Erikson's Psychosocial Stages Summary Chart

Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development

Erik Erikson described development that occurs throughout the lifespan. Learn more in this chart summarizing Erikson's stages
of psychosocial development.
Stage Basic Conflict Important Outcome
Events
Infancy (birth to Trust vs. Mistrust Feeding Children develop a sense of trust when caregivers provide reliabilty,
18 months) care, and affection. A lack of this will lead to mistrust.
Early Childhood Autonomy vs. Toilet Training Children need to develop a sense of personal control over physical skills
(2 to 3 years) Shame and and a sense of independence. Success leads to feelings of autonomy,
Doubt failure results in feelings of shame and doubt.
Preschool (3 to 5 Initiative vs. Exploration Children need to begin asserting control and power over the
years) Guilt environment. Success in this stage leads to a sense of purpose. Children
who try to exert too much power experience disapproval, resulting in a
sense of guilt.
School Age (6 to Industry vs. School Children need to cope with new social and academic demands. Success
11 years) Inferiority leads to a sense of competence, while failure results in feelings of
inferiority.
Adolescence (12 Identity vs. Role Social Teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity. Success
to 18 years) Confusion Relationships leads to an ability to stay true to yourself, while failure leads to role
confusion and a weak sense of self.
Yound Adulthood Intimacy vs. Relationships Young adults need to form intimate, loving relationships with other
(19 to 40 years) Isolation people. Success leads to strong relationships, while failure results in
loneliness and isolation.
Middle Adulthood Generativity vs. Work and Adults need to create or nurture things that will outlast them, often by
(40 to 65 years) Stagnation Parenthood having children or creating a positive change that benefits other people.
Success leads to feelings of usefulness and accomplishment, while
failure results in shallow involvement in the world.
Maturity(65 to Ego Integrity vs. Reflection on Older adults need to look back on life and feel a sense of fulfillment.
death) Despair Life Success at this stage leads to feelings of wisdom, while failure results in
regret, bitterness, and despair.

Erickon's Psychosocial Stages of Development

1 Basic Trust vs. Mistrust 0-1 Hope Dependency or Paranoia

-when the parents present consistent, adequate, and nurturing care, the child
develops basic trust and realizes that people are dependable and the world can be
a safe place. The child develops a sense of hope and confidence; this is a belief that
things will work out well in the end

-when the parents fail to provide these things, the child develops basic
mistrust, resulting in depression, withdrawal, and maybe even paranoia

2 Autonomy vs Shame & 2-3 Will Obsessive/Impulsive or Avoidant

Doubt

-if parents guide children gradually and firmly, praise and accept attempts to be
 independent, autonomy develops. The result will be a sense of will which helps us
accomplish and build self-esteem as children and adults

-if parents are too permissive, harsh, or demanding, the child can feel defeated, and
experience extreme shame and doubt, and grow up to engage in neurotic attempts
to regain feelings of control, power, and competency. This may take the form of
obsessive behavior; if you follow all rules exactly then you will never be ashamed
again. If the child is given no limits or guidance, the child can fail to gain any shame
or doubt and be impulsive. Some is good, as it causes us to question the outcomes
of our actions, and consider others' well-being. This may also result in Avoidance; if
you never allow yourself to be close to others, they can never make you feel
ashamed

3 Initiative vs Guilt 4-5 Purpose Constricted or

Antisocial/Narcissistic

-the child becomes curious about people and models adults. Erickson believed the
child does attempt to possess the opposite sex parent and experience rivalry toward
the same sex parent; however, a true Oedipal Complex only develops in very severe
cases

-if parents are understanding and supportive of a child's efforts to show initiative,

the child develops purpose, and sets goals and acts in ways to reach them

-if children are punished for attempts to show initiative, they are likely to develop a
sense of guilt, which in excess can lead to inhibition. Too much purpose and no
guilt can lead to ruthlessness; the person may achieve their goals without caring
who they step on in the process

4 Industry vs Inferiority 6- Competenc Helplessness or Shallowness

12 y

-occurs during Latency, but Erickson did not think this was a rest period; the child
begins school and must tame imagination and impulses, and please others. If adults
support the child's efforts, a sense of competence develops

-if caretakers do not support the child, feelings of inferiority are likely to develop.
Too much inferiority, and inertia or helplessness occurs (underachievers). Too much
competency and the child becomes an adult too fast, and develops either into
aHistrionic or Shallow person

One way to divide Erikson's stages is into two groups of four -- the first four have to do
with figuring out the world, the last four with figuring out yourself

5 Identity vs Role 13- Fidelity Identity Diffusion or Fanaticism

Confusion 19

-young adults attempt to develop identity and ideas about strengths, weaknesses,

goals, occupations, sexual identity, and gender roles. Teens "try on" different
 identities, going through an identity crisis, and use their friends to reflect back to
them. Marcia offers four resolutions: Identity Achievement (crises and commitment),
Moratorium (crises and commitment later), Foreclosure (commitment without
crises), and Identity Diffusion (no crises, no commitment)

-if they resolve this crisis, they develop fidelity, "the ability to sustain loyalties
freely pledged in spite of the inevitable contradictions of value systems" (can be
friends with very different people)

-if they fail to resolve the crisis, they develop identity diffusion; their sense of self
is unstable and threatened; too little identity and they may join cults or hate groups,
too much identity and they may show fanaticism

6 Intimacy vs Isolation 20- Love Promiscuity or Exclusion

24

-intimacy is the ability to be close, loving, and vulnerable with romances and friends.
It is based in part upon identity development, in that you have to know yourself to
share it. The virtue gained here is love. Failure to develop intimacy can lead
topromiscuity (getting too close too quick and not sustaining it),
or exclusion (rejecting relationships and those who have them)

7 Generativity vs 25- Care Stagnation or Overextension

Stagnation 64

-if you have a strong sense of creativity, success, and of having "made a mark" you
develop generativity, and are concerned with the next generation; the virtue is
called care, and represents connection to generations to come, and a love given
without expectations of a specific return

-adults that do not feel this develop a sense of stagnation, are self-absorbed, feel
little connection to others, and generally offer little to society; too much stagnation
can lead to rejectivity and a failure to feel any sense of meaning (the unresolved
mid-life crises), and too much generativity leads to overextension (someone who
has no time for themselves because they are so busy)

8 Ego Integrity vs Despair 65- Wisdom Presumption or Disdain

?

-this entails facing the ending of life, and accepting successes and failures, ageing,
and loss. People develop ego integrity and accept their lives if they succeed, and
develop a sense of wisdom a "detached concern with life itself in the face of death
itself"

-those who do not feel a sense of despair and dread their death; it's too late to
change their lives (Ebenezer Scrooge just managed to avoid it) Too much wisdom
leads to presumption, too much despair to a disdain for life