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A Closer Look at the Eight Psychosocial Stages

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Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust (Infancy from birth to 18 months)

Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Toddler years from 18 months to three years)

Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt (Preschool years from three to five)

Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority (Middle school years from six to 11)

Stage 5: Identity vs. Confusion (Teen years from 12 to 18)

Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation (Young adult years from 18 to 40)

Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation (Middle age from 40 to 65)

Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair (Older adulthood from 65 to death)

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An ego psychologist who developed one of the most popular and influential theories of development

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Overview of Erikson's Stages of Development

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Overview of Erikson's Stages of Development

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Erikson believed that personality developed in a series of stages

Erikson's theory described the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan

Erikson was interested in how social interaction and relationships played a role in the development and growth of human beings

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Erikson's theory was based on what is known as the epigenetic principle

This principle suggests that people grow in a sequence that occurs over time and in the context of a larger community

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Each stage in Erikson's theory builds on the preceding stages and paves the way for following periods of development.

In each stage, Erikson believed people experience a conflict that serves as a turning point in development.

These conflicts are centered on either developing a psychological quality or failing to develop that quality. During these times, the potential for personal growth is high but so is the potential for failure.

If people successfully deal with the conflict, they emerge from the stage with psychological strengths that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.

If they fail to deal effectively with these conflicts, they may not develop the essential skills needed for a strong sense of self.

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Erikson also believed that a sense of competence motivates behaviors and actions. Each stage in Erikson's theory is concerned with becoming competent in an area of life.

If the stage is handled well, the person will feel a sense of mastery, which is sometimes referred to as ego strength or ego quality.

If the stage is managed poorly, the person will emerge with a sense of inadequacy in that aspect of development.

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Ego Development Outcome: Trust vs. Mistrust

Basic strength: Drive and Hope

If we pass successfully through this period of life, we will learn to trust that life is basically okay and have basic confidence in the future.

If we fail to experience trust and are constantly frustrated because our needs are not met, we may end up with a deep-seated feeling of worthlessness and a mistrust of the world in general.

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2. Early Childhood: 18 Months to 3 Years

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2. Early Childhood: 18 Months to 3 Years

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Ego Development Outcome: Autonomy vs. Shame

Basic Strengths: Self-control, Courage, and Will

During this stage we learn to master skills for ourselves.

Learning finer motor development

Build self-esteem and autonomy as
we gain more control over our bodies and acquire new skills, learning right from wrong.

May feel great shame and doubt of our capabilities and suffer low self-esteem as a result.

The most significant relationships are with parents.

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Age: Early Childhood -- 2 to 6 years

Conflict: Initiative vs. Guilt

Important Event: Independence

The most important event at this stage is independence.

The child continues to be assertive and to take the initiative.

Children in this stage are eager for responsibility.

It is essential for adults to confirm that the child’s initiative is accepted no matter how small it may be.

If the child is not given a chance to be responsible and do things on their own, a sense of guilt may develop.

The child will come to believe that what they want to do is always wrong.

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Age: Elementary and Middle School Years -- 6 to 12 years

Conflict: Industry vs. Inferiority

Important Event: School

In this stage children are learning to see the relationship between perseverance and the pleasure of a job completed.

The important event at this stage is attendance at school.

As a student, the children have a need to be productive and do work on their own.

Interaction with peers at school also plays an imperative role of child development in this stage.

The child for the first time has a wide variety of events to deal with, including academics, group activities, and friends.

Difficulty with any of these leads to a sense of inferiority

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Age: Adolescence --12 to 18 years

Conflict: Identity vs. Role Confusion

Important Event: Peer relationships

At this stage, adolescents are in search of an identity that will lead them to adulthood.

Adolescents make a strong effort to answer the question "Who
am I?"

Erikson notes the healthy resolution of earlier conflicts can now serve as a foundation for the search for an identity.

If the child overcomes earlier conflicts they are prepared to search for identity.

Did they develop the basic sense of trust?

Do they have a strong sense of industry to believe in themselves?

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Age: Young Adulthood -- 19 to 40 years

Conflict: Intimacy vs. Isolation

Important Event: Love relationships

In this stage, the most important events are love relationships.

Intimacy refers to one's ability to relate to another human being on a deep, personal level.

An individual who has not developed a sense of identity usually will fear a committed relationship and may retreat into isolation.

People can be sexually intimate without being committed and open with
another.

True intimacy requires personal commitment.

However, mutual satisfaction will increase the closeness of people in a true intimate relationship.

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Child development that occurs from birth to adulthood was largely ignored throughout much of history.

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Children were often viewed simply as small versions of adults and little attention was paid to the many advances in cognitive abilities, language usage, and physical growth that occurs during childhood and adolescence.

Interest in the field of child development finally began to emerge early in the 20th-century, but it tended to focus on abnormal behavior. Eventually, researchers became increasingly interested in other topics including typical child development as well as the influences on development.

Why is it important to study how children grow, learn, and change?

An understanding of child development is essential because it allows us to fully appreciate the cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and educational growth that children go through from birth and into early adulthood.