Haley's Erikson Timeline by Haley Terry

Stage 1: Trust Vs. Mistrust

hterry11_1 — 2024-02-20 14:00:10 UTC

The first stage of Erikson's Stages of Psychological Development is trust vs. mistrust. This tends to happen in infancy which is birth to about 18 months. The concept of this stage is a child or baby needs to feel they are loved and taken care of, or they will grow to not trust and feel insecure. In infancy it is important to show the child they will be fed when they are hungry, taken care of when they are hurt, loved unconditionally, and have the support they need from their caregivers. "The critical theme of infancy is basic trust vs. basic mistrust. People need to trust the world and the people in it, but they also need to learn mistrust to protect themselves from danger" (Martorell 2023, p. 14). When I was an infant, my dad traveled for work so my mom and dad decided my mom would be a stay-at-home mom, so we were taken care of and had the love and affection we needed. When my dad was home from work, he made sure he spent all his time playing with me and taking care of me.

Stage 2: Autonomy Vs. Shame

hterry11_1 — 2024-02-20 14:06:09 UTC

The second stage of Erikson's Stages of Psychological Development is autonomy vs. shame. This tends to happen in early childhood which is ages 18 months to 3 years. The concept of this stage is the child will learn and develop new skills such as potty training, talking, walking, and other physical skills. While the child is learning these new skills the caregiver should be encouraging and helpful and now shame the child when he or she messes up or has an accident. For example, is they fall when they are learning to walk, if they have an accident while they are potty training or can't get a sentence out when learning to talk. The adult should encourage the child to try again or make in known that it is ok to not get something correct 100 percent of the time. "Child develops a balance of independence and self-sufficiency over shame and doubt" (Martorell 2023, p. 14). When I was 18 months I started talking. I was "late" to start talking, but instead of pushing me and punishing me for not talking my parents helped me in any way they could and allowed me to develop at my own speed.

Stage 3: Initiative Vs. Guilt

hterry11_1 — 2024-02-20 14:07:01 UTC

The third stage of Erikson's Stages of Psychological Development is initiative vs. guilt. This stage tends to happen in the play age which is generally from ages 3 to 6 years old. The concept of this stage is children begin to realize they can make decisions and do certain things on their own. Such as a child wanting to pick out their own clothes. The parents will allow them to pick out their own clothes even if it doesn't match or makes sense to them. The child needs to have that feeling of initiative and not feel that their decisions are wrong or not worthy. "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.72). When I was about 6, I decided I was going to wear my own outfit to school without mother's help. My mother allowed me to choose what I wanted to wear, and I wore it to school that day. It might not have matched the best, but I had to confidence that I accomplished something and was proud of it.

Stage 4: Industry Vs. Inferiority

hterry11_1 — 2024-02-20 14:07:25 UTC

The fourth stage of Erikson's Stages of Psychological Development is industry vs. inferiority. This tends to happen in school age which is ages 6 to 12 years old. The concept of this stage is children start to develop new skills which gives the child a sense of worth and feeling useful. On the other hand, the inferiority can make a child feel like the opposite. They may think they have no self-worth and like they are useless. "If the stage is successfully resolved, children develop a view of themselves as being able to master skills and complete tasks" (Martorell 2023, p.93). When I was in 4th grade, I decided to go to a volleyball camp. I was getting really good and making contact with every ball. I decided to join the team. I was so excited to go to practice every night and my mom and dad were so excited to watch me.

Stage 5: Identity Vs. Role Confusion

hterry11_1 — 2024-02-20 14:08:02 UTC

The fifth stage of Erikson's Stages of Psychological Development is identity vs. role confusion. This tends to happen in adolescence which is ages 12 to 20 years old. The concept of this stage is teens and young adults finding themselves and developing friendships and relationships with their peers. These young adults may become self-conscious and doubt themselves if they don't know what they want with life or can't fit into a friend group. "Identity forms as young people resolve three major issues: the choice of an occupation, the adoption of values to live by, and the development of a satisfying sexual identity" (Martorell 2023, p.109). When I was going into my freshman year, I remember being very nervous to make friends as it was a new experience for me. I joined the high school volleyball team and found my friend group. Doing so made me so much more confident in school.

Stage 6: Intimacy Vs. Isolation

hterry11_1 — 2024-02-20 14:08:29 UTC

The sixth stage of Erikson's Stages of Psychological Development is intimacy vs. isolation. This stage tends to happen in young adulthood which is ages 20 to 35 years old. the concept of this stage is when young adults being to want a relationship with a significant other. They begin to get tired of the looking for friends and are ready for a love relationship. If this want for a relationship doesn't happen then the young adult could start to feel isolated and distance themselves from others. "Earlier research on identity formation suggested that for women, relationships and intimacy figured more prominently than for men. More recent work has failed to find gender differences in this area"(Martorell 2023, p.109). In my life I am not at this stage yet but once I finish my time in college, I feel I will begin looking for a significant other and ready to settle down.

Stage 7: Generativity Vs. Self-Absorption

hterry11_1 — 2024-02-20 14:09:22 UTC

The seventh stage of Erikson's Stages of Psychological Development is generativity vs. self-absorption. This tends to occur in the middle adulthood which is ages 35 to 65 years old. The concept of this stage is when you are in you marital relationship and you begin to focus on your family and being a parent. This stage is also when you also when your work begins to have a bigger meaning to you. If you fail to meet the standards of this stage it may lead to a "mid-life crisis". "Mature adult is concerned with establishing and guiding the next generation or else feels personal impoverishment"(Martorell 2023, p.14) I am not at this stage in life yet but when I graduate college and get married, I want to have children and be able to be a stay-at-home mom for a while and build my children to be the best person they can be.

Stage 8: Integrity Vs. Despair

hterry11_1 — 2024-02-20 14:09:46 UTC

The eighth stage of Erikson's Stages of Psychological Development is integrity vs. despair. This tends to happen in late adulthood which is ages 65 years old to death. The concept of this stage is when a person evaluates their life and everything, they did with it. They think of what their purpose was and if they accomplished everything that wanted to. If someone thinks of this and feels they haven't done everything they wanted to in life they may feel regret or failure and fear the end of their life. "Elderly person achieves acceptance of own life, allowing acceptance of death, or else despairs over inability to relive life"(Martorell 2023, p.14). I am not at this stage in life yet but when I get there, I hope to have fulfilled my dream of being a teacher and having a big happy family.

Reference

hterry11_1 — 2024-02-20 16:12:41 UTC

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