1902-1994
Developmental Psychology

Stage Theory of Human Development and Identity.

Erik Erikson, psychoanalyst with a Ph.D. in child psychology, is probably best known for his stage theory of human development. Erikson's theory suggests that each stage of life, from infancy and early childhood on, is associated with a specific psychological struggle that significantly affects personality. Erikson, who coined the term identity crisis in naming that particular crisis inherent in adolescence, was an innovator whose influence shaped the emerging fields of child development and life-span studies. Defining identity as a basic confidence in one's inner continuity amid change, Erikson suggested that the emergence of this identity might be precipitated by a crisis and accompanied by intense neurotic suffering, especially for creative people. This theory had particular resonance during the 1960s, during which young people heard Erikson saying, "Your life is important; your relationship to your times...