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Psychosocial stage one begins from birth to 12-18 months. This initial stage is an important level to Erikson's stages of development as it serves as a foundation for the child's outlook on life. During this stage, infants learn to develop trust or mistrust based on their interactions with their caregivers. Based on information from my caregivers, my parents explained that I was a very calm infant who rarely cried. On the occasion when I was fussy, I would stop crying almost as soon as I was picked up because I knew my needs were going to be met by whoever was picking me up. I allegedly only ever acted out when I was around someone who looked different from my main caregivers because I was scared or skeptical of certain strangers. As is says in the book, "people need to trust the world and the people in it, but they also need to learn some mistrust to protect themselves from danger". Knowing this information, I displayed this as an infant.

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Psychosocial stage two begins from 12-18 months to 3 years. This stage children begin to explore their surroundings and are eager to learn new skills. Support from caregivers can positively affect children's sense of autonomy and self confidence. But overly restrictive or critical caregivers may cause children to feel shame or doubt about their abilities. Based off of my caregivers information, around age 3, I started to display an interest in wanting to dress myself. They would give me a variety of options to choose from as I blindly put together an outfit that they helped me into. Anytime I got into clothes I wasn't supposed to, they would continue to set limits which helped me recognize those limits. Doing this allowed me to have some control in how I wanted to dress myself while my caregivers still provided an appropriate outfit for me to wear. This allowed me to start to form some confidence and not exceed my abilities. As is states in the book, " unlimited freedom is neither safe nor healthy (...) shame and doubt helps (toddlers) recognize the need for (appropriate) limits".

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Psychosocial stage three begins age 3 to 6 years which typically occurs during the preschool years. Children continue to assert their autonomy and start to take initiative in exploring the world around them. This is the stage the children may gain new responsibilities like caring for a pet, engaging in pretend play, or showing an eagerness to learn and try new things. When faced with criticism or punishment, this can result in feelings of guilt. Leading the child to believe they are not capable and begin to be reluctant in taking initiative. As is states in the book, "preschool children can and want to do more. At the same time, they are learning that some of the things they want to do seek social approval while others do not". At age 5, my parents had brought a new baby brother into my life. This made me take the initiative of wanting to nurture and care for my baby brother. Being only 5, my parents were very patient and made sure to give me criticism when holding him or picking him up wrong. This allowed me to continue to take initiative when interacting with him but in the right way.

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Psychosocial stage four begins in middle childhood at age 6 years to puberty. During this stage, children develop competence and master different types of skills. They are eager to learn and accomplish things in school or other similar activities. Positive feedback from teachers, coaches, parents, and peers contribute to the sense of industry. If children receive little encouragement or continuously experience failure, they may develop a sense of inferiority. Caregivers and educators play an important role during this stage as they help build a healthy foundation for their development. I remember as a first grader I took school very seriously. I loved being praised by my teachers and parents for my academic achievements. There was one instance where I did poorly on a quiz or test and received negative feedback. This caused me so much stress it induced the sense of inferiority. This feeling made me want to do better but also caused uncontrollable negative feelings that I made very obvious to my teachers and parents. As it states in the book, " this (inferiority) is problematic because during middle childhood, children must learn skills valued in their society".

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Psychosocial stage five begins at puberty to young adulthood. During this stage, teenagers go through a critical time of self-exploration and try to establish a sense of personal identity. They begin to reflect and question things like values and life goals. They may experiment with different things as they navigate through the challenges of adolescence. If able to, successfully settling in this stage can help develop a clear and stable sense of identity. If teenagers struggle, they may experience identity confusion. Supportive environments are crucial during this stage. This stage sets the path to preparing teenagers for adulthood and creating a healthy foundation for relationships and life in general. At age 14, I was surrounded by many different people which left me confused on how I should act and be. I went through many different phases ranging from ages 14-18. I didn't have a grasp on who I was or who I even wanted to be. Changing friend groups and opening myself up to new opportunities like getting job at 16 and getting a boyfriend helped me navigate a little better. In the book it states, "adolescents who resolve the identity crisis satisfactorily develop a virtue of fidelity", which proves this point even further.

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Psychosocial stage six begins in young adulthood. During this stage, individuals focus on forming deep and meaningful relationships. They will seek to make connections with romantic partners, close friends, and general social groups. Doing so successfully will result in the ability to form healthy and committed relationships. This allows people to share their true selves with others and create emotional closeness. If unsuccessful, individuals can have difficulty establishing meaningful connections or will fear getting too close to others which brings on a feeling of isolation. Establishing a healthy balance between independence and intimacy is crucial. I am currently going through this stage now as I am building a relationship with my boyfriend while maintaining my two close friendships. Where some things lack, I tend to feel isolated and closed off but as long as a keep up with healthy habits, I feel very secure. As it states in the book, "increased intimacy of adolescent friendships reflect cognitive as well as emotional development". A positive outcome of this stage will result a strong foundation for creating strong connections and lasting partnerships.

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Psychosocial stage seven occurs during middle adulthood. During this stage, individuals focus on contributing positively to society and future generations. Maintaining a sense of purpose and continuing to grow as a person are essential factors to navigating this stage successfully.

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Psychosocial stage eight occurs during late adulthood. During this stage, individuals reflect on their lives and evaluate the meaning of their life experiences and accomplishments. This final stage has a significant impact on an individual's overall well-being and ability to face the end of their life. It's a stage of reflection allowing individuals to find a sense of closure and completeness.