Describe Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory as it applies to the development of infant and toddler personality

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: Erikson accepted Freud's emphasis on the importance of the parent–infant relationship during feeding, but he expanded and enriched Freud's view. A healthy outcome during infancy, Erikson believed, does not depend on the amount of food or oral stimulation offered but rather on the quality of caregiving: relieving discomfort promptly and sensitively, holding the infant gently, waiting patiently until the baby has had enough milk, and weaning when the infant shows less interest in breast or bottle.
Erikson recognized that no parent can be perfectly in tune with the baby's needs. Many factors affect parental responsiveness—feelings of personal happiness, current life conditions, and culturally valued child-rearing practices. But when the balance of care is sympathetic and loving, the psychological conflict of the first year—basic trust versus mistrust—is resolved on the positive side. The conflict of toddlerhood—autonomy versus shame and doubt—is resolved favorably when parents provide young children with suitable guidance and reasonable choices. In contrast, when parents are over- or undercontrolling, the outcome is a child who feels forced and shamed and who doubts his ability to control his impulses and act competently on his own.
In sum, basic trust and autonomy grow out of warm, sensitive parenting and reasonable expectations for impulse control starting in the second year. If children emerge from the first few years without sufficient trust in caregivers and without a healthy sense of individuality, the seeds are sown for adjustment problems.