Erikson, Erik

Abstract Erik Erikson (1902–1994), an American psychologist and psychoanalyst, is recognized for his developmental and personality theories. He was born in Germany to a Jewish mother; the name and identity of his biological father are unclear. Erikson received initial training in arts in Baden and then at the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute before his immigration to the United States in 1933 after the Nazi Party victory. He worked in America as a clinical practitioner, researcher, professor, and writer. He worked in several universities, including Yale, the University of California at Berkeley, and Harvard. Erikson pursued traditional psychoanalysis and advanced psychology by emphasizing sociocultural influences on individual development.