Erik Erikson proposed eight stages of psychosocial development across the human lifespan. Each stage presents a developmental crisis centered around trust, autonomy, initiative, industry, identity, intimacy, generativity, and integrity. Successful resolution of earlier crises helps individuals develop virtues like hope, will, purpose, competence, fidelity, love, care and wisdom to progress through life. Failure to resolve crises can lead to weaknesses like sensory distortion, compulsion, inhibition, inferiority, identity confusion, isolation, stagnation and despair. Erikson's theory emphasizes the importance of social experiences and relationships in psychological development.

1. THE THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT AND
THE EGO
By Erik Erikson

2. ERIKSON’S PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY
 The developmental changes throughout the human
life span.
 Eight stages of human development.
 Each stage consists of a unique developmental
task that confronts individuals with a crisis, which is
a turning point of increased vulnerability and
enhanced potential that must be resolved.

3. Erikson’s Stages Developmental Period
Trust vs. Mistrust Infancy (first year)
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt Toddler (2 to 3 years)
Initiative vs. Guilt Preschool (3 to 5 years)
Industry vs. Inferiority School age (elementary school
years, 6 years to puberty)
Identity vs. Identity Confusion Adolescence (10 to 20 years)
Intimacy vs. Isolation Early adulthood (20s, 30s)
Generativity vs. Stagnation Middle adulthood (40s, 50s)
Integrity vs. Despair Late adulthood (60s onward)

4. TRUST VS. MISTRUST
 Erikson’s first psychological stage
 experienced in the first year
 a sense of trust requires a feeling of physical comfort and a
minimal amount of fear and apprehension about the future.
 Trust in infancy sets the stage of a lifelong expectation that
the world will be a good and pleasant place to live.
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5. TRUST VS. MISTRUST CONT.
Life stage Infancy
Relationship Mother
Issues feeding and being comforted, teething, sleeping
Basic virtue and
second named
strength
Hope and Drive
Maladaptation Sensory Distortion
Malignancy Withdrawal
© Rick Gomez/CORBIS
© H. Armstrong/GETTY IMAGES

6. AUTONOMY VS. SHAME AND DOUBT
 Erikson’s second psychological stage
 occurs in late infancy and toddlerhood (1 to 3 years)
 infants begin to discover that their behavior is their own.
 start to assert their sense of independences, or autonomy.
 realizing their will.
 If infants are restrained too much or punished too harshly, they are
likely to develop a sense of shame and doubt.

7. AUTONOMY VS SHAME AND DOUBT CONT.
Life Stage Toddler
Relationship Parents
Issues Bodily functions, toilet training, muscular control,
walking
Basic virtue
and second
named strength
Willpower and Self-Control
Maladaption Impulsivity
Malignancy Compulsion
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8. INITIATIVE VS. GUILT
 Erikson’s third stage of development
 Preschool years
 As preschool children encounter a widening social world, they are
challenged more than they were infants.
 Children are asked to assume responsibility for their bodies,
behaviors, toys, and pets.
 Developing a sense of responsibility increases initiative.
 Uncomfortable guilt feelings may arise if the child is irresponsible
 Erikson believes that most guilt is quickly compensated for by a
sense of accomplishment.

9. INITIATIVE VS. GUILT CONT.
Life Stage Preschool
Relationship Family
Issues Exploration and discovery,
adventure and play
Basic virtue
and second
named strength
Purpose and Direction
Maladaption Ruthlessness
Malignancy Inhibition © CSIU

10. INDUSTRY VS. INFERIORITY
 Erikson’s fourth developmental stage
 Occurs approximately in the elementary years
 Children’s initiative brings them in contact with a wealth of new
experiences.
 As they move into middle and late childhood, they direct their energy
toward mastering knowledge and intellectual skills.
 Children then become more enthusiastic about learning than at the
end of early childhood’s period of expansive imagination.
 Children can also develop a sense of inferiority, which they would
feel incompetent and unproductive.

11. INDUSTRY VS. INFERIORITY CONT.
Life Stage School age
Relationship School, teachers, friends, neighborhood
Issues Achievement and accomplishment
Basic virtue
and second named
strength
Competence and Method
Maladaption Narrow Virtuosity
Malignancy Inertia
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12. IDENTITY VS. IDENTITY CONFUSION
 Erikson’s fifth developmental stage
 Individual experience during the adolescent years.
 Faced with finding out who they are, what they are all about, and
where they are going in life.
 confronted with many new roles and adult statuses – vocational and
romantic, for example.
 Parents need to allow adolescents to explore many different roles
and different paths within a particular role.
• If the adolescent explores such roles in a healthy manner and arrives at a
positive path to follow in life, then a positive identity will be achieved.
• If an identity is pushed on the adolescent by parents, if the adolescent
does not adequately explore many roles, and if a positive future path is not
defined, then identity confusion reign.

13. IDENTITY VS. IDENTITY CONFUSION CONT.
Life Stage Adolescence
Relationship Peers, groups, influences
Issues Resolving identity and direction,
becoming a grown-up
Basic virtue
and second
named
strength
Fidelity and Devotion
Maladaption Fanaticism
Malignancy Repudiation © GETTY IMAGES

14. INTIMACY VS. ISOLATION
 Erikson’s sixth developmental stage
 Individuals experience during the early adulthood years
 Face the developmental task of forming intimate relationship with
others
 Erikson describes intimacy as finding oneself yet losing oneself in
another
 For example, if the young adult forms healthy friendships and an
intimate relationship with another individual, intimate will be
achieved; if not, isolation will result.

15. INTIMACY VS. ISOLATION CONT.
Life Stage Early adulthood
Relationship Lovers, friends, work connections
Issues Intimate relationships,
works and social life
Basic virtue
and second
named
strength
Love and Affiliation
Maladaption Pomiscuity
Malignancy Exclusivity
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16. GENERATIVITY VS. STAGNATION
 Erikson’s seventh developmental stage
 Individuals experience during middle adulthood
 A chief concern is to assist the younger generation
in developing and leading useful lives – this is what
Erikson means by generativity.
 The feeling of done nothing to the next generation
is stagnation.

17. GENERATIVITY VS. STAGNATION CONT.
Life Stage Middle adulthood
Relationship Children, community
Issues ‘giving back’, helping, contributing
Basic virtue
and second
named
strength
Care and Production
Maladaption Overextension
Malignancy Rejectivity
© Annie Lennox / HIV FOUNDATION
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18. INTEGRITY VS. DESPAIR
 Erikson’s eighth and final developmental stage
 Individuals experience in late adulthood
 During this stage, a person reflects on the past and either pieces
together a positive review or concludes that life has not been spent
well.
 For example, the older person may have developed a positive
outlook in most or all of the previous stages of development. If so,
the retrospective glances will reveal a picture of a life well spent, and
the person will feel a sense of satisfaction – integrity will be
achieved. If the older adult resolved many of the earlier stages
negatively, the retrospective glances likely will yield doubt or gloom –
the despair Erikson described.

19. INTEGRITY VS. DESPAIR CONT.
Life Stage Late adulthood
Relationship Society, the world, life
Issues Meaning and purpose, life achievements
Basic virtue
and second
named
strength
Wisdom and Renunciation
Maladaption Presumption
Malignancy Disdain
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20. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Santrock, John W.. "Images of Life-Span Development". Life-Span Development. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 2006.
"Erikson's Psychosocial Development Theory". Businessballs. 02 December 2009
<http://www.businessballs.com/erik_erikson_psychosocial_theory.htm>.
"Erikson's Psychosocial Stages Summary Chart". About. 04 December 2009
<http://psychology.about.com/library/bl_psychosocial_summary.htm>.