I may not be considered a psychoanalist by any standard. However, I have to admit that Erik Erikson has a very reasonable proposal to understand adult development much beyond the 60s or 70s. George Vaillant uses Erickson´s theory in explaining part of the 80+ years of studies of 3 cohorts of individuals being studied since the begining of past century. And it sounds very reasonable the way he puts Erikson theory to test
I am involved in understanding adult psicosocial and emotional developmental and finding a way where are they (we? me?) located and where may we have our best developmental opportunities. My focus is not theory testing. My focus is effective intervention (workshops? talks? therapy? conversations? groups? seminars?) to help people find better ways to deal with ourselves in search of our own truths and opportunities to be happier and fullfiled.
I have the impression that it could improve our common understanding to have a psychometric scale (?) of adult development based on Erik Erikson theory of 8 stages. However, it might be that some of you may not know a psychometric traditional scale but a sort of Mastered Tasks of Adult Development along life. For example: I can imagine that, regarding generativity someone may have studied those individuals who have mastered those day to day dedication tasks of generativity such as taking care of others, making sure others have a safe sorrounding, etc. This catalog of the 8 stages of development (or the 8 developmental tasks as Vaillant prefer to call them) may be of great help to support adults to find a clearer route to the future they (we? me?) are pursuing, including being happier, being wiser, being more generative, being better keepers of the meaing, etc.
Your comments, reflections or references on this topic are extremely well received.
Gracias
However attractive Erikson's model is, it has the drawback that it has a choice, at each stage, between the right door and the wrong door. The various theories of ageing appeal to different people, and this may be a cue that we have different ideas of what ageing will be like when we are younger, and different strategies for ageing when we age.
We are doing some work on the Selection Optimisation Compensation model of Baltes, which always struck me as a very capitalist view of life (picturing the person as a failing capitalist organisation where success is measured in productive output). My results show that it applies more to Protestants than to Catholics.
I've also been interested by the work on Braam's work on Gerotranscendence. See http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/61/3/S121.abstract
To quote from the abstract: Gerotranscendence has been conceptualized as a potential development accompanying normal aging. Gerotranscendence is defined as a shift in metaperspective from a materialistic and pragmatic world view to a more cosmic and transcendent one. In the past decade, population-based studies have tested Tornstam's Gerotranscendence Scale. Its Cosmic Transcendence subscale, in particular, emerged as consistent. The aim of the present study was to examine (a) how cosmic transcendence relates to having a framework of meaning in life and (b) whether religiousness and demographic characteristics influence possible relationships
Please keep it in your mind Dr Bernstein. However i do appreciate your effort on this issue.
Ronán: probably my understanding of Erikson is not deep enough but I have tried to imagine his 8 stages in a similar way to Schwartz theory of values. That is: you may not have "enough" of one dialectic pole and you may be stuck in the opposite pole but still you may go ahead with other stages of your life. This is also a thought I can capture from Vaillant´s Aging Well interpretation of Erickson. May you agree?
The measure of Erikson's stages I have used in my research is by Susan Krauss Whitbourne and called the Inventory of Psychosocial Development. I have a copy from the author, but it's described in:
Whitbourne, S. K., Jelsma, B. M., & Waterman, A. S. (1982). An Eriksonian measure of personality development in college students: A reexamination of Constantinople's data and a partial replication. Developmental Psychology, 18(3), 369-371.
Another paper you may find useful given your emphasis on workshops and talks rather than theory testing is one I use in teaching adult development, and which I've attached here as it can be a bit harder to get:
Hamachek, (1990). Evaluating self-concept and ego status in Erikson's last three psychosocial stages. Journal of Counseling & Development, 68, 677-683.
All the best with it.
Sue
Sue: Thanks a Lot. I am in fact reviewing now Susan Krauss book The Search for fulfillment. It helps but your specific references are gold. I do want to design a workshop with a good theory and study base but also a workshop that can make an impact on people regarding their general healthiness to prepare for a long and healthy life. - Quite a challenge in a country becoming first in the world as far as diabetes is concerned. Still a practical but theory and facts grounded approach to behavioral change is needed. I am sure other readers will find your post useful too.
Thanks again. Gracias de nuevo.
Sure!!!! I found the above posts useful to me, as an upcoming psychometrician.
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