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Infancy (Birth-18 Months): Trust vs. Mistrust

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Infancy (Birth-18 Months): Trust vs. Mistrust

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Overview: This stage of development is dependent on the care that a child receives. If the child is receiving good, consistent care from the people that it’s dependent on, then the child will develop trust in people and the world. If the child receives inconsistent or insufficient care then it will develop a mistrust for people and the world.

How this was resolved in my life: Since I was so young it’s impossible for me to remember exactly what my care was like, although I have wonderful parents and many amazing family members who have helped to take care of me. Despite this, I grew up to be very cautious and nervous about the world around me, not trusting that people would try to help me. I also began to withdraw, and not confide in others, and I would attempt to suppress my emotions. According to our textbook, this is one of the signs of mistrust. Berk (2018) says “The mistrustful baby cannot count on the kindness and compassion of others, so she protects herself by withdrawing from people and things around her”. I became generally mistrustful, likely because of how often my world completely changed. My family moved multiple times when I was in this age, and again four more times after. This likely heightened my mistrust, as I was too young to understand what was happening at the time.

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Early Childhood (2-3 Years): Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

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Early Childhood (2-3 Years): Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

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Overview: This stage of development is based on independence and personal control. If a child receives good instruction and care from adults and develops a good sense of independence and control then they will develop their autonomy. If they don’t receive good care or they doubt their independence and control, or if they are made fun of for their decisions often, it will lead to feelings of doubt and shame.

How this was resolved in my life: I was able to develop my autonomy. I grew to become more independent and confident in my abilities as I grew older. While I would sometimes doubt myself or feel ashamed when I made a mistake, generally I was confident in myself. As the oldest child, whenever I became able to do a new thing it was treated as a great achievement by my parents, and celebrated. This helped me to grow my feeling of autonomy. My parents also trusted me to do new things, and encouraged me even when I failed. Our textbook says “The conflict of autonomy versus shame and doubt is resolved favorably when parents provide young children with suitable guidance” (Berk, 2018).

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

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

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Overview: This is the stage of development where children really learn independence and develop that skill. If they become comfortable with decision making and their ability to lead others, they will develop their initiative and feel capable of being independent. If they aren’t able to do this, they will develop a sense of doubt or guilt, and won’t be able to be as independent or take as much initiative.

How this was resolved in my life: Around this time in my life, I had a younger brother, and I began to take on more responsibility for myself so my parents could focus their attention in him more. I feel like this really helped me grow my initiative, and led to me being confident in my abilities and decision making. I began to want even more responsibility, and I enjoyed the new opportunities I had to be independent. In our textbook, it says this about children in this stage “They are eager to tackle new tasks, join in activities with peers, and discover what they can do with the help of adults.” (Berk, 2018) So I resolved this stage by developing initiative.

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School Age (6-11 Years): Industry vs. Inferiority

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School Age (6-11 Years): Industry vs. Inferiority

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Overview: This developmental stage is where children learn how to develop a belief in their ability to accomplish different tasks. If they are encouraged enough they will learn how to believe in their own abilities, and will develop confidence as a result. The children who aren’t able to develop confidence will instead begin to doubt their abilities, which will manifest itself in feelings of inferiority.

How I resolved this in my life: I believed that I developed industry rather than inferiority. Over time, I learned how to be proud of my accomplishments, and I have a good belief in my ability to handle different responsibilities and tasks. Our textbook says that “industry versus inferiority… is resolved positively when experiences lead children to develop a sense of competence at useful skills and tasks.” (Berk, 2018)

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Adolescence (12-18 Years) Identity vs. Role Confusion

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Adolescence (12-18 Years) Identity vs. Role Confusion

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Overview: This development stage is often very difficult. This is the stage where people begin to develop their personal identity. Children get older and begin to act more independently as they become adults. If they are able to do this successfully, they will have a better sense of identity and will develop a confidence in who they are. If they aren’t able to do this, they will become more unsure of their beliefs and personality which will lead to confusion and insecurity.

How I resolved this in my life: This is the stage of development that I am currently in. I believe that so far I have developed a good sense of identity, and I have been able to identify my beliefs and personality, and I have grown comfortable with expressing myself and being who I am without letting others take that away from me. In our textbook it says “Constructing an identity involves defining who you are, what you value, and the directions you choose to pursue in life.” (Berk, 2018) I feel as though I have done this successfully, and I have set myself up for success later in life.

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Young Adulthood (19-40 Years): Intimacy vs. Isolation

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Young Adulthood (19-40 Years): Intimacy vs. Isolation

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Overview: In this development stage, people learn how to form intimate and long lasting relationships with other people. If they are successful, it will lead to them having important relationships with others, and give them a feeling of intimacy. If they are unsuccessful, it will lead to them feeling isolated and alone, potentially resulting in depression or other negative emotions.

How I resolved this in my life: This is the next developmental stage I will be in. While I can’t say for sure what will happen in the future, I believe that I will develop intimacy rather than isolation. I already have several strong relationships in my life, that I will fight for and try to keep for the rest of my life. I have already learned the value of relationships, and would like to stay deeply connected to people. Our textbook says “Because of earlier disappointments, some individuals cannot form close bonds and remain isolated.” (Berk, 2018) I don’t believe that I’ve had these earlier disappointments, and I feel like I’m able to form close bonds.

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Middle Adulthood (40-65 Years): Generativity vs. Stagnation

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Middle Adulthood (40-65 Years): Generativity vs. Stagnation

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Overview: This developmental stage is where adults begin to make lasting impacts on the world in the forms of raising their children, or through advancing their careers. People who are successful in this will feel like they are important and contributing to their family and community. Those who are unsuccessful will feel unimportant and that they aren’t involved enough with the world.

How I resolved this stage in my life: Again, while I have not gotten to this stage yet in my life, I feel like I will develop Generativity rather than stagnate. In our textbook it says “Generativity means giving to the next generation through child rearing, caring for others, or productive work.” (Berk, 2018) I have a passion for caring for others, and I would like to have a family when I’m older. I am also committed to my school, which will translate to the workplace. These will help me to not stagnate.

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Maturity (65 and Older): Integrity vs. Despair

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Maturity (65 and Older): Integrity vs. Despair

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Overview: In this final developmental stage, adults will start to reflect on their lives. Those who learn how to feel like they lived a good or successful life will feel a sense of fulfillment. Those who don’t will look back and feel like they failed, leading to feelings of regret or despair.

How I resolved this in my life: Our textbook says this about the final stage in life, “Integrity results from feeling that life was worth living as it happened. Older people who are dissatisfied with their lives fear death.” (Berk, 2018) While I am far too young to know exactly what I will feel looking back on my life, I feel that I have begun to develop enough positive feelings towards myself and the world around me that I will be able to look back and feel as though my life was worth living, and develop integrity. I know that my time spent helping others will always be worth it, and I feel as though the things I do have a meaning, even if they won’t be remembered in the future. What matters is that I lived it, and I made the most out of my moments. This will help me to look back on my life with satisfaction, and have peace.

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Berk, L. E. (2018). Exploring Child & Adolescent Development. Pearson Education (US). https://yuzu.vitalsource.com/books/9780134983738