Erik Erikson proposed an 8 stage theory of psychosocial development across the lifespan. Each stage is characterized by a psychosocial crisis between two opposing outcomes. Successful resolution of earlier crises helps develop virtues that aid in resolving later crises. The stages involve developing trust, autonomy, initiative, competence, identity, intimacy, generativity, and integrity. Unresolved issues can persist into future stages and developing ego strengths at each stage influences identity and personality.

1. Erikson’s 8 Ages of Man
(Psychosocial Theory)
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2. Erikson’s 8 Ages of Man (Psychosocial Theory)
Otherwise known as:
• Erik Erikson and Lifespan Theory
(Psychosocial Theory)
• The 8 ages of development (the 8 ages of
man)
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3. Erikson’s 8 Ages of Man (Psychosocial Theory)
• Erik Erikson (1902-1979) was one of the
writers who developed the psycho-dynamic
approach.
• He received psychoanalytic training from
Freud’s daughter Anna.
• Unlike Freud (who believed that psychological
development was fixed by the end of
adolescence), Erikson suggested that
development is a lifelong process.
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4. Erikson’s 8 Ages of Man (Psychosocial Theory)
• We encounter new situations at each stage of
our life
• We have to work out how to respond to them
in order to achieve psychological balance and
health.
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5. Erikson’s 8 Ages of Man (Psychosocial Theory)
• The unsuccessful resolution of earlier stages
could produce lasting consequences:
• It would leave unsettled conflicts remaining
to interfere with current psychological
development
• The conflicts are to do with the individual’s
relationship with others – hence the name
psycho-social.
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6. Erikson’s 8 Ages of Man (Psychosocial Theory)
• Social factors have a lot of influence on the
way we behave and develop.
• We are influenced by our parents, in our
community by our friends, and at school by
our teachers.
• Consequently, we gather information that will
affect our behaviour.
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7. Erikson’s 8 Ages of Man (Psychosocial Theory)
Erikson’s theory is known as the eight
ages of development (eight ages of
man) as:
• he defines eight major life crises which he
says are
• significant in terms of individual growth and
development.
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8. Erikson’s 8 Ages of Man (Psychosocial Theory)
• During each stage, there is a life crisis which
we need to work through.
• There are two outcomes, one positive and one
negative, which will have implications for the
development of our identity.
• We will develop a mixture of both outcomes
from each stage, but if the positive outweighs
the negative, then an ego strength will emerge.
• This means we will have a stronger sense of who
we are.
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9. The 8 Ages of Development (8 Ages of Man)
STAGE AGE CONFLICT EMERGING
STRENGTHS
Infancy Birth – 1 year Trust versus
Mistrust
HOPE
Toddlerhood 1 – 3 Autonomy versus
Shame & Doubt
WILL
Pre-school Age 4 – 5 Initiative versus
Guilt
PURPOSE
School Age 6 – 11 Industry versus
Inferiority
COMPETENCE
Adolescence 12 – 20 Identity versus Role
Confusion
IDENTITY
Young Adulthood 20 – 24 Intimacy versus
Isolation
LOVE
Adulthood 25 – 64 Generativity versus
Stagnation
CARE
Maturity 65 - death Ego Integrity versus
Despair
WISDOM
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10. Erikson’s 8 Ages of Man (Psychosocial Theory)
• Stages 1 – 4 correspond roughly to the
Freudian stages, up to puberty
• Stage 5 encompasses late adolescence/early
adulthood
• Stage 6 is the so called “prime of life”
• Stage 7 corresponds to middle age
• Stage 8 corresponds to old age
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11. Stage 1: Trust v Mistrust (Infancy)
• This is the time when children are most
helpless and therefore dependent on adults.
• It is the quality of the caregiver relationship
that is the foundation for later trust in
others.
• If caregivers are inconsistent or rejecting a
feeling of mistrust will develop.
• If care is loving and consistent, infants will
not be unduly anxious.
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12. Stage 1: Trust v Mistrust (Infancy)
• The crisis is over when the child develops
more trust than mistrust.
• However, it could be dangerous for a child to
be too trusting: a little bit of mistrust is
healthy.
• The trusting child is willing to take risks and
will not be overwhelmed by disappointments.
• The virtue of hope develops.
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13. Stage 2: Autonomy v Shame
(Toddlerhood)
• Control of behaviour is gained. Skills include
walking, talking, climbing, and becoming ‘toilet
trained’.
• The caregiver has to guide the child’s
behaviour into socially acceptable directions
without damaging the child’s sense of
autonomy.
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14. Stage 2: Autonomy v Shame
(Toddlerhood)
• Over protection or strict control will produce
shame and self doubt.
• The development of a sense of autonomy will
allow the virtue of will to develop.
• This refers to the ability to exercise free
choice as well as self-restraint.
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15. Stage 3: Initiative v Guilt
(Pre-school age)
• The child becomes capable of more detailed
motor activity
• Language skills improve, imagination develops.
• These skills allow the child to initiate ideas
and actions and to plan future events.
• The child begins to explore what kind of
person they can become. They enjoy role-play
and test limits to find what is permissible and
what is not.
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16. Stage 3: Initiative v Guilt
(Pre-school age)
• Initiative is the result of encouragement
• Guilt stems from being ridiculed and feeling
inadequate.
• Developing a sense of initiative allows the
child to find purpose in life.
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17. Stage 4: Industry v Inferiority (School
age)
• Social skills enable them to co-operate with
others and peers and teachers are important
in the development of self-worth.
• Children become familiar with tasks and the
satisfaction of task completion.
• This develops a sense of industry that
prepares children to take up a productive
place in society.
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18. Stage 4: Industry v Inferiority (School
age)
• If this doesn’t develop there is a sense of
inferiority/a loss of confidence in their own
ability.
• If the sense of industry is stronger than the
sense of inferiority then the virtue of
competence is developed.
• If the sense of industry is too strong; there
is a danger that work becomes overvalued and
too much importance is placed on work at the
expense of other attributes
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19. Stage 5: Identity v Role Confusion
(Adolescence)
• This stage represents the transition between
childhood and adulthood.
• During this stage there is a search for an
identity.
• Children consider all the information they
have about themselves and their society and
they commit themselves to a strategy for
life. When this is achieved they have gained
an identity and become adults.
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20. Stage 5: Identity v Role Confusion
(Adolescence)
• Gaining a sense of self or personal identity
marks a satisfactory end to this stage of
development.
• Role confusion results from a lack of identity.
An inability to choose a role in life
• Some take on a negative identity from the
undesirable or most dangerous roles they
have been presented with.
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21. Stage 6:Intimacy v Isolation (Young
Adulthood)
• Freud once defined a healthy person as one
who loves and works.
• Erikson agrees and says that only those who
have developed a secure identity can risk
entering into a love relationship with another.
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22. Stage 6:Intimacy v Isolation (Young
Adulthood)
• The young adult is ready to commit to
partnership and those with a strong identity
look for intimate relationships with others.
• Those who do not develop a capacity for work
and intimacy withdraw into themselves and
develop a feeling of isolation
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23. Stage 7: Generativity v Stagnation
(Adulthood)
• The person who has encountered the right
circumstances to develop a positive identity,
be productive and develop satisfying
relationships will attempt to pass on the
circumstances that caused these things to
the next generation.
• Interacting with children, or producing or
creating things to enhance the lives of others
can do this.
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24. Stage 7: Generativity v Stagnation
(Adulthood)
• They develop the virtue of care.
• Those who are unable to invest something of
their own selves in others are socially
impoverished and stagnation results.
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25. Stage 8:Ego-Integrity v Despair
(Maturity)
• The person who can look back on a happy and fulfilling
life does not fear death.
• There is a discovery of order and meaning in life and
an acceptance of what has been.
• This stage brings a feeling of completion.
• Those who look back with frustration experience
despair, knowing that it is too late to start again.
• Wisdom is the result of ego integrity.
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26. Summary
• We move through the stages as we grow
older, but we may carry unresolved issues
from earlier stages.
• We may be able to work through these
conflicts during experiences later in life, but
it is more difficult to do this.
• Although we have developed a strong sense of
identity in Stage 5 (adolescence),
circumstances later in life may well challenge
this.
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27. Summary (continued)
• How we deal with problems/situations later in
life will depend on the ego strengths we have
built up in our earlier stages.
• So, the outcome of every stage has
implications for the development of our
identity and personality.
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