CHAPTER 6
EGO ANALYTIC PSYCHOLOGY
ANNA FREUD
ERIK ERIKSON
Anna, was Freuds youngest daughter and the only member of his family to follow in his profession.
She worked closely with her father until his death, then became an eminent lay psychoanalyst in her own right.
She enlarged the application of psychoanalysis to new areas to include the study of children. In doing so, she extended
the influence of psychoanalysis into areas such as pediatrics, childcare, education and family law.
She is best known for producing a Classification System for childhood symptoms which reflects development issues and a
formal assessment procedure known as a "diagnostic profile". The profile included nine major sections briefly summarized
as follows:
Reason for referral (why child is coming to see you)
Description of child (personal appearance, moods, manner)
Family background and personal history (life story and family make-up)
Possibly significant environmental influences (unusual experiences)
Assessment of development in terms of
development and expression of childs drives of libido and aggression
development of childs ego and superego, sex development line
Genetic assessment (signs of repression and/or fixation
Dynamic and structural assessment
Assessment of general characteristics in terms of
frustration tolerance
sublimation potential
overall attitude to anxiety
progressive versus regressive tendencies
Diagnosis: (integration and summary of above into a clinically meaningful
assessment)
Anna Freud learned from her work with children that there are realistic limits to analysis. Certain constitutional or environmental
factors may not be open to real change through analysis, though their effects may be reduced.
While recognizing the greater importance of environmental factors over internal ones in childhood disturbances, she was
also impressed by the efforts of children to cope with and master extremely devastating situations.
ERIK ERIKSON
(1902 - 1994)
Erik H. Erikson was born near Frankfurt, Germany, the product of an extramarital relationship. He never knew his mothers
first husband or his birth father. In an act that Erikson later called "loving deceit", his adoptive parents concealed
the fact of his adoption from him for several years.
Thus, the man who is famous for coining the term "identity crisis" did himself experience a significant identity
crisis.
Erikson is said to be one of Freuds most avid followers. He extended Freuds psychoanalytic theory in the following ways:
Increased our understanding of the ego:
He increased our understanding of the ego, showing it is a creative problem solver that emerges out of genetic,
cultural, and historical context of each individual
Elaborated on Freuds stages of development
Making explicit a social dimension that was implied in Freuds theory but never clearly stated
Extended the concept of development to include the entire life span
While much of the concepts of development by Freud and others centered on children or early childhood, Erikson
developed the concept that development is continuous and encompasses the entire life span of an individual
Explored the impact of culture, society, and history on the developing personality.
Erikson illustrated this concept by performing psycho-historical studies of famous people (i.e. Martin Luther,
and Gandhi)
PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Erikson believed that human beings everywhere face eight major psychosocial crises, or conflicts, during their lives. These
crises included
Trust versus mistrust:
Revolves around whether or not an infant becomes able to rely on other people to be responsive to his or her
needs. To develop trust, infants must be able to count on their primary caregiver to feed them, relieve their discomforts.
Autonomy versus shame and doubt
Toddlers are determined to do things themselves. to demonstrate their independence and their control over
their parents. Their favorite words are me, me, me, or no, no, no. If parents humiliate or punish them when they have toilet
accidents or spill their milk, they may end up doubting their competence or even believing that they are fundamentally bad
people.
Initiative versus guilt
They develop a sense of purpose by devising bold plans but must also learn not to step on other people in
the process.
Industry versus inferiority
To gain a sense of industry, children must master the important cognitive and social skills reading, writing,
cooperative teamwork and so on that are necessary to win the approval of both adults and peers.
Identity versus role confusion
Adolescents attempt to define who they are (in terms of career, religion, sexual identity, and so on), where
they are heading, and where they fit into society. They often change their minds and experiment with new looks, new majors,
and new group memberships in the process.
Intimacy versus isolation
Young adult who has not resolved the issue of identity versus role confusion may be threatened by the idea
of entering a committed, long- term relationship and being "tied down" or may become over-dependent on a partner as a source
of identity.
Generativity versus stagnation
During middle age individual struggle to gain a sense that they have produced something that will outlive
them, whether raising happy, healthy children or by doing something meaningful through their work or volunteer activities.
Integrity versus despair
Elderly adults try to find a sense of meaning in their lives that will help them face the inevitability of
death. If they are successful, they are able to look back over their lives and say that there is little they could change:
If they are not, they may dwell on past injustices and paths not taken and have difficulty preparing for death.
SEX DIFFERENCES AS VIEWED BY ERIKSON
In Childhood and Society (1963) Erikson reported his findings of the difference between the sexes. He established
a large playroom with a random selection of toys and invited children to construct out of their imagination any scene they
desired.
Erikson noticed a distinct sex difference in the childrens construction.
Girls were apt to represent the interior of a room with a circle of furniture.
Boys, on the other hand, made towers and other high structures, some which were in a state of collapse. (see page 171 in
your text)
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Erikson realized that girls and boys use space differently. Girls emphasize inner space and quality of openness
versus closedness. Boys concentrate on outer space and qualities of highness and lowness.
These particular tendencies reminded him of the respective structures of the female and male genitals. This discovery led
him to hypothesize that "ones experience is anchored in the ground plan of the body", and that there may be profound differences
in the sense of space in the two sexes.
WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?
Erikson concluded that the development of women is influenced by their awareness of their reproductive capacity, and he
identified a womans maternal potential as a key determinant of her personality. Unlike Freud, Eriksons clinical observation
did not support the idea that a girls awareness of her sex focuses on a missing penis.
HOW ERIKSON DIFFERS FROM FREUD
Erikson placed less emphasis on sexual urges as the drivers of development and more emphasis on
social influences such as peers, teachers, schools, and the broader culture.
He placed less emphasis on the irrational, selfish id and more on the rational ego and its adaptive
powers.
Erikson held a more positive view of human nature, seeing us as active in our development, largely rational, and able to
overcome the effects of harmful early experiences.
He maintained that human development continues during adulthood, which accounts for his development of entire life span
stages.
Erikson clearly did not agree with Freud that the personality is essentially "set in stone" during early
childhood.
BIOGRAPHY ON MELANIE KLEIN
OR
MARGARET MAHLER
