ERIK ERIKSON:

EIGHT STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
 Erik Erikson (1902 - 1994)
Born June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt, Germany
Died May 12, 1994 in Massachussets, USA
An American / German
Notable for his works on Fields Development
Psychology
Influenced other theorists like Sigmund Freud and
Anna Freud
Coined the "Lifetime Development"
Key Idea Theories of Social Psychological
Development
 Erik Erikson's
Biography
An artist in the late 1920s, when he met Anna Freud,
where he was encouraged to begin studying child
Psychoanalysis at the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute.

Immigrated to the US in 1993 and taught at Yale and

Harvard University

At this point, he became interested in the influence of

society and culture on child development
 Erik Erikson's
Biography
He studied groups of Aboriginal children to learn about
the influence of society and culture on child development.

Developing other theories, he came up with the

"Psychosocial Development"

He believed that humans have to resolve different conflicts

as they go through each stage of development in the life
cycle.
 Erik Erikson's
Biography
Erikson's Theory consists of eight stages of development.
Each stage is characterized by a different conflict that
must be resolved by the individual.

If a person is unable to resolve the conflict, they will

struggle with it later in life.
 Elements

Ego Ego
Conflict
Identity Strength
 Ego Identity

Developed by human interaction and

how an individual becomes more
conscious of themselves and their
surrounding
 Ego Strength

Deals with an individual becoming

competent in different areas of life, by
becoming competent, they feel more
important
 Conflict
A turning point during which an individual
struggles to attain some psychological
quality.

Sometimes referred to as psychosocial

crisis, it can both act as vulnerability and
strength, as the individual works toward
success or failure
 ERIK ERIKSON AND THE 8
STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

Best known theories of personality and

development.
Personality develops in a series of
predetermined stages.
Psychosocial, and not psychosexual.
In each stage of development conflicts
acts as turning points in life.
 VIRTUES

STAGE 1 - HOPE
STAGE 2 - WILL
STAGE 3 - PURPOSE
STAGE 4 - COMPETENCE
STAGE 5 - FIDELITY
STAGE 6 - LOVE
STAGE 7 - CARE
STAGE 8 - WISDOM
 Personality consist of
all the relatively
stable and distinctive
styles of thought,
ALITY behavior, emotional
RSON
PE responses that
characterize a
person's adaptations
to surrounding
situations.
 Identify patterns
in the way people
behave. Why Study
Explain the
Personality?
differences
between people.
 Explore how
people function in
life (good and bad). Why Study
Personality?
How to improve
life.
 Oral Stage (Birth to 1)
Sucking Pleasure with
Psychosexual Mouth

Stages of
Development - Anal Stage (1 to 3)

Sigmund
Freud Controlling Bowel
Movements
 Phallic Stage (3 to 6)
Psychosexual
Stages of Discovery of
Development - Reproductive
Organs
Sigmund
Freud
Latency Period (6 to 13)
 Cognitive skills learned
while interest in sexuality
Psychosexual is in background

Stages of
Genital Phase
Development - (Adolescence)
Sigmund
Freud
Sexual Interests Arise
 Psychosocial
Development
-Refers to the emotional and psychological
changes across the life cycle that occurs in
the context of the individuals social
environment.
-Psychosocial development is just a fancy
phrase that refers to how a person’s
individual needs (psycho) mesh with the
needs or demands of society (social).
 Psychosocial
Development
According to Erik Erikson - each part of
the personality has a particular time in the
life span when it must develop, if it is
going to develop at all.
 Psychosocial
Development
If it failed to developed on schedule, the
rest of the development is unfavorably
altered. The individual is then hindered
from dealing effectively with reality.
Psychosocial Stages
STAGE 1: Trust vs Mistrust

STAGE 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and

Doubt

STAGE 3: Initiative vs Guilt

STAGE 4: Industry vs Inferiority

Psychosocial Stages
STAGE 5: Identity vs Role Confusion

STAGE 6: Intimacy vs Isolation

STAGE 7: Generativity vs Stagnation

STAGE 8: Integrity vs Despair

STAGE 1: Trust vs Mistrust

Age: Birth to 18 Months

Conflict- Trust vs Mistrust

Relationship- Mother

Strength- Hopes

Question - Can I trust the

world?

Key event - Feeding

STAGE 1: Trust vs Mistrust

Children are completely dependent on

others

Trust: Established when babies are given

warmth, touching, love, and physical care -
Dependable and Reliable

Mistrust: Caused by inadequate or

unpredictable care and by cold,
indifferent, and rejecting parents -
Undependable, Unpredictable, and
Dangerous
STAGE 2: Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt

Age: 18 Months to 3 years

Conflict- Autonomy vs Shame

Relationship- Parents

Strength- Will

Question - Is it okay to be me?

Key event - Potty Training

STAGE 2: Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt

Autonomy: Doing things for themselves

such as body control and making choices
-Secure and Confident Self

Shame: Overprotective or ridiculing

parents may cause children to doubt
abilities and feel shameful about their
actions
-Inadequacy and self-doubt

STAGE 3: Initiative vs Guilt

Age: 3 years to 6 years

Conflict- Initiative vs Guilt

Relationship- Family

Strength- Purpose

Question - Is it okay for me to

do, move, and act?

Key event - Independence

 STAGE 3: Initiative vs Guilt

Initiative: Parents reinforce via giving

children freedom to play, use imagination,
and ask questions
-Creative and Constructive

Guilt: May occur if parents criticize,

prevent play, or discourage a child's
questions
-Always being wrong, Failure to explore the
world
 STAGE 4: Industry vs. Inferiority

• Age - 6 years to 12 years

•Conflict- Industry vs. Inferiority
•Relationship- Neighbors, School
•Strength- Competence
• Question- Can I make it in the world
of people and things?
• Key Event- School
 STAGE 4: Industry vs. Inferiority

• Children's have to cope with new

social and academic demands
•Industry: Occurs when child is praised
for productive activities, such as painting
and building - Sense of Competence
• Inferiority: Occurs if child's efforts are
regarded as messy or inadequate-
Weak sense of self, incapable to take
responsibility
 STAGE 5: Identity vs. Role
Confusion

• Age- 12 years to 18 years

• Conflict- Identity vs. Role Confusion
• Relationship- Peers, Role Model
• Strength- Fidelity
• Question- Who am I? What can I be?
• Key Event-Peer relationships
 STAGE 5: Identity vs. Role
Confusion

• Children learn a number of different roles.

• Identity: One's organization of individual
drives, abilities, beliefs, and experience
into consistent image of self. Who we are.
•Role Confusion: Failure to establish an
individual identity separate from the
family and having no peer relationships
and plans for an occupation - Ego diffusion.
 STAGE 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation

• Age- 19 years to 40 years

• Conflict- Intimacy vs. Isolation
• Relationship- Friends, Partners
• Strength- Love
• Question- Can I love?
• Key Event- Love relationships
 STAGE 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation

•Start of families
• Intimacy: Ability to care about
others and to share experiences with
them- Strong relationship
• Isolation: Feeling alone and uncared
for in life- Loneliness
 STAGE 7: Generativity vs.
Stagnation

• Age- 40 years to 65 years

• Conflict- Generativity vs. Stagnation
• Relationship- Household,
Workmates
• Strength- Care
• Question- Can I make my life count?
• Key Event- Parenting
 STAGE 7: Generativity vs.
Stagnation

• Primary developmental task is one of

contributing to society and
helping to guide future generation.
• Generativity: Interest in guiding the next
generation- Social Involvement, Parenting
• Stagnation: When one is only concerned
with one's own needs and comforts-
Material possession, Physical well being,
Non productive
Stage 8 - Integrity vs. Despair

Age- 65 years to death

Conflict- Integrity
vs. Despair
Relationship- Mankind, My kind
Strength- Wisdom
Question- Is it ok to have been me?
Key event- Reflecting on and acceptance of
one's life
Stage 8 - Integrity vs. Despair

In the last stages of life, individuals look back

over their lives and judge them.

Integrity: Self-respect; developed when

people have lived richly and responsibly-
Feeling of wisdom and meaning
Despair: Occurs when previous life events are
viewed with regret; experiences heartache
and remorse-
Regret, Bitternes
 Stage 8 - Integrity vs. Despair

Assessment in Erikson's Theory

Psycho Historical Analysis

-Application of lifespan theory to lives of

historical figures
Psychological tests:
-Instruments based on crisis in stages

 Stage 8 - Integrity vs. Despair

Generativity

closer to others
-Evokes need to feel
Maturity
-High ego integrity: spent much time
reviewing their lives
Ethnic Identity
-Ethnic minorities: ethnic identity significant
factor in determining sense of self
Stage 8 - Integrity vs. Despair

Erickson's Contributions

He made major contributions in the area

of child development

by studying
groups of Native American children and
developed the concept of identity crisis
He was concerned with the relationship
between society/culture and child
development, which he termed
"psychosocial development".
Stage 8 - Integrity vs. Despair

Erikson's Contributions

This interest led him to develop the

Eight Stages of Development

In each stage, the individual encounters

a developmental crisis
In order to move on to the next stage,
the individual must resolve the crisis
Stage 8 - Integrity vs. Despair

Criticisms of Erikson

Ambiguous terms and concepts

Lack of precision

Some terms are not easily measured

empirically
Experiences in stage may only apply to
males
Identity crisis may only apply to those
affluent enough to explore Identities
A SHORT VIRTUAL
PLAY
THANK YOU!