Erikson Development Timeline by Molly Tenny

Trust Vs. Mistrust

molly10e11 — 2024-07-13 18:01:28 UTC

Erikson's first stage involves forming attatchments. If a child cries and isn't comforted by a parent, they come to not trust their environment or their parent. However, if the child is comforted, they will come to trust their mom, dad, and surroundings. I personally was susccesful in this stage and it resulted in trust. My parents picked me up almost every time I cried, and as a result, I am a very trusting person. According to the Child Growth and Development textbook, "A caregiver who consistently meets these needs instills a sense of trust or the belief that the world is a trustworthy place." Because I had my needs met as a child, I tend to have a very positive and trusting outlook on the world, especially as a younger child.

Autonomy Vs. Shame

molly10e11 — 2024-07-13 18:15:22 UTC

Erikson's second stage. It deals with child freedom. According to the Child Growth and Development textbook, "Mobile toddlers have newfound freedom they like to exercise and by being allowed to do so, they learn some basic independence." I experienced shame. My parents picked out my own clothes for me, I didn’t pick my own snacks out, and I was scared of the toilet during toilet training but was still forced to try to use it. My mother tied my shoes for me every day. I was not given much choice in early childhood. I was teased by other kids for not knowing how to do certain things which resulted in a feeling of shame in my body, and caused self-confidence issues and depression and anxiety once puberty began.

Initiative Vs. Guilt

molly10e11 — 2024-07-13 18:23:30 UTC

Erikson's third stage which involves children wanted to have control over events and situations in their lives. This involves letting children have freedom with beginning tasks or indulging in creative ideas. I experienced the guilt part of this stage. My parents divorced, and I couldn’t control the situation around me and was shut down when I did. I tried to convince my parents to get back together, and it resulted in me eventually feeling bad about bringing it up. Because I wasn’t able to take initiative of the situation, I began feeling guilt for things that could be misconstrued as my fault from this point on. I also was in a household where everything needed to be clean and tidy or my father would complain. As the Child Growth and Development textbook states, "To reinforce taking initiative, caregivers should offer praise for the child’s efforts and avoid being critical of messes or mistakes." Because I was unintentionally conditioned to be different than I wanted to be, I suffer from guilt still over things that aren't my fault.

Industry Vs. Inferiority

molly10e11 — 2024-07-13 18:37:15 UTC

Erikon's fourth stage, which deals with confidence and compeition. When a child is encouraged and praised for their work, they are more likely to do well academically and in future endeavors. If they are compared to other students (why can't you be more like 'this kid'?), they will develop a lack of self-confidence and have worse grades and a lack of motivation. I succeeded in this stage and it resulted in industry. My parents were extremely supportive in all of my extracurricular activities and in my academics which gave me the mentality to continue to bigger and better things. As the Child Growth and Development textbook states, "Erikson believed that if these industrious children can be successful in their endeavors, they will get a sense of confidence for future challenges." Because of my successes, I am cofident in my academic abilities.

Identity Vs. Role Confusion

molly10e11 — 2024-07-13 18:54:33 UTC

Erikson's fifth stage that deals with a person's sense of self. From ages 12-18, this is the stage where an adolescent is dealing with who they are, what they want to be, and their future plans. This is the stage I am currently in, and I personally experience both identity and role confusion. My father heavily influenced my decision to be a teacher, and in a way, this has caused me to be unsure of myself as a person and for my future because someone else is deciding who I'm going to be for me. On the other hand, I love working with kids and think being a teacher could be good for me, and therefore know what my future plans are. I have a strong sense of belief that is not easily swayed by others because I know to a certain degree who I am and what I believe. In the Child Growth and Development textbook, it says, "Teenagers who struggle to adopt a positive role will likely struggle to 'find' themselves as adults." This meaning that if I hadn't even been able to identify what I wanted to do in the future or who/what I wanted to work with, I would be more identifying with the role confusion.

Intimacy Vs. Isolation

molly10e11 — 2024-07-13 18:59:27 UTC

Erikson's sixth stage that involves either creating meaningful and lasting relationships or having a tendency to remain isolated and alone. I am almost to this stage in my life and believe I will relate most to intimacy. I already have a boyfriend who I have been with for two years and plan on continuing to have a committed relationship to. I also have a few close friends I still maintain contact with and feel comfortable being with and having deep conversations with. In the Child Growth and Development textbook, it describes this stage as making "long-term committments in intimate relationships" and that it occurs from 20 into our 30's.

Generativity Vs. Stagnation

molly10e11 — 2024-07-13 19:11:14 UTC

Erikson's seventh stage. It deals with wanting to feel purposeful and like we've made a difference in the world. I like to think that I would end up in the generativity rather than stagnation. Being a teacher is a very rewarding job, and so I believe that I will feel like I made a contribution to society and will continue to be a productive and motivated adult. According to the Child Growth and Development textbook, this stage occurs through a person's 40s and into their 60s, and focuses mainly on a person's productivity in their work and in their home life.

Integrity Vs. Despair

molly10e11 — 2024-07-13 19:26:44 UTC

Erikson's eighth and final stage. It is the stage that goes until a person's death and involves a person looking back on their life and either feeling satisfied or regretful. If my life goes slightly the way I plan (becoming a teacher, getting married, having a family), then I believe I will experience integrity and a happiness when reflecting upon my life. As the Child Growth and Development textbook states, "We look back on our lives and hope to like what we see-that we have lived well and have a sense of integrity because we lived according to our beliefs." I like to believe because I was in the industry phase in Industry Vs. Inferiority, I will have that sense of integrity because I have a strong-willed personality and sense of belief.