My Erikson Stages of Development by

Stage 1: Trust Vs. Mistrust

zgascho — 2024-02-23 01:58:08 UTC

This stage is active between birth and and 1 year of age. This is when a child trusts their caregiving to be constant and reliable when it comes to taking care of the child. If the child is not taken care of it causes mistrust in the child.

Example: I am a very trusting person and if I was shown mistrust at this stage I do not believe that I would be a trusting person. In our book it says "people need to learn to trust the world and the people in it but they also need to learn mistrust to protect themselves from danger."

Stage 2: Autonomy Vs. Shame and Doubt

zgascho — 2024-02-23 02:04:04 UTC

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt the next stage and occurs between the ages of 18 months to 3 years. In this stage the child is learning how to become independent and is developing a sense of personal control. If autonomy is encouraged the child will become more confident and secure in their ability to survive. They will be able to make decisions and have a sense of self-control. Shame and Doubt comes from being controlled and criticized, which makes the child feel ashamed and doubt their abilities.

Example: I was a very independent child growing up, I always wanted to do things on my own. In our book it is stated "As children are better able to make their wishes understood, they become more powerful and independent."

Stage 3: Initiative Vs. Guilt

zgascho — 2024-02-23 02:06:13 UTC

Initiative Vs. Guilt is the 3rd stage in Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. In this stage the child becomes more assertive through direct and social interaction. Encouraging the child to be initiative helps the child to think for themselves, make plans, and go through with the plans. If it is discouraged it can cause the child to feel guilty about their desires, this can lead to self- doubt and lack of initiative.

Example: When I would do something wrong as a child I felt bad and most likely would not do it again. In the book it states "If you feel ashamed after getting caught doing something other think is bad, that might keep you from doing it again."

Stage 4: Industry Vs. Inferiority

zgascho — 2024-02-23 02:07:20 UTC

Stage 4 is Industry Vs. Inferiority. In this stage the child starts comparing themselves to others to see how their abilities compare to theirs. This stage takes place between the ages 7-11 years old. If industry is encouraged the child learn to develop their skills and leads to them learning how to work well with others and how their personal skills can be used to complete tasks. If a child is discourage from showing their skills this can cause them to develop a sense of inferiority, which can make them feel like they aren't as good as others. This causes a lack of self-confidence.

Example: When I was a child I was encouraged to be myself and learn new things. In the book it says "Developing a sense of industry, by contrast, involves learning how to work hard to achieve goals."

Stage 5: Identity Vs. Role Confusion

zgascho — 2024-02-23 02:08:41 UTC

The next stage is Identity Vs. Role confusion, this stage takes place between the ages of 12-18. In this stage adolescences begin to look a sense of self and personal identity. If adolescences are encouraged in their exploration of finding who they are, they will come out of this stage with a strong sense of self and a feeling of being independent and in control. If discouraged and not given the time to explore who they are this could cause role confusion. The child could possibly feel unsure of their place in the world and they may struggle to find their purpose in life.

Stage 6: Intimacy Vs. Isolation

zgascho — 2024-02-23 02:09:26 UTC

Stage 6 is Intimacy Vs. Isolation, it takes place between the ages 18-40. The major conflict in this stage is forming intimate and loving relationships with others. If they are successful in this stage they are able to form close bonds and comfortable with mutual dependency. If unsuccessful due to struggling to make these connections they may experience isolation. This can lead to feeling lonely, alienated, and excluded.

Example: I am in between the ages of this stage but I am leaning more towards isolation just because I have a hard time making connections with people but the one I have already made are the ones I need. The book says "Person seeks to make commitments to others or may suffer from isolation and self- absorption."

Stage 7: Generatively Vs. Stagnation

zgascho — 2024-02-23 02:10:44 UTC

Stage 7 usually takes place between the ages of 40-65 years, in this stage the individual will focus more on building a life through careers, families, and society. This stage is successful if the individual feels they are making contributions to the world. This can be through raising kids or making positive contributions to changes in society. If unsuccessful the individual might experience stagnation, this involves feeling unproductive, uninvolved, lack of growth, and feelings of emptiness.

Example: I am not in this stage but I hope to lean more towards the side of generatively. In the book it says "Mature adult is concerned with establishing and guiding the next generation or else feel personal impoverishment."

Stage 8: Ego Integrity Vs. Despair

zgascho — 2024-02-23 02:11:35 UTC

The last stage starts when an individual is around 65 years old and ends at death. During this stage the individual looks back at their life and determining if they have lived a successful life. If successful the individual experiences ego integrity which is when they have a sense of acceptance of their life. This includes finding the ability to find coherence and purpose in their experiences and feelings of wisdom and fulfillment. If unsuccessful the individual will feel regretful about their past and wish they would've done things differently. This is called despair and it involves feelings of regret, bitterness, and disappointment of one's life and a fear of death.