Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
07:40
Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
Commentary on retirement, identity, and Erikson's developmental stage model.
1Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, Canada. josborne@highspeedplus.com
Canadian Journal on Aging = La Revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement
|November 21, 2009
Summary
Retirement and aging can reactivate earlier psychological tensions, according to Erikson's model. Understanding these developmental stages helps retirees gain self-awareness and adjust to this life transition.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Gerontology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Late adulthood involves retirement and aging, potentially triggering unresolved developmental conflicts.
- Erikson's model of personality development outlines psychosocial stages crucial for understanding adult identity.
- Retirement presents unique challenges that may reactivate earlier life stage dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the applicability of Erikson's developmental stages to the retirement and aging process.
- To examine how psychodynamics from earlier life stages can resurface during retirement.
- To assess the utility of Erikson's model for enhancing retirees' self-awareness and adjustment.
Main Methods:
- The study utilizes Erikson's psychosocial stages as a theoretical framework.
- Experiences within the context of retirement are used to illustrate the model's stages.
- Qualitative analysis of retiree experiences is implied through the illustration of stages.
Main Results:
- The coincidence of retirement and aging can lead to a recurrence of earlier psychosocial tensions.
- Erikson's model offers a framework for retirees to understand their identity development.
- Psychological dynamics from previous life stages can be reactivated by retirement and aging.
Conclusions:
- Erikson's model is a valuable tool for understanding the psychological impact of retirement.
- Applying Erikson's stages can enhance retirees' self-awareness and self-understanding.
- The model facilitates better adjustment to the challenges and transitions of retirement and aging.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:27Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adulthood
Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development outlines a series of stages through which individuals progress across the lifespan. Each stage involves a psychosocial conflict that significantly influences personal growth and well-being. Three key stages — intimacy versus isolation, generativity versus stagnation, and integrity versus despair — highlight the developmental challenges faced in adulthood.
Intimacy Versus Isolation in Early Adulthood
Individuals in early adulthood, from the 20s...
Intimacy Versus Isolation in Early Adulthood
Individuals in early adulthood, from the 20s...
01:17Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adolescence
Erik Erikson's fifth stage of psychosocial development, "identity versus role confusion," is crucial during adolescence (ages 12 to 18). In this stage, adolescents face the developmental task of forging a distinct personal identity, a process influenced by social, psychological, and biological changes typical of this period. Adolescents naturally explore different roles, behaviors, and ideologies as they navigate complex questions of self-concept, asking, "Who am I?" and "What is my place in...
01:28Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Childhood
Erik Erikson, a stage theorist, adapted Freud's theory to emphasize social factors in personality development throughout life, a concept known as psychosocial development. Unlike Freud, who focused on early childhood, Erikson believed that personality evolves across eight life stages, each marked by a specific challenge or "crisis." Successful resolution of each stage fosters competence, while failure may lead to feelings of inadequacy.
The first four of Erikson's eight psychosocial stages...
The first four of Erikson's eight psychosocial stages...
01:26Marcia's Theory of Identity Status
James Marcia's identity status model provides a framework for understanding how adolescents navigate identity formation through varying degrees of exploration and commitment. Marcia's model builds on Erik Erikson's theories of psychosocial development, focusing specifically on how adolescents reconcile individual aspirations with societal expectations. His model describes identity formation as a dynamic process where adolescents move between different states depending on their level of...
01:27Emerging Adulthood
Jeffrey Arnett's concept of emerging adulthood offers a framework to understand the unique developmental stage between adolescence and full-fledged adulthood, generally from ages 18 to 25. This period is marked by extensive exploration and shifts in identity, relationships, and career choices, a process known in psychology as role experimentation. Emerging adulthood reflects the evolving cultural expectations surrounding adulthood and the dynamic process of personal transformation during this...
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...