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Trust vs. mistrust is the stage that begins at birth and usually it will last through one year of age. Babies usually learn trust. They develop trust that their caregivers will meet their basic needs. But, if these needs are not consistently met by the parents then mistrust, suspicion, and/or anxiety will develop. “If trust predominates as it should, children develop hope: the belief they can fulfill their needs and obtain their desires. If mistrust predominates, children will view the world as unfriendly and unpredictable and will have trouble forming quality relationships.” (336) When I was a kid I learned to trust my parents by being sure that they were going to feed me when I was hungry and they would clean me when needed.

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Autonomy vs. shame and doubt is the stage when a child starts to learn to be more independent and make their own decisions on a daily basis. Typically parents will be encouraged to promote their child's autonomy, especially during this stage. But, children are also taught that it is important to remember that shame is a common part of the human experience. “The strength that emerges during this stage is will.” (330) My parents had made sure that I went through this stage by letting me make my own decisions, like choosing what I wanted to wear or choosing my snacks.

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Initiative versus guilt is the third stage. During the initiative versus guilt stage, the children learn to assert themselves very often. This is typically through playing and other social interaction with their peers. These years in a child's life are typically very lively and they rapidly develop in these years of a child's life. The initiative vs. guilt stage is “the need to deal with conflicting feelings about the self is at the heart of the third stage.” (333) I experienced this stage when I was younger when I would play with my brothers outside and we would create our own games and rules to play together.

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The fourth stage is the industry vs. inferiority stage. In this stage children tend to begin to focus more on the outside world. This could be in things such as school, sports, hobbies, and their peer relationships. As a result of their new focuses, they start to compare their skills and abilities with their peers and they can begin to experience feelings of pride and/or anger. “Developing a sense of industry, by contrast, involves learning how to work hard to achieve goals.” (315) I experienced this stage in my development when I began to dance because I would compare myself to my friends and I would get down on myself if I could not master the same skills as them.

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The fifth stage is the identity versus role confusion. This stage is characterized by the adolescent question of “Who am I?” During this time children are conflicted with dozens of values and ideas of who they should be and what they should think. Adolescents begin to learn about the many different aspects of identity. This can be from choosing a career path to political beliefs or moral beliefs, and to becoming a friend or partner. “The chief task of adolescence, said Erikson, is to confront the crisis of identity versus role confusion in order to become a unique adult with a coherent sense of self and a valued role in society.” (345) I am currently experiencing this stage and I am deciding my career path and who I want to be associated with.

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This sixth stage is intimacy vs. isolation. This stage commonly will peak at around age 30. At this age, you are still young but you are old enough to have hopefully found a place in life. The goal in this stage is to maintain good relationships with people. They can be friends or lovers. This stage is where we can either independently grow our own identities, while maintaining a deep sense of connection with a significant other. If someone never develops a clear sense of identity, they begin to not be able to distinguish their own identity and the person they are in a relationship with. This can lead to a break-up and then that person may begin to feel at a complete loss and fall into a state of isolation. In this stage a “person may seek to make commitments to others or may suffer from isolation and self-absorption.” (331) I have not reached this stage but I can avoid isolation by knowing who I am before I get into a relationship.

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The seventh stage is generativity vs. stagnation. This stage lasts from middle age to the retirement age. By this stage typically most adults have established secure professions and they are building the family they want. Adults are thinking about the future and what legacy they will want to leave for the future generations. If adults are successful in this stage, they will develop a sense of generativity. In this stage, the “mature adult" is concerned with establishing and guiding the next generation or else feels personal impoverishment. At this stage my goal is to have a husband and maybe some children. I want to be able to have a positive impact on the future generations, especially as a teacher.

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The eighth stage is the integrity vs. despair stage. This stage is the last stage of life. During this stage you are reflecting on what you have done in your life and if you lived your years well. It is common in life to have regrets, but the goal in this stage is to be able to recognize you made an impact,given to future generations, and you recognize the journey as purposeful and successful. Erikson believed that at this stage was generally how most humans saw themselves. In this stage, the “elderly person achieves acceptance of own life, allowing acceptance of death, or else despairs over inability to relive life.” (350) I have not reached this stage but I want to be able to look back on my life and appreciate all of my hard work.

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Martorell, G. (2023). Child, 3rd edition. McGraw Hill.