ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF

PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
Erik Erikson’s eight stages of psychosocial
development define each stage of human
development with a crisis or a conflict.
Each crisis or conflict either gets resolved or
may be left unresolved, resulting in favorable or
unfavorable outcome.
ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

Influential Conflict or
stage figure crisis to be Possible results from resolving conflict or
resolved crisis
Favorable results Unfavorable results

Infancy from Parents Trust vs. Being able to trust others Mistrusting others,
birth to 18 Mistrust when primary caregiver withdrawal or
months (usually the mother) estrangement
provides caring, attention,
and love
ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

18 mos
 ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

Influential Conflict or
stage figure crisis to be Possible results from resolving conflict or
resolved crisis
Favorable results Unfavorable results
Early childhood Parents Autonomy vs. • Develops self-control and • Compulsive self-
(18 months to 3 Shame and physical skills, and sense restraint or
years) Doubt of independence without compliance
losing self-esteem. • Willfulness and
• Ability to cooperate and to
express oneself
defiance
• Develops feeling of • Failure will result in
autonomy feelings of shame and
doubt
ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
 ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

Influential Conflict or
stage figure crisis to be Possible results from resolving conflict or
resolved crisis
Favorable results Unfavorable results
Late childhood Parents and Initiative vs. • Learns that being • When using too much
(preschool) Teachers Guilt assertive, using power, power and control, might
(3-5 years) and being purposeful can experience disapproval
influence their resulting in lack of self-
environment confidence and sense of
• Develops sense of guilt
purpose • Pessimism, fear of being
• Starts to evaluate one’s wrongly judged
behavior
ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

5
 ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

Influential figure Conflict or

stage crisis to be Possible results from resolving conflict or crisis
resolved
Favorable results Unfavorable results
Shool age Parents and Industry vs. • Learns how to cope with • Loss of hope, sense of
(6 to 12 years) Teachers Inferiority the school environment being mediocre
and its demand • Develops feelings of
• Learns how to create, inferiority
develop, and manipulate • Withdrawal from school
• Develops a sense of and peers
competence and
perseverance
ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
 ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

Influential figure Conflict or

stage crisis to be Possible results from resolving conflict or crisis
resolved
Favorable results Unfavorable results
Adolescence Teachers and Identity vs. • Develops a sense of self • Feeling of confusion,
(12-20 years) Significant Others Role and identity indecisiveness, and
Confusion • Plans to actualize one’s anti-social behavior
abilities • Weak sense of self
• Develops the ability to
stay true to oneself
ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

20
 ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

Influential figure Conflict or

stage crisis to be Possible results from resolving conflict or crisis
resolved
Favorable results Unfavorable results
Young Friends Intimacy vs. • Develops a strong need to • Impersonal, weak
Adulthood Isolation form intimate, loving relationships
relationships with a group of
(20 to 25 years) people or with another person • Avoidance of
• Develops strong relationship relationship, career, or
• Learns commitment to work lifestyle commitments
and with another person or
group
• May result in isolation
and loneliness
ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

Age 20-25
 ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

Influential figure Conflict or

stage crisis to be Possible results from resolving conflict or crisis
resolved
Favorable results Unfavorable results
Adulthood Community Generativity • Creates or nurtures things • Self-indulgence,
(25 to 65 years) vs. Stagnation that will outlast them, either self-concern, or
by having children or lack of interests and
creating a positive change commitments
that benefits others
• Creativity, productivity,
• Shallow
feeling of usefulness and involvement in the
accomplishment, and world, pessimism
concern for others
ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

25
ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT

Influential figure Conflict or

stage crisis to be Possible results from resolving conflict or crisis
resolved
Favorable results Unfavorable results
Maturity Community Integrity vs. • Sense of fulfillment as one • Sense of loss,
(65 years to Despair looks back in one’s life and contempt for others
death) develops feeling of wisdom • May result in regret,
• Acceptance of worth and bitterness and
uniqueness of one’s own life
• Acceptance of inevitability
despair
of death transitioning
ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
ERIKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT