Question

Explain in detail why stages 5 and 6 of Erikson’s (Identity vs Role Confusion and Intimacy vs Isolation ) eight stages of personality development may be the highest hurdles to jump in life. Think about your junior high and high school years and what’s to come in your post-high school years. Include physical, emotional, and cognitive aspects and explain how these all fit into Erikson’s stages 5 and 6.

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) Erikson’s eight stages of personality development spans across the stages of life of an individual. The 5^th and 6^th stage are stretched across one’s adolescence and early adulthood. These stages have contrasting opposites and one’s personality is determined, based on which side of the scale their preference might lean on.

The 5^th stage is Identity versus Role Confusion – This is where an adolescent might either have a strong sense of their attributes or might have an existential crisis with role confusion. If one might recount the days at high-school or university, this was evident in situations of picking one’s career. A classroom is generally a mixed-bag of individuals and some have strong preferences in terms of their future career. On the other hand, there are few who might be completely indecisive as to what course or profession they might want to pick. The later are generally those that fill the career guidance offices for aptitude tests.

The 6^th stage is Intimacy versus Isolation – This stage is largely dependent on two factors. These factors are the individual’s inherent personality and the childhood influences. People who are introverts generally prefer isolation while the extroverts prefer intimacy. This is simply because both individuals find their neural stimulation within different circumstances. The ones who prefer intimacy are easily spotted since they are the ones who might wait after class to socialise with others and prefer networking professionally as well.

It would take one to achieve a certain comfort level with their physical traits in order to obtain a strong sense of identity. One must be comfortable with their gender, their body weight, their features and other nuances of their physical form. People with a strong sense of identity also prefer a certain level of intimacy regardless of being an introvert.

Also, emotionally and intellectually confident individuals are ones that might not be entirely overwhelmed of their flaws. These are individuals who might not always be confused about their roles in society. Furthermore, these individuals might not even seek constant isolation even when there are times that they may have to socialise.