Feist−Feist: Theories of
Personality, Seventh
EditionII. Psychodynamic
Theories- Erikson: Post−Freudian
Theory
© The McGraw−Hill^265
Companies, 2009dence or defiance (Erikson, 1982). Diffidenceis an extreme lack of self-trust or self-
confidence and is expressed as shyness or hesitancy to express oneself. In contrast,
defiance is the act of rebelling against authority. Defiant adolescents stubbornly hold
to socially unacceptable beliefs and practices simply because these beliefs and prac-
tices are unacceptable. Some amount of role repudiation, Erikson believed, is neces-
sary, not only because it allows adolescents to evolve their personal identity, but also
because it injects some new ideas and new vitality into the social structure.
Young Adulthood
After achieving a sense of identity during adolescence, people must acquire the abil-
ity to fuse that identity with the identity of another person while maintaining their
sense of individuality. Young adulthood—a time from about age 19 to 30—is cir-
cumscribed not so much by time as by the acquisition of intimacyat the beginning
of the stage and the development of generativityat the end. For some people, this
stage is a relatively short time, lasting perhaps only a few years. For others, young
adulthood may continue for several decades. Young adults should develop mature
genitality,experience the conflict between intimacyand isolation,and acquire the
basic strength of love.
Genitality
Much of the sexual activity during adolescence is an expression of one’s search for
identity and is basically self-serving. True genitalitycan develop only during young
adulthood when it is distinguished by mutual trust and a stable sharing of sexual sat-
isfactions with a loved person. It is the chief psychosexual accomplishment of young
adulthood and exists only in an intimate relationship (Erikson, 1963).
Intimacy Versus Isolation
Young adulthood is marked by the psychosocial crisis of intimacy versus isolation.
Intimacyis the ability to fuse one’s identity with that of another person without fear
of losing it. Because intimacy can be achieved only after people have formed a sta-
ble ego, the infatuations often found in young adolescents are not true intimacy. Peo-
ple who are unsure of their identity may either shy away from psychosocial intimacy
or desperately seek intimacy through meaningless sexual encounters.
In contrast, mature intimacy means an ability and willingness to share a mu-
tual trust. It involves sacrifice, compromise, and commitment within a relationship
of two equals. It should be a requirement for marriage, but many marriages lack in-
timacy because some young people marry as part of their search for the identity that
they failed to establish during adolescence.
The psychosocial counterpart to intimacy is isolation,defined as “the inca-
pacity to take chances with one’s identity by sharing true intimacy” (Erikson, 1968,
p. 137). Some people become financially or socially successful, yet retain a sense of
isolation because they are unable to accept the adult responsibilities of productive
work, procreation, and mature love.
Again, some degree of isolation is essential before one can acquire mature
love. Too much togetherness can diminish a person’s sense of ego identity, which
Chapter 9 Erikson: Post-Freudian Theory 259