TRUST VS MISTRUST

Submitted by: Mohammad Javed Jawad 1411714.

   Mohammad Mehdi 1811288.
 Contents

Background.................................................................................................................................................2
Psychological development.........................................................................................................................2
Stages of Development............................................................................................................................2
Psychosocial Stages Summary Chart........................................................................................................3
Critiques to the theory............................................................................................................................3
Strengths of the theory...........................................................................................................................4
Background.
Erik homburger Erikson was a German-American and 20 th century psychologist and
psychoanalyst, known for his work on psychosocial stages of development, famously working on
Freud’s psychosexual stages and coming with the 8 stages of psychosocial development.
Erikson's 'psychosocial' term is derived from the two source words - namely psychological (or
the root, 'psycho' relating to the mind, brain, personality, etc.) and social (external relationships
and environment), both at the heart of Erikson's theory. Occasionally you'll see the term
extended to biopsychosocial, in which bio refers to life, as in biological.

Psychological development.
Erikson believed that personality is developed in a series of stages. Erikson's theory described
the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan. Erikson was interested in how social
interaction and relationships played a role in the development and growth of human beings.
Each stage in Erikson's theory builds on the preceding stages and paves the way for following
periods of development. In each stage, Erikson believed people experience a conflict that serves
as a turning point in development. In Erikson's view, these conflicts are centered on either
developing a psychological quality or failing to develop that quality. During these times, the
potential for personal growth is high but so is the potential for failure.
If people successfully deal with the conflict, they emerge from the stage with psychological
strengths that will serve them well for the rest of their lives. If they fail to deal effectively with
these conflicts, they may not develop the essential skills needed for a strong sense of self.
Erikson also believed that a sense of competence motivates behaviors and actions. Each stage in
Erikson's theory is concerned with becoming competent in an area of life. If the stage is handled
well, the person will feel a sense of mastery, which is sometimes referred to as ego strength or
ego quality. If the stage is managed poorly, the person will emerge with a sense of inadequacy in
that aspect of development.
Each of Erikson’s psychosocial development stages is characterized by two contradictory
emotional forces known as contrary dispositions, usually labeled as “syntonic” and “dystonic”
dispositions. These dispositions cause a crisis or task that we need to resolve or master. When we
resolve this crisis successfully, we acquire certain basic virtues and gain a sense of competence.
Failure to do so may lead to feelings of inadequacy and a less healthy personality.
Stages of Development.
1. Trust Vs Mistrust.
Trust vs. mistrust is the first stage in Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. This
stage begins at birth continues to approximately 18 months of age. During this stage, the infant is
uncertain about the world in which they live, and looks towards their primary caregiver for
stability and consistency of care.
If the care the infant receives is consistent, predictable and reliable, they will develop a sense of
trust which will carry with them to other relationships, and they will be able to feel secure even
when threatened.
If these needs are not consistently met, mistrust, suspicion, and anxiety may develop.
If the care has been inconsistent, unpredictable and unreliable, then the infant may develop a
sense of mistrust, suspicion, and anxiety. In this situation the infant will not have confidence in
the world around them or in their abilities to influence events.
Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of hope. By developing a sense of trust, the infant can
have hope that as new crises arise, there is a real possibility that other people will be there as a
source of support. Failing to acquire the virtue of hope will lead to the development of fear.
This infant will carry the basic sense of mistrust with them to other relationships. It may result in
anxiety, heightened insecurities, and an over feeling of mistrust in the world around them.
This doesn’t mean that all mistrust is bad. A certain amount of mistrust is necessary; without it, a
child could become too trusting and consequently would not know when to be skeptical of
people’s intentions. Still, an individual should emerge from this stage with a greater sense of
trust than mistrust. An infant who triumphs in this endeavor will develop the virtue of hope,
which is the belief that desires are achievable despite the chaos of the world.
No child is going to develop a sense of 100 percent trust or 100 percent doubt. Erikson believed
that successful development was all about striking a balance between the two opposing sides.
When this happens, children acquire hope, which Erikson described as an openness to experience
tempered by some wariness that danger may be present.

Psychosocial Stages Summary Chart.

Stage 1: Infancy (birth to 18 months)
 Basic Conflict: Trust vs. Mistrust
 Important Events: Feeding
 Outcome: During the first stage of psychosocial development, children develop a sense of
trust when caregivers provide reliability, care, and affection. A lack of this will lead to
mistrust.

Critiques to the theory.

Erikson's theory also has its limitations and criticisms. What kinds of experiences are necessary
to successfully complete each stage? How does a person move from one stage to the next? One
major weakness of psychosocial theory is that the exact mechanisms for resolving conflicts and
moving from one stage to the next are not well described or developed. The theory fails to detail
exactly what type of experiences are necessary at each stage in order to successfully resolve the
conflicts and move to the next stage.
Strengths of the theory.
One of the strengths of psychosocial theory is that it provides a broad framework from which to
view development throughout the entire lifespan. It also allows us to emphasize the social nature
of human beings and the important influence that social relationships have on development.
Researchers have found evidence supporting Erikson's ideas about identity and have further
identified different sub-stages of identity formation. Some research also suggests that people
who form strong personal identities during adolescence are better capable of forming intimate
relationships during early adulthood.