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The first stage in Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development is trust vs. mistrust. This stage begins at birth and continues through 18 months of age. In this stage, infants are unsure of the world around them and rely on their caregivers for stability. If the caregiver provides adequate and consistent nurture to the infant, the infant will believe the world is safe and that people are trustworthy. They will go on to develop a sense of security in their lives. "If trust predominates, as it should, children develop hope—the belief they can fulfill their needs and obtain their desires" (Martorell, 2023, p. 150). If the caregiver fails to provide consistent, adequate care, the child will then develop a mistrust of life. This could lead to anxiety and insecurity in the world. "If mistrust predominates, children will view the world as unfriendly and unpredictable and will have trouble forming quality relationships" (Martorell, 2023, p. 150). When I was an infant, my mom decided to become a stay-at-home mom. My mom wanted to provide consistent care and protect me and my siblings. This worked out because my dad worked long hours to provide for our family. My parents made sure my siblings and I felt loved and safe.

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The second stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development is autonomy vs. shame and doubt. This stage begins around 18 months and lasts until 3 years. In this stage, an infant is becoming a toddler. Toddlers are now beginning to explore the world around them. Walking, crawling, and eating independently. They are now communicating their needs. Now, with these few things of newfound independence, there are more choices coming. If the toddler develops autonomy, that child will no longer rely on a parent to make a decision. On the other side, if the child is being restricted by their parents, they may begin to doubt the decisions and not explore their new independence. When I was in this stage, my parents allowed me to pick out my own clothes and shoes at stores because they wanted me to make a decision on what I liked. My parents also allowed me to feed myself, even if it led to a huge mess. My parents did regulate some behaviors and did not allow total freedom in order to have a safe environment for me to express myself. "Toddlers need adults to set appropriate limits, and shame and doubt help them recognize the need for those limits" (Martorell, 2023, p. 156).

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The third stage is known as initiative vs. guilt. This stage begins at the age of 3 to 5 years. In this stage, children begin to assert themselves in social settings. If the children succeed in asserting themselves in play and other interactions, they will feel accepted and develop initiative. Children in the stage also explore, make decisions, and initiate activities with peers. If the child is being controlled or criticized, the child will develop a sense of guilt. This can impede their personal growth. "Children who learn how to regulate these opposing drives develop the virtue of purpose, the courage to envision and pursue goals without being unduly inhibited by guilt or fear of punishment" (Martorell, 2023, p. 210). At this stage in my life, my mom would take me to the park, and I would play with other children who were my age. I also began preschool, which helped me explore other activities with children who were my age. My mom would set up play dates as well.

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In Erikson's fourth stage, industry vs. inferiority, which starts at age 6 to 11 years, children begin to put more focus on hobbies, sports, school, and peer relationships. Children will start to compare themselves to their peers; their skills and abilities will be compared. Feelings of fulfillment or inferiority will surface. Children who are supported in their efforts will develop a sense of industry. Children who are not supported and not allowed to develop their skills will develop a sense of inferiority. Children who experience failure in their activities will doubt their abilities. This can have a negative effect on their self-esteem and confidence. At this stage, my teacher noticed I was doing really well with writing and encouraged me to submit a story to our local community, for which I won an award for my age group. "Developing a sense of industry, by contrast, involves learning how to work hard to achieve goals." (Martorell, 2023, p. 275).

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Erik Erikson's fifth stage, identity vs. confusion. This begins around 12 to 18 years. During this stage, adolescents search for a sense of self and their personal identity. The transition from childhood to adulthood leaves teens questioning themselves and where they fit in society. Teens will experiment with different behaviors, activities, and roles in their lives. This process will help them form a strong identity and determine the direction in which they want their lives to go. Relationships, values, behaviors, and memories will help them create their self-image. On the other hand, some teens may not be able to explore their identities, which leads to identity confusion. It will leave them feeling unsure of who they are and where they fit in. It will also make them feel confused about their place in life along with others in their life. "The search for identity—a coherent conception of the self made up of goals, values, and beliefs to which the person is solidly committed—comes into focus during the teenage years. Adolescence is a time to figure out who you are" (Martorell, 2023, p. 335). During this time, I had many friends and made decisions to leave friend groups. It allowed me to find my true friends and my true self of who I wanted to be going forward in life. This stage was very crucial, and it was a lot, but it has shaped me into who I am today.

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The sixth stage is intimacy versus isolation. It starts at around age 18 to age 40. In this stage, adults will start forming important and lifelong bonds with people they cherish. Intimacy is the ability to be able to open up emotionally and romantically to those who are close to the individual. Individuals who possess intimacy have strong relationships in their lives. While isolation is the inability to distance oneself from close and important relationships in life, These individuals are lonely and tend to be more depressed. Intimacy develops from working on oneself and being able to share things about yourself while also listening to those in your life. Isolation also shows itself in having a fear of commitment, past experiences, and neglect during childhood as well. This stage is very important; for me, I continue to work and focus on all relationships in my life. I am still friends with my middle school friends in a different state. I also experienced my first relationship during this stage. "Positive influences include the development of skills needed for sociability and intimacy, a sense of belonging, a sense of identity, learning to get along with others, and emotional security. Negative influences include the reinforcement of prejudice and the fostering of antisocial tendencies" (Martorell, 2023, p. 296).

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In this seventh stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, there is generativity vs. stagnation. This occurs between the ages of 40 and 65. This stage captures our fundamental development as adults. This is the stage where an individual may have accomplished a lot of the life goals they had planned. Adults may strive to nurture things in their lives through parenting, becoming grandparents, contributing to the greater good, and other positive changes. However, one may face stagnation at this stage. Stagnation occurs when an adult fails to find a way to make a positive change in any form in their life. Stagnation can look like self-absorption, an identity crisis, and a fear of change. I think once I enter this stage, I will continue to do things that will make my life easy and fun, even at an older age. I can see myself participating in things I may not do now to give my life a new meaning at this stage. "Evolutionary psychologists place great weight on the environment to which humans adapt and the flexibility of the human mind" (Martorell, 2023, p. 20).

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Erik Erikson's last stage of psychosocial development is ego integrity vs. despair. This eighth stage occurs from age 65 until death. This stage is the accounting of one's life; one will embrace life as having been well lived. Accepting the life one has lived and knowing the inevitable of death is next. This stage allows one to reflect on the accomplishments and all that life has offered while also accepting the obstacles in their lives. This acceptance will lead to integrity, but if one cannot accept it, this will create a sense of despair. Despair is the feeling of making the wrong decisions throughout life and realizing time is too short to change. This will create a fear of the remaining days. One with integrity will find satisfaction in how that person lived, worked, loved, and was raised. When I reach this last stage, I hope to look back and embrace all that I have done and to appreciate each decision and how beautiful life is, regardless of the bad that may have happened. "Development in childhood affects development throughout the life span. As long as people live, they have the potential to change in both positive and negative directions. Development is lifelong, from womb to tomb" (Martorell, 2023, p. 10).

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