Erikson

1
Eriksons Psychosocial Theory

• Rachel L. Taulbee
• University of West Georgia

2
Background on beliefs

• Erik Erikson believed..
• Development is social in nature and a result of a
  desire to affiliate with other people.
• A person encounters 8 developmental stages in
  life.
• Each stage presents individuals with a crisis
  that must be faced.
• The more successfully an individual resolves the
  crisis, the healthier development will be
  (Santrock, 2008, p. 18).

3
Trust Vs. mistrust

• Age
• Infancy First year of life
• Virtue
• Hope
• Question
• Is the world a good and pleasant place to live?
• Characteristics
• Infants need food, comfort, and warmth to develop
  a sense of trust. If these needs are not meet, a
  sense of mistrust will follow.

Stage 1
4
Autonomy vs. shame and doubt

• Age
• Infancy 1 to 3 years
• Virtue
• Will
• Question
• Can I do things by myself or must I always rely
  on others?
• Characteristics
• Caregivers provide a strong sense of security and
  encourage children to accomplish self-sufficient
  behaviors such as crawling, walking, changing
  clothes, and bathing. If restrained too much or
  punished too harshly, they are likely to develop
  shame and doubt.

STAGE 2
5
Initiative vs. guilt

• Age
• Preschool 3 to 5 years
• Virtue
• Purpose
• Question
• Am I good or bad?
• Characteristics
• Children are faced with new challenges and
  learning to master the world around them. They
  begin to act with purpose and also experience
  guilt when a particular action does not occur as
  planned. It is important not to belittle or make
  a child feel anxious about their attempts.

STAGE 3
6
industry vs. inferiority

• Age
• Elementary 6 years to puberty
• Virtue
• Competence
• Question
• Am I successful or worthless?
• Characteristics
• Children begin mastering knowledge and
  intellectual skills. This stage is imperative to
  foster self-confidence. Children should be
  encouraged to create and do things and then
  receive praise. If children are made to feel
  incompetent, they will develop feelings of
  inferiority and may be unwilling to try new
  things.

Stage 4
7
Identity vs. identity confusion

• Age
• Adolescence 10 to 20 years
• Virtue
• Fidelity
• Question
• Who am I and what am I all about?
• Characteristics
• Adolescents try a variety of roles to identify
  where they fit in. They must decide who they are
  and decipher who society expects them to be. They
  start using their experiences to influence their
  future.

STAGE 5
8
Intimacy vs. isolation

• Age
• Early adulthood 20s and 30s
• Virtue
• Love
• Question
• Am I loved or wanted by someone?
• Characteristics
• Upon establishing identity, people are able to
  form long term commitments. Without healthy
  friendships and intimate relationships, isolation
  occurs.

Stage 6
9
Generativity vs. stagnation

• Age
• Middle adulthood 40s and 50s
• Virtue
• Care
• Question
• Will I produce something of real value?
• Characteristics
• Generativity is a concern for helping the
  younger generation lead successful lives. In
  contrast, feeling like theyve done nothing to
  help leads to stagnation.

Stage 7
10
Integrity vs. despair

• Age
• Late adulthood 60s onward
• Virtue
• Wisdom
• Question
• Was my life well spent?
• Characteristics
• A person reflects on the past. If a person feels
  their life was well spent, they develop a sense
  of integrity. If they look back on a life of
  disappointments and missed goals, they develop a
  sense of despair or gloom.

Stage 8
11
References

• Santrock, J. W. (2008). Essentials of life-span
  development. New York, NY McGraw-Hill.
• Erikson's psychosocial development theory.
  Retrieved from http//www.businessballs.com/erik_e
  rikson_psychosocial_theory.htm.