-
Joseph Becomes Potty Trained
At the age of two years old Joseph was finally able to use the toilet(potty trained). At this age, Joseph yearned to gain some independence from his mom and dad. Being trained to control his bowels and make it to the toilet helped Joseph gain confidence and trust in himself. This is a perfect example of Erikson's second stage, Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt. The crisis in this stage is between being fully reliant on one's caregiver or developing a sense of independence. -
Joseph's Sophomore Year of High school
At the end of Joseph's Sophomore year of high school, he is rewarded with straight A's on his report card after spending countless hours studying. Joseph finds meaning and identity by working hard and getting good grades. He especially likes science and has goals of becoming a doctor. This is an example of Erickson's fith stage, Identity vs Role Confusion. The crisis in this stage is finding a sense of self in society vs being confused and unsure of one's place and future. -
Joseph Gets Married
At the age of 27, Joseph marries his wife Julia. After meeting five years earlier Joseph and Julia grew to know and share every aspect of their lives together. The two became very intimate and knew they wanted to "have" each other forever. This is an example of Erikson's 6th stage, Intimacy vs Isolation. The crisis of this stage is developing a close loving relationship with loyalty vs not being able to form a committed bond and emotionally isolating one's self.