Erik Erikson's Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development: Con icts & Growth

Lesson Transcript

Cite this lesson

Erikson identi ed eight stages of psychosocial development, with each stage presenting a con ict that must be overcome.
This lesson will discuss the con ict and growth associated with each stage of development.

Psychosocial Development
How does one develop a sense of who they are; where they belong? How does one person feel con dent
and secure, while another may feel depressed and question their life? In this lesson, we will discuss the
con ict and growth associated with each stage of Erik Erikson's psychosocial development theory.

Psychologist Erik Erikson, a major contributor to developmental psychology, proposed a comprehensive

theory of the ways that individuals develop their identity, or in other words, a sense of who they are, and
society's in uence on that development. This theory is labeled the stages of psychosocial development
and is characterized as a series of psychological stages that have a basic con ict and important event
leading to growth. The theory was developed from his hundreds of clinical observations in children.

Erikson identi ed eight stages of psychosocial development in an individual. Characteristics of these stages
include:

Each stage unfolds from the preceding stage in a particular sequence

Each stage involves an ever-widening involvement with others

The centerpiece of each stage is a life task for the individual; speci cally, each stage involves a con ict between two
opposites, and the individual's e orts at each stage are to achieve a ratio between the two

Birth - 12 Years
Let's take a look at the stages now, and then group them into categories as we go. Birth through
elementary school: the four basic con icts from birth through elementary school are trust vs. mistrust,
autonomy vs. shame and doubt, initiative vs. guilt, and industry vs. inferiority.

Trust vs. mistrust occurs from birth to 12-18 months. The quality of the relationship between the infant
and its mother or primary caregiver is essential to developing the infant's trust in the environment, and
developing a sense of trust is a cornerstone of a healthy personality. The important event in this stage is
feeding. The unsuccessful completion of this stage can result in an inability to trust and culls a sense of
fear about the inconsistent world, leading to feelings of anxiety, insecurity, and an overall feeling of
mistrust toward the world.

Autonomy vs. shame and doubt occurs between 18 months and three years old. As the child begins to
stand rmly on his or her feet, he or she separates the environment into 'I and you, me and mine'. The
general signi cance of this stage consists of the maturation of the child's muscle system and the ability to
coordinate such actions as holding and letting go and the child's increasing ability to exert his or her will.
The important event in this stage is toilet training. If children are encouraged in this stage, they will
become con dent and secure. If they are criticized or overly controlled, they will begin to feel inadequate
in their ability to survive and become overly dependent on others, lack self-esteem, and feel a sense of
shame and doubt in their abilities.

The initiative vs. guilt stage occurs between three and six years old. At the end of the third year, the child
learns to move around more freely, asks questions about many things because his or her language skills
are more developed, and imagination expands. During this stage, the child's personality forms around
imagination. This stage is characterized by a willingness to learn quickly and to make things together with
other children. The important event in this stage is independence of activities. If children are given the
room to be independent and play, the child develops a sense of initiative and security. If the child is
controlled and not allowed to use his or her imagination, they begin to develop a sense of guilt and may
feel like a nuisance to others.

The industry vs. inferiority stage occurs between six and 12 years old. The trend in this stage is observing
how things are done and learning. In elementary school, this involves planning, working, and sharing with
others. The important event in this stage is school. If children are reinforced by adults and teachers for
their initiative, they begin to feel industrious and con dent in their abilities. If they do not receive this
reinforcement, they may begin to feel inferior and doubt their abilities. The danger in this period is the
potential for developing a sense of inadequacy. The child may feel, for example, that skin color, parental
status, or the cost of his or her clothes determines social worth instead of a will to learn. In these
situations, permanent damage can be done to the child's sense of identity.

Middle and High School

In the middle and high school range, there is one stage in this period: identity vs. role confusion, which
occurs between 12 and 18 years old. Toward the end of adolescence, the person should have assembled
elements of identity that are converging and abandoned those elements that do not t. The adolescent's
identity should have gradually integrated, for example, preferred capacities, signi cant interactions, and
consistent roles. If this does not occur, the sense of who they are as a person can be hindered, resulting in
confusion about themselves and their role in the world. The important event in this stage is peer
relationships.

Adulthood
Development of one's identity is not concluded at the end of adolescence. Adulthood consists of three
basic con ict stages: intimacy vs. isolation, generativity vs. stagnation, and ego integrity vs. despair.

The stage of intimacy vs. isolation, occurring between 19 and 40 years old, begins in young adulthood. A
person pursues work or study for a career and psychological intimacy with another person. In time, this
stage may include marriage and a family of one's own. The important event in this stage is love
relationships. Successful completion of this stage can lead to comfortable relationships and a sense of
safety and commitment. Avoiding intimacy and fearing commitment can lead to loneliness and sometimes
depression.

The second stage of adulthood is generativity vs. stagnation, which is between 40 and 65 years old.
Primarily, this refers to a person's interest in establishing and guiding the next generation. Parenting is the
important event in this stage. However, simply wanting or having children does not automatically lead to
generativity. During this stage, people begin to settle down in their careers and relationships. They give
back to society through their careers and their children. Failing to achieve these objectives leads to feelings
of stagnativity and unproductiveness.
The nal stage, integrity vs. despair, which is between 65 years old and death, depends on the person's
adaptation to successes and disappointments of the prior seven stages in his or her life and accepting
responsibility for one's life and service as the originator of others and the generator of things and ideas.
The important event in this stage is re ection and acceptance of one's life. Failure in this stage is typically
accompanied by a sense of despair and may include a subconscious fear of death.

Lesson Summary
Erikson identi ed eight stages of psychosocial development that are somewhat uid and overlapping with
each other. The three characteristics of the stages are that each unfolds from the preceding stage in a
particular sequence, involves an ever-widening involvement with others, and presents the individual a life
task. The task involves a con ict between two opposites and, if the balance is toward the positive, the
individual will be helped in the con icts in later stages.

Four stages encompass the years from birth through elementary school. First, the quality of the
relationship between the infant and the primary caregiver is essential in the rst stage, trust vs. mistrust.
The second stage, autonomy vs. shame and doubt, continues through the third year. Initiative vs. guilt
is characterized by a willingness to learn quickly and make things together with other children. Then, the
industry vs. inferiority stage involves planning, working, and sharing with others. The potential danger in
this stage is the possibility of the child developing feelings of inadequacy or inferiority. Adolescence, in
Erikson's view, is the nal stage of childhood. The task in this stage is identity vs. role confusion. Then
identity continues to develop during the three stages of adulthood: intimacy vs. self-absorption or
isolation, generativity vs. stagnation, and integrity vs. despair.

Learning Outcomes
After this lesson is done, you should be able to:

Recall what the theory of psychosocial development explains

Describe the characteristics of the stages of psychosocial development

Summarize the eight stages of psychosocial development and the con icts that must be overcome in each stage