Final answer:
Erik Erikson specialized in psychosocial development, proposing a theory that personality develops through eight life stages, each with unique social and developmental challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
Erik Erikson specialized in the area of psychosocial development within psychology. His theory, which suggests that an individual's personality develops throughout the lifespan, is a departure from Freud's view that personality is fixed early in life. These eight stages of psychosocial development each represent a conflict or developmental task, focusing on the social relationships that are important at each stage of personality development. This is in contrast to Freud's emphasis on psychosexual development and instinctual drives.
According to Erikson, the main task of the adolescent in his theory is overcoming role confusion to achieve identity, and as people reach older age, they struggle with overcoming despair to achieve integrity. Erikson's influence on developmental psychology highlights the importance of both social and individual factors in the growth and development of personality over time.