Erikson Interview Paper

I interviewed Will Smith, age 14, on Sunday, November 15th, 2014. Based on my interview, I believe Will is in Stage 5, Adolescence, of Erik Erikson’s Theory of Development. Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development considers the impact of external factors, parents and society on personality development from childhood to adulthood. According to Erikson’s theory, every person must pass through a series of eight interrelated stages over the entire life cycle.

The stages are Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Doubt, Initiative vs. Guilt, Industry vs. Inferiority, Identity vs. Role Confusion, Intimacy vs. Isolation, Generativity vs. Stagnation, and Integrity vs. Despair. I believe that Will is in Stage 5 of Erik Erikson’s Theory of Development

All eight stages has a specific struggle or crisis that you must go through. In Stage One, Infancy, you have Trust vs. Mistrust. The struggle in stage one would be Mistrust. Mistrust is suspicion and/or fear. If you have developed Mistrust, your needs were not met when you were an infant, and you will probably won’t be able to trust people when older. You would be less cooperative, less sympathetic, and more aggressive. Based on the interview, Will did not obtain Mistrust. Therefore, he got trust. In Stage Two, Toddlerhood, you have Autonomy vs. Doubt. The struggle in stage two would be Doubt. Doubt is a feeling of uncertainty or lack of self-confidence. If you have developed Doubt, your needs were not met as a toddler; you weren’t allowed to complete tasks on your own, which lead to you doubting your abilities. Based on the interview, Will did not obtain Doubt. Therefore, he got Autonomy. In Stage Three, Preschool, you have Initiative vs. Guilt. The struggle in stage three would be Guilt. Guilt is feeling inadequate to be on your own. If you have developed Guilt, you weren’t allowed much freedom when you were a preschooler and you didn’t have any motivation. Based on the interview, Will

In stage five you have Identity vs. Role Confusion. Identity is when you value your own personality and you stay true to yourself. You have a strong consistent knowledge of who you are and what you stand for, you do not give into peers. Role Confusion is when you have a weak sense of self and personal identity. You may inhabit role confusion if you’re not allowed to make decisions and/or choices. Role confusion can affect your career, ethics, beliefs, and relationships. I know that Will is in stage five because the important event in stage five is friends and questions 2-4, 8, and 13 showed that she is very focused on friends. Number two’s question was, “What do you care most about in life and why?” and part of Will’s answer was, “My friends because they understand me more than my family usually does…”. Number three’s questions was, “Who are the most important people in your life and why?” and Will’s answer was, “My friends because they’ll always be there to pick me up when I’m down and because they will always be there for me when I need them”. Number four’s question was, “What are your favorite things to do and why?” and part of Will’s answer was, “Hanging out with my friends because hanging out makes us close…”. Number eight’s question was, “What do you like/dislike about school and why?” and part of Will’s answer was, “I like that I get to hang out with my friends because it satisfies my social status