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Infant in Erickson's First Stage of Psychosocial Development: Trust vs. Mistrust

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Stage 1: Basic Trust vs. Basic Mistrust (Birth-18 Months)

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Stage 1: Basic Trust vs. Basic Mistrust (Birth-18 Months)

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This stage lays the foundation for all the others by involving learning to trust others while also learning not to trust some for the sake of personal protection. Successful resolution of this stage involves trust dominating mistrust.

The textbook states that “The critical element in developing trust is sensitive, responsive, consistent caregiving.” (Martorell, 2022, p. 150).  Although I do not remember this stage of my life, my mother stayed home with me full-time and I had consistent caregivers. My current ability to rely on my parents and others and easily form close relationships provides evidence that I achieved basic trust as an infant.

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Toddler in Erickson's Second Stage of Psychosocial Development: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt 

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Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (18 Months-3 Years)

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Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (18 Months-3 Years)

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Children develop more independence at this stage, resulting in a greater desire for autonomy. However, shame and doubt are also necessary for personal protection. Successful completion of this stage involves learning to balance the two.

The textbook states that “Many U.S. parents might be surprised to hear that the terrible twos are not universal.” (Martorell, 2022, p. 157).  According to my parents, I never went through a “terrible twos” phase. My impression is that I was given more autonomy during this stage since my sister was born when I was two. However, I came out of this stage fairly obedient yet independent, showing I successfully resolved this conflict by learning to balance the two.

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Preschool Children in Erickson's Third Stage of Psychosocial Development: Initiative vs. Guilt

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Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt (3-5 Years)

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Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt (3-5 Years)

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This stage involves children learning to balance their desire to try new things (take initiative) with their knowledge of the consequences of doing so (and the possibilities of experiencing shame and guilt).

Some of the unique experiences I recall from this stage of my life include my desire to get my sister out of trouble and wanting to constantly play “teacher” in my preschool classroom against my teacher’s wishes.

The textbook says, “Preschool children can do—and want to do—more and more. At the same time, they are learning that some of the things they want to do meet social approval, whereas others do not.” (Martorell, 2022, p. 210). Sadly, I think the ways my actions that didn’t meet social approval were handled left me leaving this stage with more guilt than initiative.

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Middle-Aged Children in Erickson's Fourth Stage of Psychosocial Development: Industry vs. Inferiority 

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Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority (6-11 Years)

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Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority (6-11 Years)

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In this stage, children learn to accomplish the skills necessary to be productive and successful in their society. If they are unable to do this, they risk feeling inferior. They’re also at risk for self-esteem issues, lack of motivation, and low self-worth.

Based on past experiences, I believe I resolved this stage with a sense of industry. I excelled in school during my elementary years, and I received praise from my parents and teachers. I was generally well-liked, and my efforts in sports and theater were praised and rewarded. Our textbook says, “If the stage is successfully resolved, children develop a view of themselves as being able to master skills and complete tasks.” (Martorell, 2022, p. 276). I feel that the experiences I had in middle childhood successfully achieved this.

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Teenagers in Erickson's Fifth Stage of Psychosocial Development: Identity vs. Identity Confusion 

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Stage 5: Identity vs. Identity Confusion (12-18 Years)

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Stage 5: Identity vs. Identity Confusion (12-18 Years)

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This stage of development, also called Identity vs. Role Confusion, entails deciding one’s “role” in society. This “role” may involve a job, religion, moral values, sexual identity, relationships, passions, and many others. An important part of this stage is the psychosocial moratorium, which is essentially the span of adolescence that allows teenagers to discover their role in society. Successful resolution of this stage requires having more sense of identity than identity confusion.

I believe I am coming out of this stage with a fairly strong sense of identity. “According to Erikson (1982), the psychosocial moratorium, the time-out period that adolescence provides, allows young people to search for commitments to which they can be faithful.” (Martorell, 2022, p. 336). Although I was part of similar organizations and activities throughout adolescence, I feel high school provided this time for me to grow the most. I transitioned from private school to homeschooling between my eighth and ninth-grade years and started living in two different states throughout the year. These transitions gave me the time and experiences necessary to develop a clear sense of my desires and identity.

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Young Adults in Erickson's Sixth Stage of Psychosocial Development: Intimacy vs. Isolation 

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Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation (18-40 Years)

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Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation (18-40 Years)

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To successfully resolve the conflict this stage of development provides, adults must develop more intimacy than isolation in their lives. This may mean developing romantic relationships, close relationships with family and friends, and strong and positive social connections. Failure to resolve this stage generally means a person has few and/or poor relationships with others, weak social ties, and poor romantic relationships. Those who experience more isolation than intimacy are at a higher risk for depression, cardiovascular problems, high levels of stress, and suicide than those who experience more intimacy.

Our text says, “Greater intimacy, loyalty, and sharing with friends mark a transition toward adultlike friendships.” (Martorell, 2022, p. 351). Over the next few years, I will be in college and in an environment that forces me to live closely and work with many people. My current ties to family and friends have shown me that I can form close relationships with others. As such, I believe I will thrive socially in the college environment and develop lifelong friendships with the adultlike traits listed in the quote above. I believe I will complete this stage with a sense of intimacy over isolation.

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Middle-Aged Adults in Erickson's Seventh Stage of Psychosocial Development: Generativity vs. Stagnation

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Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation (40-65 Years)

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Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation (40-65 Years)

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Generativity involves being “generous” with your time and energy to positively impact the world. This may mean making and keeping commitments to others, maintaining relationships, raising children, working, volunteering, and others. On the other hand, stagnation refers to those who fail to contribute to their society. They may fail to develop or maintain relationships, help others, or keep others above themselves. Successful resolution of this stage involves overcoming stagnation with generativity.

If I have children in my late 20s, I may be an empty nester in the middle of this stage. Hopefully, I will have maintained my marriage, friendships, and career to be able to prevent a sense of loss when my children are gone. “The chief task of adolescence, said Erikson (1968), is to confront the crisis of identity versus identity confusion to become a unique adult with a coherent sense of self and a valued role in society.” (Martorell, 2022, p. 336). I believe developing a strong sense of self during adolescence sets one up for success in the stage of generativity vs. stagnation.

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Senior Adults in Erickson's Final Stage of Psychosocial Development: Integrity vs. Despair 

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Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair (65 Years-Death)

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Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair (65 Years-Death)

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This final stage of psychosocial development involves looking back on one’s life. In this stage, a person must decide whether they feel a sense of integrity (pride and accomplishment) or despair (regret) about their life. Successful resolution of this stage means overcoming despair with integrity.

“People continue to shape their development throughout their lifespans. What occurs in a child’s world is significant, but it is not the whole story. We each continue to write and experience the story of human development for ourselves and our society for as long as we live.” (Martorell, 2022, p. 357). I believe that each of Erickson’s stages builds on the previous stage, and that resolving conflict in each stage ultimately helps a person to look back on their life with feelings of accomplishment and contentment. In other words, they successfully overcome conflict in the final stage of life: Integrity vs. Despair. I hope to do this, too.

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Martorell, G. (2022). Child (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher Education (US). https://yuzu.vitalsource.com/books/9781264461493