Erikson's stages of psychosocial development describe the conflicts people face as they age and develop. There are 8 stages from infancy to late adulthood. The first stage is trust vs mistrust in infancy where babies develop trust if caregivers provide reliable care. In early childhood, autonomy vs shame and doubt is the conflict as kids learn independence in activities like toilet training. During preschool, initiative vs guilt emerges as kids begin to explore and assert themselves while risking disapproval.