Psychosocial

Stages of
Development
Erik Erikson

Psychosocial
Psyco = psychological
Social = environment
o Interaction of both
o Reciprocal relationship

Erikson put together 8 stages of development

o Stages = crisis to be resolved for that stage of development
If crisis is not resolved the other stages can be effective and the
persons growth can stagnate
Not everyone goes through the stages as quickly as others
Ages are attached to each stage but are not concrete

1. Trust vs. Mistrust

Child must learn trust by
having needs met
consistently or they will
carry an inner sense of
mistrust into future
relationships
Basic Needs: food, diaper
changes, interaction,
bathing, clothes, mental
stimulation, protection
You cant spoil a baby for
the 1st year of life

2. Autonomy vs. Shame &

Doubt
Individuation: Child discovers that Mom
and me are separate
They learn to start exercising their own
will or they will feel shameful about
becoming their own person.
If this stage is resolved they may
become a dependent person later on in
life
Shape their will but dont break their will
Unmet needs in some Mothers can
cause them to desire to feel
needed/wanted and not allow this
growth stage in their child
Ex. Let toddlers wash their own hands,
put on their clothes, feed themselves,
potty train, etc.

3. Initiative vs. Guilt

Child must learn to initiate
tasks and conversations.
If a parent takes over child
will feel guilty and stop
initiating.
If this stage is not successful,
this can lead to difficulty in
making decisions later in life.
Ex. Allow them to clean up
toys, make their bed, get
dressed, put dishes in
dishwasher, etc. If you go in
and remake their bed you are
telling them they are not good
enough.

4. Competence vs. Inferiority

Child must feel like they
are competent in
something or they will
feel inferior to others.
Ex. Start a sport, start
playing an instrument.
Find out what the child
is good at it and praise
him!
Warning: comparing
children breads anger
and jealousy in children

5. Identity vs. Role Confusion

Adolescence develops a
sense of self and purpose in
life. If not, then they become
confused as to their role in
life.
Identity: who you are without
anything else around you.
Parents should give their teens
specific responsibilities and
increase those responsibilities
Ex. Babysitting, get a
volunteer job, consistent
required chores, getting a job,
taking leadership roles in a
club/organization, etc.

Types of Identity
1. Foreclosure: formed
early by taking on
family values, beliefs,
and expectations of the
parents without
knowing why.
2. Negative Identity:
Formed in opposition to
what is expected. Ex.
Conformity to peer
groupsreacting
against something like
parenting style

3. Identity Diffusion: confused

about what is expected and
doesnt seem to care to
figure out his/her identity
4. Identity Achievement:
Knowing who you are and
why you believe what you
believe. This is achieved
through a time of asking
questions
5. Moratorium: a time of
exploring beliefs, interests,
etc. Primary age is late
adolescence through first
few years of college

6. Intimacy vs. Isolation

The young adult learns to
establish close
relationships by being open
and REAL with others OR is
unable to develop close
relationships and lives in
isolation
Once youve established
who you are (stage 5) you
are safe to be in a
relationship with someone
else so you dont base your
identity off the other
person

Differences in Developing
Intimacy
Guys: Goal Oriented
Wrestle, play sports
Do activities together
Action oriented
Solution Focused

Ladies: Journey Focused

Talk
Stop and do things a
long the way
Interdependent
Its all about the
experience & details

7. Generativity vs.
Stagnation
Middle age either feel
like they are giving
back to future
generations OR a lack
of purpose, feel
unproductive, become
self absorbed and
stagnate.
This is a time to
reevaluate life and ask,
Have I accomplished
what I wanted in life?

8. Integrity vs. Despair

Old age brings thoughts of
the end of life. People in
this stage either feel good
about themselves that
they have achieved their
goals and that life has
meaning or they are
dissatisfied and feel like
they have missed
opportunities and fall into
despair.
Reflect on ones life time
line and face lifes end

Journal
Reflect on your life and the different stages of
development. Describe they stage you are currently in as
well as success and failures from previous stages that
might effect who you are today. Give examples that justify
your success/failure for each stage.