Erik Erikson proposed 8 psychosocial stages of development across the lifespan. Each stage involves resolving a "crisis" between two opposing tendencies, with a positive resolution leading to the development of virtues. The stages include: (1) Trust vs. Mistrust in infancy, (2) Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt in early childhood, (3) Initiative vs. Guilt in preschool, (4) Industry vs. Inferiority in school age, (5) Identity vs. Role Confusion in adolescence, (6) Intimacy vs. Isolation in young adulthood, (7) Generativity vs. Stagnation in adulthood, and (8) Ego Integr

1. Erikson’s Psychosocial
Stages of Development
EDU105

2. Erik Erikson
Born Erik Salomonsen
German Developmental
Psychologist
June 15, 1902 (Frankfurt Main,
Germany) – May 12, 1994
(Harwich, Cape Cod,
Massachusetts)

3. Erik Salomonsen

4. INTRO TO THE 8
PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
Psychosocial – psychological (or the root,
“psycho” relating to the mind, brain,
personality, etc.) & social (external relationships
and environment)
Erikson’s theory was greatly influenced by
Sigmund Freud

5. INTRO TO THE 8
PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
His theory is a basis for broad or complex
discussion and analysis of personality and
behavior, and also for understanding and
facilitating development – of self and others.
Each stage involves a “psychosocial crisis” of two
opposing emotional forces

6. INTRO TO THE 8
PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
2 DISPOSITIONS:
*SYNTONIC – POSITIVE
*DYSTONIC – NEGATIVE
If both dispositions are not managed well, we may
develop MALADAPTATION & MALIGNANCY
VIRTUES are being carried if a stage is managed
well

7. BASIC TRUST VS
MISTRUST
Stage 1
Infancy
Too Much Trust Too Much Mistrust
Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy
Sensory Trust Vs. Mistrust Withdrawal
Maladjustmen
t
Virtue
Hope

8. BASIC TRUST VS
MISTRUST
INFANT STAGE: Birth to 8 months
GOAL: to develop trust without
completely eliminating the capacity
for mistrust
Developing trust is the first task of
the ego, and it is never complete.

9. BASIC TRUST VS
MISTRUST
TRUST – Firm belief in reliability,
truth, ability, or strength of someone
or something.
MISTRUST – State of being
suspicious; lack of trust

10. BASIC TRUST VS
MISTRUST
MALADAPTATION:
SENSORY MALADJUSTMENT –
Overly trusting
MALIGNANCY:
WITHDRAWAL – Characterized by
depression, paranoia & psychosis

11. BASIC TRUST VS
MISTRUST
VIRTUE:
HOPE – strong belief that when
things are not going well, they will
work out well in the end.

12. AUTONOMY VS SHAME
AND DOUBT
Stage 2
Early Childhood
Too Much Autonomy Too Much Shame and Doubt
Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy
Impulsiveness Autonomy Vs. Compulsiveness
Shame and Doubt
Virtue
Will

13. AUTONOMY VS SHAME
AND DOUBT
TODDLER STAGE: 18 months to 3
years
GOAL: to achieve autonomy
while minimizing shame and
doubt.

14. AUTONOMY VS SHAME
AND DOUBT
AUTONOMY – Independence
SHAME – A painful feeling of
humiliation or distress caused by
the consciousness of wrong or
foolish behavior.
DOUBT – Feeling of uncertainty or
lack of conviction

15. AUTONOMY VS SHAME
AND DOUBT
Shame develops with the child's
self-consciousness.
Doubt has to do with having a
front and back – a "behind"
subject to its own rules. Left over
doubt may become paranoia.

16. AUTONOMY VS SHAME
AND DOUBT
MALADAPTATION:
IMPULSIVENESS – Sort of
shameless willfulness that leads
you in later childhood and even
adulthood, to jump into things
without proper consideration of
your abilities.

17. AUTONOMY VS SHAME
AND DOUBT
MALIGNANCY:
COMPULSIVENESS – A person
feels as if their entire being
rides on everything they do,
and so everything, must be
done perfectly

18. AUTONOMY VS SHAME
AND DOUBT
VIRTUE:
WILL POWER – Controlling
deliberately exerted to do
something or to restrain one’s
own impulses.

19. INITIATIVE VS GUILT
Stage 3
Early Childhood
Too Much Initiative
Stage Too Much Guilt
Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy
Ruthlessness Initiative Vs. Guilt Inhibition
Virtue
Courage

20. INITIATIVE VS GUILT
Early childhood stage: Ages 3 or
4 to 5 or 6
GOAL: to learn initiative without
too much guilt.

21. INITIATIVE VS GUILT
INITIATIVE – a positive response
to the world’s challenges,
taking on responsibilities,
learning new skills, feeling
purposeful.
– the attempt to
make that non-reality a reality.

22. INITIATIVE VS GUILT
This stage is a time for play, not
for formal education.
OEDIPAL CRISIS – the reluctance a
child feels in relinquishing his/her
closeness to the opposite sex
parents.

23. INITIATIVE VS GUILT
RUTHLESNESS – to be heartless or
unfeeling or be “without mercy.”
INHIBITION – too much guilt.
COURAGE – the capacity for action
despite a clear understanding of
your limitations and past failings

24. INDUSTRY VS
INFERIORITY
Stage 4
School Age
Too Much Industry
Stage Too Much Inferiority
Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy
Narrow Industry Vs. Inertia
Virtuosity Inferiority
Virtue
Competency

25. INDUSTRY VS
INFERIORITY
6 – 12 years old
They must learn the feeling of
success, whether it is in school
or on the playground, academic,
or social.

26. INDUSTRY VS
INFERIORITY
INFERIORITY – Competence
Just a touch of inferiority
keeps us sensible and humble.

27. IDENTITY VS ROLE
CONFUSION
Stage 5
Adolescence
Too Much Identity Too Much Role Confusion
Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy
Fanaticism Identity Vs. Role Repudiation
Confusion
Virtue
Fidelity

28. IDENTITY VS ROLE
CONFUSION
Puberty to ages 18 0r 20
GOAL: to achieve EGO
IDENTITY and avoid ROLE
CONFUSION

29. IDENTITY VS ROLE
CONFUSION
EGO IDENTITY – knowing who
you are and how you fit in to
the rest of the society.
PSYCHOSOCIAL MORATORIUM
– taking a little “time out”

30. IDENTITY VS ROLE
CONFUSION
PSYCHOSOCIAL MORATORIUM
– one of Erikson’s suggestions
for adolescence in our society.
We need to dream a little.

31. IDENTITY VS ROLE
CONFUSION
A fanatic believes that his way
is the only way.
REPUDIATION – state of
rejection

32. INTIMACY VS
ISOLATION
Stage 6
Young Adulthood
Too Much Intimacy Too Much Isolation
Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy
Promiscuity Intimacy Vs. Exclusion
Isolation
Virtue
Love

33. INTIMACY VS
ISOLATION
Young Adulthood: 18 to 30 years
old
GOAL: to achieve some degree
of intimacy, as opposed
remaining in isolation.

34. INTIMACY VS
ISOLATION
INTIMACY – ability to be close to
others, as a lover, a friend, and
as a particular participant in
society.
“Fear of commitment” – an
example of immaturity

35. INTIMACY VS
ISOLATION
MALADAPTATION:
PROMISCUITY – The tendency to
become intimate too freely, too
easy, and without any depth to
your intimacy.

36. INTIMACY VS
ISOLATION
MALIGNANCY:
EXCLUSION – The tendency to
isolate oneself from love,
friendship and community, and to
develop a certain hatefulness in
compensation for one’s
loneliness.

37. INTIMACY VS
ISOLATION
VIRTUE:
LOVE – Being able to put aside
differences and antagonisms
through “mutuality of
devotion.”

38. GENERATIVITY VS
STAGNATION
Stage 7
Middle
Adulthood Too Much Stagnation
Too Much Generativity
Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy
Overextension Generativity Vs. Rejectivity
Stagnation
Virtue
Caring

39. GENERATIVITY VS
STAGNATION
Middle Adulthood – the time
when we are actively involved in
raising children.
GOAL: to cultivate the proper
balance of generativity and
stagnation.

40. GENERATIVITY VS
STAGNATION
GENERATIVITY – an extension of
love into the future.
STAGNATION – self absorption,
caring for no one.

41. GENERATIVITY VS
STAGNATION
The stagnant person STOPS
to be a reproductive
member of the society.

42. GENERATIVITY VS
STAGNATION
MALADAPTATION:
OVEREXTENSION – Some
people try to be generative that
they no longer allow time for
themselves, for rest and
relaxation.

43. GENERATIVITY VS
STAGNATION
MALIGNANCY:
REJECTIVITY – Too little
generativity and too much
stagnation and you are no
longer participating in or
contributing to society.

44. EGO INTEGRITY VS
DESPAIR
Stage 8
Late Adulthood
Too Much Ego Integrity Too Much Despair
Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy
Presumption Ego Integrity Vs. Disdain
Despair
Virtue
Wisdom

45. EGO INTEGRITY VS
DESPAIR
EGO INTEGRITY – Coming to
terms with your life, and thereby
coming to terms with the end of
life.
DESPAIR – The complete loss or
absence of hope.

46. EGO INTEGRITY VS
DESPAIR
Late adulthood/Maturity/Old age
Begins sometime around
retirement, around 60
GOAL: to develop ego integrity
with a minimal amount of
despair.

47. EGO INTEGRITY VS
DESPAIR
Women go through
sometimes dramatic
menopause; Men often find
they can no longer “rise to the
occasion.”

48. EGO INTEGRITY VS
DESPAIR
Older people become
depressed, spiteful,
paranoid, hypochondriacal,
or developing the patterns
of senility with or without
physical bases.

49. EGO INTEGRITY VS
DESPAIR
MALADAPTATION:
PRESUMPTION – Happens when
a person “presumes” ego
integrity without actually facing
the difficulties of old age.

50. EGO INTEGRITY VS
DESPAIR
MALIGNANCY:
DISDAIN – A contempt of
life, one’s own, or anyone.

51. EGO INTEGRITY VS
DESPAIR
VIRTUE:
WISDOM – Someone who
approaches death without
fear.

52. “It is human to have a long childhood;
it is civilized to have an even longer
childhood. Long childhood makes a
technical and mental virtuoso out of
man, but it also leaves a life-long
residue of emotional immaturity in
him.”
— Erik Homburger Erikson (1902-1994)

53. Well-prepared by:
SAN JOSE, AARON FLORES
BAUTISTA Y CERVANTES
PULIDO, CHARMAINE JOAN
SEDANTO
CAPILI, COLEEN GOMEZ