Erikson Personality Theory

In the Psychology community, there are numerous explanations and theories as to how one 's personality is developed. Erik Erikson 's Post-Freudian Theory is the theory in which my personality development relates to the most. This is due to his theory stating that personality develops over a life cycle rather than exclusively during infancy (Feist, Feist, Roberts 218). This theory is relatively simple compared to other personality theories. My personality has developed over time as a result of genetics and psychosocial struggle during each of the eight stages in the Post-Freudian Theory.
The first stage in Erikson 's theory is Infancy. During this stage, an infant is expected to learn basic trust and mistrust. With that being said, a balanced combination of the two is needed in order to "...acquire [his or her] first strength-hope" (Feist, Feist, Roberts 227). A child will also go through Oral-Sensory Mode during stage one. In other words, the child, while learning how to get, he or she will also learn how to give (Feist, Feist, Roberts 226). I developed basic trust because, during this time in my life, my

During this stage, a child is expected to learn identity versus identity confusion, producing fidelity, or "faith in one 's ideology" (Feist, Feist, Roberts 233). He or she will also begin to physically mature. This is better known as puberty. This stage was an influential time in my life. I moved to Florida, my parents got a divorce, and I endured an extremely abusive relationship. All of these things led me to feel inadequate. It wasn 't until I attended Cosmetology a few years after high school that I learned that I am, indeed, adequate and have many abilities that can be an asset. I also began to learn how to have a stronger social skills and develop relationships with strangers who would later become great friends. It took me years to learn to be confident in who I am, but none-the-less, I did succeed through this