Erikson and the Relational Context of Identity: Strengthening Connections With Attachment Theory

In our contribution to this special issue devoted to reflections on Erik Erikson’s theorizing in Identity Youth and Crisis, 50 years later, we present the value of integrating attachment theory with Erikson’s conceptualization of identity development within a dynamic relational context. We attend closely to how internal working models of self and other link with identity development across time and relationships. We describe how attachment security, initially developed in early childhood, sets the stage for how adolescents’ approach identity formation processes and how both identity and attachment security operate together throughout adulthood. Three streams of research are offered for empirical examination of the identity-relational interface to elucidate processes and products of the intricate dance of identity and attachment.