Republic of the Philippines

PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY

School of Graduate Studies
Goa, Camarines Sur

MODULE 3: Psychosocial Development Theory

Name of Student: _________________________ Week No: 3 (September, 6, 2020)_______

Course Code: EDU 201 ______ Name of Faculty: Mariel R. Estrella, Ph.D. _
Course Title: Foundation n of Education______ No. of lecture hours per week: 3 hours___

Overview

Module 3 highlights the Psychosocial Development Theory by Erik Erikson. This highly
significant theory contributed to our understanding of personality development throughout the
lifespan. You will also learn some key concepts about psychosocial conflicts, role confusion, identity
crisis, quarter life crisis, and mid-life crisis. Below are the lessons you will learn in this module.

Lesson 1 – Concepts of Psychosocial Development Theory

Lesson 2 – Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development Theory

Expected Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

1. Understand the concepts of Psychosocial Development Theory;

2. Distinguish the eight stages of Psychosocial Development Theory;
3. Relate the importance of knowing the eight stages of Psychosocial Development Theory in
building a person’s identity; and
4. Apply in real-life scenarios the concepts of each stage of Psychosocial Development Theory.

Lesson 1 – Concepts of Psychosocial Development Theory

To understand the whole developmental stages of

human development, the work of the developmental
psychologist, Erik Erikson (1902 – 1994), is worth looking
into. He is best known for his theory of the eight stages of
psychosocial development and is known to have coined the
famous phrase “identity crisis.” The term refers to a turning
point in one’s life that may either strengthen or weaken
one’s personality (Erikson, 1997; Feist & Feist, 2008).

Erikson believed that personality develops

throughout the life cycle and stretches from infancy to old
age. ERIK ERIKSON – A German-American
developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst
born on June 15, 1902. He was regarded as the
father of Psychosocial Development.
 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
School of Graduate Studies
Goa, Camarines Sur

In his theory, everyone must progress through each stage which is crucial in the development of
personality (Burger, 2011). How one is able to resolve each crisis will determine the direction of
one’s personality development and will influence how one resolves later crisis.

Lesson 2 – Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development Theory

Erikson theorized about the eight stages of development: infancy, early childhood, play age,
school age, adolescence, young adulthood, adulthood, and old age. He suggests that at each
psychosocial stage, a person encounters a psychosocial struggle/crisis or a turning point which has
to be successfully overcome to arrive at a resolution which contributes to the development of
one’s personality.

These stages are built on the “epigenetic principle” – how each stage develops at the proper
time, and is built upon the previous stage (Feist et al., 2013). These stages are not fixed but flow
into one another. At each stage, there is an interaction of opposites, between a harmonious
element (syntonic) and a disruptive element (dystonic). These conflicts then produce either a basic
strength, which strengthens our ego, or a core pathology. Following is table of Erikson’s stages of
psychosocial development.

Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development

Development Stage Psychosocial Stage Basic Strength Core Pathology
Infancy (Birth – 1 year) Trust vs. Mistrust Hope Withdrawal
Early Childhood (2 – 4 years) Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt Will Compulsion
Preschooler (4 – 5 years) Initiative vs. Guilt Purpose Inhibition
School Age (5 – 12 years) Industry vs. Inferiority Competence Inertia
Adolescence (13 – 19 years) Identity vs. Role Confusion Fidelity Role denial
Young Adulthood (20s – 40s) Intimacy vs. Isolation Love Exclusivity
Adulthood (40s – 60s) Generativity vs. Stagnation Care Rejectivity
Old Age (60s – death) Integrity vs. Despair Wisdom Disdain
Source: Feist & Fesit, 2008.

 Psychosocial Stage 1 – Infancy – Trust vs. Mistrust

 The first stage of Erikson’s theory of psychological
development occurs between birth and one year of age
and is the most fundamental stage in life.
 Because an infant is utterly dependent, the
development of trust is based on the dependability and
quality of the child’s caregivers.
 If a child successfully develops trust, he or she will feel
safe and secure in the world. Caregivers who are
inconsistent, emotionally unavailable, or rejecting

The mother is trying to make her baby laugh.

This is a nice way to build the comfort and trust
of the baby to her mother.
 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
School of Graduate Studies
Goa, Camarines Sur

contribute to feelings of mistrust in the children they

care for. Failure to develop trust will result in fear and a
belief that the world is inconsistent and unpredictable.

 Psychosocial Stage 2 – Early Childhood – Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

 The second stage of Erikson’s theory of psychosocial
development takes place during early childhood and is
focused on children developing a greater sense of
personal control.
 Like Freud, Erikson believed that toilet training was a
vital part of this process. However, Erikson’s reasoning
was quiet different than that of Freud’s. Erikson believe
that learning to control one’s body functions leads to a
feeling of control and a sense of independence.
 Other important events include gaining more control
over food choices, toy preferences, and clothing
selection.
The child’s act of buttoning her shirt leads her to
 Children who successfully complete this stage feel secure build her feeling of control and sense of
and confident, while those who do not are left with a independence.
sense of inadequacy and self-doubt.

 Psychosocial Stage 3 – Preschooler – Initiative vs. Guilt

 During the preschool years, children begin to assert their
power and control over the world through directing play
and other social interaction.
 Children who are successful at this stage feel capable
and able to lead others. Those who fail to acquire these
skills are left with a sense of guilt, self-doubt and lack of
By initiating tasks, a child becomes more
initiative. independent.

 Psychosocial Stage 4 – School Age – Industry vs. Inferiority

 This stage covers the early school years from
approximately age 5 to 12.
 Through social interactions, children begin to develop a
sense of pride in their accomplishments and abilities.
 Children who are encouraged and commended by
parents and teachers develop a feeling of competence and
belief in their skills. Those who receive little or no
encouragement from parents, teachers, or peers will doubt
their ability to be successful.
The school serves a vital part in developing
students’ industry.
 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
School of Graduate Studies
Goa, Camarines Sur

 Psychosocial Stage 5 – Adolescence – Identity vs. Confusion

 During adolescence, children are exploring their
independence and developing a sense of self.
 Those who receive proper encouragement and
reinforcement through personal exploration will emerge
from this stage with a strong sense of self and a feeling of
independence and control. Those who remain unsure of
their beliefs and desires will insecure and confused about
themselves and the future. Forming relationships with friends is an important
event during this stage.

 Psychosocial Stage 6 – Young Adulthood – Intimacy vs. Isolation

 This stage covers the period of early adulthood when
people are exploring personal relationships.
 Erikson believed it was vital that people develop close,
committed relationships with other people. Those who
are successful at this step will develop relationships that
are committed and secure.
 Remember that each step builds on skills learned in
previous steps. Erikson believed that a strong sense of
personal identity was important to developing intimate Young adults develop intimate relationships.
relationships.
 Studies have demonstrated that those with a poor sense of self tend to have less committed
relationships and are more likely to suffer emotional isolation, loneliness and depression.

 Psychosocial Stage 7 – Adulthood – Generativity vs. Stagnation

 During adulthood, we continue to build our lives, focusing
on our career and family.
 Those who are successful during this phase will feel that
they are contributing to the world by being active in their
home and community. Those who fail to attain this skill
will feel unproductive and uninvolved in the world. Working and parenting are important events during this stage.

 Psychosocial Stage 8 – Old Age – Integrity vs. Despair

 This phase occurs during old age and is focused on
reflecting back on life.
 Those who are unsuccessful during this phase will feel
that their life has been wasted and will experience many
regrets. The individual will be left with feelings of
bitterness and despair.

Sense of fulfillment and reflection on entire life

are evident during this stage.
 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
School of Graduate Studies
Goa, Camarines Sur

 Those who feel proud of their accomplishments will feel a sense of integrity. Successfully
completing this phase means looking back with few regrets and a general feeling of
satisfaction. These individuals will attain wisdom, even when confronting death.

This figure below shows Erik Erikson’s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development

Source: Retrieved from, https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinning.com/originals/92/11/38/921138

For further understanding of the lesson, you may watch the YouTube video titled “8 Stages of
Development by Erik Erikson” published by Sprouts on April 23, 2017 by clicking this link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYCBdZLCDBQ&feature=share

References

- Erikson, E.H. (1968). Identity: Youth and Crisis. New York: Norton.
- Erikson, E.H. (1963). Childhood and Society. (2nd edition) New York: Norton
- Carver, C.S. & Scheir, M.F. (2000). Perspectives on Personality, pp. 78 – 82.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYCBdZLCDBQ&feature=share titled, “8 Stages by Erik
Erikson” published by Sprouts on April 23, 2017.

Prepared by:

MENARD JONAS B. MESOGA, LPT

Student, EDU 201