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.
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