Life Dates
1902–1994
Introduction
Erik Erikson stands as the most renowned psychologist of child and adolescent development of the twentieth century. His theory of eight psychosocial stages of human development provides a framework for understanding both the physical and psychological needs of humans as well as the social factors that contribute to personality development. Identity is at the core of Erikson’s developmental model. He coined the term “identity crisis,” which involves a “renegotiating of one’s values, as they are oriented around other individuals and society at large” [16, p. 150]. The chronology of his research interests, to a significant degree, parallels Erikson’s own life history and personal struggle for identity.
Biography
Erikson was born June 15, 1902, in Frankfurt, Germany, to an unnamed father, who was a Protestant Dane, and to Karla Abrahamsen Salomonsen, a Jewish native of Denmark. Karla was not married to Erikson's Father, and she raised Erik as a single...
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References
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Snarey, J., Poole, S. (2011). Erikson, Erik H.. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1023
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