Use Erikson’s crisis concepts of identity versus role confusion, and intimacy versus isolation to explain Colleen’s college experiences. How does the focus of Erikson’s theory compare to that of Skinner’s?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

According to Erikson, adolescents face the crisis of identity versus role confusion. While Colleen seems to have had a strong sense of identity during high school, once she attended college she found that the behavior she displayed to demonstrate who she was (e.g., the type of clothing she wore) was not readily accepted. She may therefore be experiencing an identity crisis and instead is experiencing role confusion. As the case indicates, Colleen is confused about why the behaviors she has previously displayed are no longer respected. Erikson believed that it was more difficult for women to form a stable sense of identity because they were (at that time) less likely to have a career, which may be part of Colleen’s problem. Choice of career, according to Erikson, was central to a male’s sense of identity. If Colleen continues to experience role confusion she will probably have difficulty successfully resolving the intimacy versus isolation crisis of the next stage. This is evident in Colleen’s lack of romantic relationships.
The focus of Erikson’s theory is different than that of Skinner’s. Erikson focused on social factors that influence personality and so his theory is more specific than Skinner’s which focused more generally on environmental influences on behavior. The two theories are similar, however, in that social factors can also be thought of as one type of environmental factor that influences behavior and can be rewarding or punishing.