Psychology / Unit 7: Development
7.5 Erikson's Psychosocial Stages
Notes
Erik Erikson proposed eight stages across the lifespan, each with a central conflict.
| Stage | Age | Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Infancy | Trust vs mistrust |
| 2 | Toddler | Autonomy vs shame and doubt |
| 3 | Preschool | Initiative vs guilt |
| 4 | School age | Industry vs inferiority |
| 5 | Adolescence | Identity vs role confusion |
| 6 | Young adulthood | Intimacy vs isolation |
| 7 | Middle adulthood | Generativity vs stagnation |
| 8 | Late adulthood | Integrity vs despair |
- Healthy resolution of each conflict builds a strength for the next stage.
- Example: a toddler who is allowed to choose clothes builds autonomy.
Practice
A 15-year-old explores different interests, groups and values to figure out who she is. According to Erikson, she is working on:
Adolescence centers on building an identity.
A baby whose caregivers respond reliably is most likely to develop:
The first stage is trust vs mistrust.
An elementary school child who is praised for completing projects develops a sense of:
Stage 4 is industry vs inferiority.
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