Erik Erikson

Psychosocial Development

Stage 1 (Birth – 1 Year)Infancy

• Trust vs. Mistrust

• Is my world predictable and supportive?

• Basic Crisis: Receiving Care

• Attachment: Willingness to let the mother out of sight w/o anxiety and with certainty she will return.

• Failure to develop this trust may result in withdrawal or depression in adulthood.

Stage 2 (1-2 years) Toddlerhood

• Autonomy vs. Shame (1-2)• Can I do it by myself or will I always need

assistance?• Basic Crisis: assertion of independence through

exploration & testing limits. (WILL)• Parents allow autonomy & impose safe limits• Child emerges sure of oneself• Feel proud rather than shame for maintaining

their independence.

Stage 3 (3 to 5 years)Preschooler

• Initiative vs. Guilt • Basic Crisis: developing an ability to

initiate one’s own activity and see it thru.• Guilt occurs if parents discourage such

initiative.• Parents must forbid some inappropriate

behaviors, but in a way that doesn’t make child feel guilty.

• Unsuccessful resolution: unworthy and afraid all initiatives will fail.

Stage 4 (6-11, puberty)Elementary School

• Industry (Competence) vs. Inferiority • Basic Crisis: Children learn the pleasure

of applying themselves to a task, or they feel inferior.

• Constantly testing against peers for feelings of competency (industry) or lack of it (inferiority)

• Adult encouragement to be productive can lead to a desire to seek intellectual stim.

Stage 5 (12-20) Adolescence

• Identity vs. Role Confusion

• Basic Crisis: Who am I?

• Adolescents need to be able to try on different roles in a secure environment.

• Successful resolution: The ability to integrate various roles into 1 identity, or they become confused about who they are.

Stage 6 (20’s-40’s) Young Adulthood

• Intimacy vs. Isolation

• Basic Crisis: Loving Others

• Committing to a close, sharing relationship

• Surrendering some independence vs. keeping total independence

• Unsuccessful resolutions involve loneliness and may lead to promiscuity, and feelings of social isolation.

Stage 7 (40’s-60’s) Middle Adulthood

• Generativity vs. Stagnation• Basic Crisis: The middle-aged discover a sense

of contributing to the world, usually through family and work, or they may feel a lack of purpose

• Look beyond yourself and immediate groups• Successful resolution: promotes caring attitudes

and productive, happy feelings• Unsuccessful resolution: Selfishness

Stage 8 (60’s and Up) Late Adulthood

• Integrity vs. Despair

• Basic Crisis: Acceptance of life lived w/o major regrets (successful resolution of the 7 previous crises in development)

• Successful resolution yields wisdom and an acceptance of self as being in the final phase of life

• Unsuccessful resolution may despair that time has “run out”, fear of death.

Poster on Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Development

• You will be creating a poster about Erikson’s 8 stages of development. Each group will illustrate both successful and unsuccessful resolutions of critical tasks at each stage. Indicate the specific name and age range of the stage.

• Include the name of the stage, appropriate illustrations, age ranges associated with the stage, and a description of the task. You may include script on your page if your pictures need captions or explanations

• This assignment will be turned in at the end of the hour or at the beginning of the next school day.