Erik Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development outline how personality evolves through a series of social crises from infancy to old age, beginning with trust versus mistrust and culminating in ego integrity versus despair. Each stage builds upon the previous one, affecting individuals' sense of self and interactions with others, while emphasizing the resolution of conflicts to foster healthy development. This framework highlights the importance of social relationships and personal achievements throughout the lifespan.

1. Erikson’s
Eight Stages
of
Psychosocial
DevelopmentPresentation by Renee Illerbrun,
Heather Kleinsmith, Kevin
McMullen, and Ann Pallifrone

2. Erik Erikson
and his psychosocial stages
 Ideas influenced by Freud’s work
with personalities
 Ego psychologist
 Believed the ego develops as it
successfully resolves social crises
 Maintained that personality
develops in a predetermined
order and each stage completed
builds upon the previous stage
 Interested in how children
socialize and how that affects
their sense of self

3. Eight Stages
of Psychosocial Development

5. Stage One:
Trust vs. Mistrust
Can I trust the people around me?
The most important period in a person’s life
Infancy

6. Trust
• Stability
• Consistency
• Building blocks that are necessary to
construct the trust for success in life
• Virtue of hope

7. Mistrust
• Failing to complete the stage of virtue
of hope
• Increased/heightened sense of fear
• Anxiety
• General feeling of mistrust in the world
around them

8. Stage Two:
Autonomy vs. Shame and
Doubt
Can I do things myself or am I reliant on
the help of others?
Children at this stage are focused on
developing a greater sense of self-control.
Early Childhood

9. Autonomy
• Ages of 1-3 years old
• Independence
• Self-confidence
• Positive or negative

10. Shame and Doubt
• Positive reassurance
• Over protective
• Feeling shameful
• Learn doubt
• Toilet training
“Erikson believes that
children who
experience too much
doubt at this stage will
lack confidence in their
powers later in life”
(Woolfolk, 1987).

11. Stage Three:
Initiative vs. Guilt
Am I good or bad?
Children begin to assert their power and
control over the world through social
interaction.
Preschool

12. The Facts
Initiative vs. Guilt
• Play age (years 3-5)
• Child develops fundamental understanding of morals
and values
• Gain self-esteem and learn to cooperate with peers
• Sense of power and control of environment
• Positive outcome of this stage is self-purpose and
worth

13. Stage Four:
Industry vs. Inferiority
How can I be good?
Children begin to develop a sense of pride in
their accomplishments and abilities.
School Age

14. The Facts
Industry vs. Inferiority
• School age (years 5-12)
• Main goal of this stage is the individual’s ability to
rely on themselves
• Child will learn about
• Friendship
• Self-Evaluation
• Teamwork
Provides a sense of competence and capability in
terms of educational achievement.

15. Stage Five:
Identity vs. Role Confusion
Who am I? Who can I be?
Children are exploring their independence
and sense of self.
Adolescence

16. The Facts
Identity vs. Role Confusion
• Ages 13-19 years old (adolescence)
• Fidelity is the main virtue
• Development of social relationships is important
• Concerned with appearances
• Sense of sexual identity
• Figuring out future roles in the adult world
• Risk of “identity crisis”

17. Stage Six:
Intimacy vs. Isolation
Will I be loved or will I be alone?
The major conflict centers on forming
intimate, loving relationships with other
people.
Young Adulthood

18. The Facts
Intimacy vs. Isolation
• Ages 18-40
• Newfound identity and meaningfulness
• Developing intimacy and willingness to
express feelings and share experiences

19. Possible Outcomes
Intimacy vs. Isolation
Failure to Establish Intimacy Results in:
1. Loneliness
2. Feeling or being uncared for
Success in Establishing Intimacy Results in:
1. Close intimate friendships
2. Feeling secure in relationships
What is the importance in understanding
this stage?

20. Stage Seven:
Generativity vs. Self-
Absorption (Stagnation)
How can I contribute to the world?
Adults strive to create or nurture things that
will outlast them.
Middle Adulthood

21. The Facts
Generativity vs. Self-Absorption
- Ages 40-65
- Goes further into looking beyond and toward the future
- Establishing family and productivity in the community
- If they do not feel productive or that they have
accomplished their goals, they feel like they are losing the
meaning of life
- mid-life crisis
Why is this important to understand?

22. Stage Eight:
Ego Integrity vs. Despair
Did I live a meaningful life?
People reflect on the life they have lived and
come away with either a sense of fulfillment or
a sense of regret.
Maturity

23. The Facts
Ego Integrity vs. Despair
• Age 65 until death
• Wisdom is the main virtue
• Retrospection (the final developmental task)
• Can occur out of sequence
ex. Terminal disease diagnosis

24. Possible Outcomes
Ego Integrity vs. Despair
Seeing Your Life as Productive/Successful:
- Contemplate accomplishments
- Develop integrity
Seeing Your Life as Unproductive/Unsuccessful:
- Dissatisfied with life
- Develop despair
- Can lead to depression/hopelessness

25. So, how is this theory
relevant to us and what
we’ve studied in class?
and
How does this theory help
us to better understand
ourselves?