Here are definitions for some of the key terms from Erikson's psychosocial theory of development: - Psychosocial - Relating to the interrelation between psychological/emotional development and social environment/relationships. - Developmental crisis - Specific conflicts or stages that people experience at critical ages, the resolution of which prepares them for the next stage. - Trust vs. mistrust - The first stage, occurring in infancy, where children learn whether the world is generally a safe and supportive place. - Autonomy vs. shame/doubt - The second stage in early childhood where children begin asserting independence in activities like toilet training. - Initiative vs. guilt - The third stage in preschool years,

1. Erikson’s Psychosocial theory
 Psychosocial is a description of the
relation between an individual’s emotional
needs and the social environment around
him or her.
 According to this theory, at critical ages,
people experience developmental crises,
specific conflicts whose resolution
prepares the way for the next stage.

2. Erikson’s Psychosocial theory
Person
First conflict: trust vs. mistrust. A baby
in a supportive environment (where
Environment parents are dependable and responsive
to the child), learns to trust people. A
baby in a chaotic, non-supportive
environment learns that people cannot
be trusted.
The baby learns this lesson because
babies must depend on other people to
survive. At no other time in our lives are
we normally so dependent. This is why
we learn this lesson at this stage of life.
What we learn about trust at this early
age influences how we deal with people
for much of the rest of our lives.

3. Erikson’s Psychosocial theory
Person
Adolescents deal with “identity vs. role
confusion.” At this point in their lives,
Environment adolescents have developed many of
the cognitive skills they will use as
adults and their bodies have become
adult. Thus, they need to learn “who
they are” in the world. Their
environment (parents, teachers, etc.)
can be supportive of this process or
restrictive in some significant way.
Adolescents who successfully resolve
this conflict develop a strong sense of
self. Adolescents who don’t will struggle
with their identity for many years.

4. Erikson’s Theory of Personal
Development
Life events
Born: Ages 1-3 Ages 3-6
helpless & Learn basic self Beginning to learn
dependent on care, including about the world and
others for toilet training how to operate in it.
survival
Trust vs. Mistrust Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt Initiative vs. Guilt
Caregivers help Children’s mistakes in learning to Explorations are
(trust) or they don’t care for self are either considered either supported by
(mistrust) normal or they are excessively caregivers or
punished thwarted.
Erikson stages
Initiative is willingness to begin
Autonomy means independence.
new activities and explore new
ideas.

5. Erikson’s Theory of Personal
Development, continued
Life events
Ages 6-12 Ages 12-18 Young adulthood
Begins school, Adolescence, Chooses
develops academically puberty, beginning permanent
and intellectually to become adult relationships
Industry vs. Inferiority Identity vs. Confusion Intimacy vs. Isolation
Learns how to work and Develops own identity Chooses to be in
succeed academically separate from family or significant relationships
or else does not learn else fails to do this. or else may not be
these skills emotionally able to
sustain intimate
relationships
Erikson stages
Industry is eagerness to engage in productive work.

6. Erikson’s Theory of Personal
Development, continued
Life events
Middle adulthood Old age
Working (either on a Facing death,
job or at home raising assessing
children) one’s life
Generativity vs. Integrity vs. Despair
Stagnation Feels as if life has
Feels like one’s work been well-lived—or not
is a contribution or
not
Erikson stages
Generativity: sense of concern for future generations
Integrity: sense of self-acceptance and fulfillment

7. Remembering Erikson’s stages
 Remember the positive term and something about the age.
Then connect the negative term.
 Baby, TRUST (when kids are born they have to trust that others will
care for them) opposite is MISTRUST
 Toddler, AUTONOMY (toddlers are working at becoming independent.
When they are scolded in potty training, they feel SHAME & DOUBT)
 Preschooler, INITIATIVE (preschoolers want to learn about the world.
When they are held back, they feel GUILT).
 Elementary, INDUSTRY (kids learn how to work at school or else they
feel INFERIORITY)
 Teens, IDENTITY (teens develop own identity or else confusion—
IDENTITY CONFUSION)
 Twenties, INTIMACY (young adults choose relationships or become
ISOLATED)
 Mid life, GENERATIVITY (middle adults feel their life work is
worthwhile or feel STAGNATED)
 Old age, INTEGRITY (can be peaceful about death because life was
well lived or else DESPAIR)

8. This is the evidence you will see in a person’s life for how they resolved each of these
stages.
Resolutions to Erikson’s stages
 Positive  Negative
 Trust vs. Mistrust: trust in  Trust vs. Mistrust: see the
themselves and others. world as inconsistent and
Relaxed positive attitude. threatening. See life as not
predictable, and view good
things as temporary.
 Autonomy vs. shame and  Autonomy vs. shame and
doubt: good sense and doubt: fear being exposed as
command of their will power. inadequate. Attempt to hide
Feel free to be themselves. their feelings of
powerlessness.
 Initiative vs. guilt: believe they  Initiative vs. guilt: fear of being
know how the world works. inadequate and of making
Clear sense of what they want mistakes. Self-restrictive and
in life. sometimes overconscientious.
Continued, next slide

9. Resolutions to Erikson’s stages
 Positive  Negative
 Industry vs. inferiority: relish  Industry vs. inferiority: feel
achievement and like to tackle inadequate, incapable, and
challenging tasks. estranged. Lack ambition.
 Identity vs. confusion: know  Identity vs. confusion: see
who they are, what their goals conflict in who they are and
are, and where they’re going. what they would like to be.
 Intimacy vs. isolation: commit  Intimacy vs. isolation: self-
to partnerships and have the absorbed. Identity is too
ethics to abide by the fragile to maintain the
commitments to friends and uncertainties of intimacy.
significant others.
Continued, next slide
How can you, as a teacher, help students to
resolve these conflicts positively?

10. Resolutions to Erikson’s stages
 Positive  Negative
 Generativity vs.  Generativity vs.
stagnation: concern for stagnation: lack long-
creation of better world. term goals and
Focus on service to commitments. Live for
others. short-term gratification.
 Integrity vs. despair: feel  Integrity vs. despair: view
their lives have meaning life as filled with missed
and significance opportunities
What should a person do when a conflict has been resolved negatively? This is where
exploring the past through journaling and talking with a trusted person (friend, counselor,
pastor, etc.) can help a whole lot. When we have information about our past and its
effects, we can make decisions so that it no longer has as much influence on us.

11. Comparing Erikson & Piaget
Piaget Erikson
Mechanism for Drive for equilibrium Crises at critical ages (when a person’s
growth (assimilation & accommodation) social & emotional tasks change)
Brain development
Focus of theory Cognitive Development Emotional Development
Infancy Sensorimotor Trust vs. Mistrust
Toddler Preoperational Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt (this
stage begins a little earlier than
preoperational)
Pre-school Preoperational Initiative vs. Guilt
Elementary school Concrete Operational Industry vs. Inferiority
Adolescence Formal Operations Identity vs. Confusion
Young Adulthood Formal Operations Intimacy vs. Isolation
Middle Adulthood Formal Operations Generativity vs. Stagnation
Elderly Formal Operations Integrity vs. Despair

12. Erikson in the classroom
 Be aware of the stage(s) your students are in.
 Offer opportunities to engage with aspects of
that stage. Pre-schoolers need support for
taking initiative. Elementary students need
support for learning how to work effectively.
Adolescents need opportunities to explore their
own identities.
 Scaffold the opportunities you offer so students
can experience success. For example, if a child
has a hard time working independently for an
hour, cut back on the time until the child can
succeed and then start extending the time.

13. Erikson in the classroom
 Encourage initiative in pre-school students.
Give them choices, provide opportunities and
support for them to succeed, and help them
learn how to deal with their mistakes in a
positive way.
 Encourage industry with elementary and middle
school students. Help them to work
independently by giving them short assignments
and then longer ones. Give them opportunities
to demonstrate and use their sense of
responsibility. Provide extra support for students
who seem to be struggling with this.

14. Vocabulary
Punish-
Autono-
Identity ment- Social
mous Crisis
achievement obedience conventions
morality
stage
Develop- Social
Anorexia Moral Parenting Racial and
mental Identity Integrity develop-
nervosa realism styles ethnic pride
crisis ment
Personal Social
Distributive Identity Moral Relational
Autonomy justice
Internalization develop- problem
diffusion reasoning aggression
ment solving
Inter-
Bioecological Identity personal Morality of Perspective Theory
Empathy Self-concept
model foreclosure harmony cooperation taking of mind
stage
Law and Universal
Blended External Proactive
Industry order Moratorium Self-esteem principles
families morality aggression
stage stage
Market
Bulimia Generativity Initiative exchange Nigrescence Psychosocial Self-worth
stage
Collective Social
Hostile Instrumental Moral Overt
self- Puberty contract
aggression aggression dilemma aggression
esteem stage