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In psychology, identity crisis is a stage theory of identity development which involves the resolution of a conflict over eight stages of life. [1] [2] The term was coined by German psychologist Erik Erikson. The stage of psychosocial development in which identity crisis may occur is called identity cohesion vs. role confusion.
Erikson's theory may be questioned as to whether his stages must be regarded as sequential, and only occurring within the age ranges he suggests. There is debate as to whether people only search for identity during the adolescent years or if one stage needs to happen before other stages can be completed. [ 61 ]
Many theories of development have aspects of identity formation included in them. Two theories directly address the process of identity formation: Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development (specifically the Identity versus Role Confusion stage), James Marcia's identity status theory, and Jeffrey Arnett's theories of identity formation in emerging adulthood.
On ego identity versus role confusion: ego identity enables each person to have a sense of individuality, or as Erikson would say, "Ego identity, then, in its subjective aspect, is the awareness of the fact that there is a self-sameness and continuity to the ego's synthesizing methods and a continuity of one's meaning for others". [41]
Erik Erikson (1902–94) became one of the earliest psychologists to take an explicit interest in identity. An essential feature of Erikson's theory of psychosocial development was the idea of the ego identity (often referred to as the self), which is described as an individual's personal sense of continuity. [18]
Erik Erikson developed stages of ego development that extended through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. He was trained in psychoanalysis and was highly influenced by Freud, but unlike Freud, Erikson believed that social interaction is very important to the individual's psychosocial development.
Each of Erikson's stages include both a positive and negative influences that can go on to be seen later in an individual's life. His theory includes the influence of biological factors on development. [9] Jane Loevinger (b.1918) built on the work of Erikson in her description of stages of ego development.
Childhood and Society was the first of Erikson's books to become popular. [2] The critic Frederick Crews calls the work "a readable and important book extending Freud's developmental theory." [3] The Oxford Handbook of Identity names Erikson as the seminal figure in "the developmental approach of understanding identity". [4]