliance on her parents. It is clear that she was given many things she wanted as a child to compensate for the fact that her parents were divorced. Furthermore, since her mother raised her mainly on her own, she often rewards her with things even when these rewards are unwarranted. As a consequence, Elizabeth has grown too dependent upon the adults around her. While she is unable to gain a role identity in this manner, it is important to track her progress until age 18, as she is only at the very beginning of this developmental stage.

A major observation regarding Elizabeth is that she appears to be stuck between a child’s world and an adult’s world. It seems that she wants to be an adult based on the way she acts around other children. She wants to be able to make her own decisions and have influence over others. However, her interests are very immature for a child her age, and her friends do not share these interests as a consequence. Fortunately, “personality development is lifelong” (Cook & Cook, 2013). The following few years will be beneficial to Elizabeth, as they will allow her to develop a greater sense of self. In this way, she will be able to determine who she is as a person in relation to those around her.This analysis should be considered in conjunction with other behaviorist techniques in order to ensure accuracy (Cook & Cook, 2013).

References

Cook G, Cook JL. (2013). The World of Children, 3^rd Edition. New York, NY: Pearson.