Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory of development proposes that people pass through eight stages of development from infancy to late adulthood. In each stage, individuals face a psychosocial crisis that helps shape their identity and personality. The stages involve developing trust, autonomy, initiative, industry, identity, intimacy, generativity, and integrity. Successful completion of each stage leads to healthy development and ability to transition to the next stage. Erikson's theory views development as occurring throughout the entire lifespan rather than just childhood.

1. PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORY
COMPREHENSIVE SUMMARY
“No man is an island” (Donne, 2020). Stands apart as the most perfect expression of an
individual’s position in relation to society.This famous line is an idiom taken from a 17th century
sermon by the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral. The Dean happened to be John Donne, a clergyman
who now, almost four hundred years later, is regarded as one of the greatest English poets. Which
means human beings are connected to each other, and how important that connection is for the
well-being and survival of any individual. This famous line could also explain Erick Erickson’s
psychosocial theory of human development. Erik Erikson was a psychologist who did most of his
work in the post-Freudian era, in the 1930s to the 1950s. He was a student of Freud, and was
greatly influenced by the latter's theories of personality development.
Erikson's theory posits that every human being passes through several distinct and
qualitatively different stages in life, from birth to death. According to him, the stages are universal,
and the ages at which one is said to have passed from one to another stage are also fairly
universal. For Erikson (1958, 1963), these crises are of a psychosocial nature because they
involve psychological needs of the individual (i.e., psycho) conflicting with the needs of society
(i.e., social).
Each stage in Erikson's theory builds on the preceding stages and paves the way for
following periods of development. In each stage, Erikson believed people experience
a conflict that serves as a turning point in development. If people successfully deal with the
conflict, they emerge from the stage with psychological strengths that will serve them well for the
rest of their lives. If they fail to deal effectively with these conflicts, they may not develop the
essential skills needed for a strong sense of self.
These are the eight (8) stages of his psychosocial theory. Stage 1. Trust Vs. Mistrust. This
occurs between birth and 1 year of age and is the most fundamental stage in life. Because an
infant is utterly dependent, developing trust is based on the dependability and quality of the child's
caregivers. At this point in development, the child is utterly dependent upon adult caregivers for
everything they need to survive including food, love, warmth, safety, and nurturing. If a caregiver
fails to provide adequate care and love, the child will come to feel that they cannot trust or depend
upon the adults in their life.
The outcome of first stage, if a child successfully develops trust, the child will feel safe and
secure in the world. Failure to develop trust will result in fear and a belief that the world is
inconsistent and unpredictable. No child is going to develop a sense of 100% trust or 100% doubt.
Erikson believed that successful development was all about striking a balance between the two
opposing sides. When this happens, children acquire hope, which Erikson described as an
openness to experience tempered by some wariness that danger may be present.

2. Stage 2. Autonomy Vs. Shame and Doubt. Autonomy versus shame and doubt is the
second stage of Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development. This stage occurs between
the ages of 18 months to approximately 3 years. According to Erikson, children at this stage are
focused on developing a sense of personal control over physical skills and a sense of
independence. The child is developing physically and becoming more mobile, and discovering
that he or she has many skills and abilities, such as putting on clothes and shoes, playing with
toys, etc.
As for parents to encourage a sense of control of their kids. Erikson states it is critical that
parents allow their children to explore the limits of their abilities within an encouraging environment
which is tolerant of failure. For example, rather than put on a child's clothes a supportive parent
should have the patience to allow the child to try until they succeed or ask for assistance. So, the
parents need to encourage the child to become more independent while at the same time
protecting the child so that constant failure is avoided. They must try not to do everything for the
child, but if the child fails at a particular task they must not criticize the child for failures and
accidents (particularly when toilet training). The aim has to be “self-control without a loss of self-
esteem” (Gross, 1992). Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of will. If children are criticized,
overly controlled, or not given the opportunity to assert themselves, they begin to feel inadequate
in their ability to survive, and may then become overly dependent upon others, lack self-esteem,
and feel a sense of shame or doubt in their abilities.
Stage 3. Initiative Vs. Guilt. Psychosocial development arises during the pre-school stage,
3-5 years old. Children begin to assert their power and control over the world through directing
play and other social interactions. Children who are successful at this stage feel capable and able
to lead others. Those who fail to acquire these skills are left with a sense of guilt, self-doubt, and
lack of initiative. These are particularly lively, rapid-developing years in a child’s life. According to
Bee (1992), it is a “time of vigor of action and of behaviors that the parents may see as
aggressive."
The child must be allowed room for the expression of imagination, such as playing with
various natural, simple materials, and role-playing. Some features of a kindergarten programme:
ready-made toys often inhibit this expression, as there is very little that can be done imaginatively
with most of them. Stories and songs that stimulate the imagination can be introduced. Real-life
activities like serving food, chopping vegetables or making chappatis, prepare children for
participation in the community around them. Child-directed activities where the child chooses her
activity and repeats it as often as she wants must be encouraged.
Stage 4. Industry Vs. Inferiority. The fourth psychosocial stage takes place during the early
school years from approximately ages 5 to 11. Children are at the stage where they will be
learning to read and write, to do sums, to do things on their own. Teachers begin to take an
important role in the child’s life as they teach the child specific skills. It is at this stage that the
child’s peer group will gain greater significance and will become a major source of the child’s self-

3. esteem. The child now feels the need to win approval by demonstrating specific competencies
that are valued by society and begin to develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments.
Children who are encouraged and commended by parents and teachers develop a feeling
of competence and belief in their skills. Those who receive little or no encouragement from
parents, teachers, or peers will doubt their abilities to be successful.
Stage 5. Identity Vs. Role Confusion. The fifth psychosocial stage takes place during the
often turbulent teenage years. This stage plays an essential role in developing a sense of personal
identity which will continue to influence behavior and development for the rest of a person's life.
Teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity. Success leads to an ability to stay
true to yourself, while failure leads to role confusion and a weak sense of self. It is during this
stage that the adolescent will re-examine his identity and try to find out exactly who he or she is.
Erikson suggests that two identities are involved: the sexual and the occupational.
According to Bee (1992), what should happen at the end of this stage is “a reintegrated
sense of self, of what one wants to do or be, and of one’s appropriate sex role”. During this stage
the body image of the adolescent changes. Erikson claims that the adolescent may feel
uncomfortable about their body for a while until they can adapt and “grow into” the changes.
Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of fidelity.
Stage 6. Intimacy Vs. Isolation. This stage takes place during young adulthood between
the ages of approximately 18 to 40 yrs. During this stage, the major conflict centers on forming
intimate, loving relationships with other people. During this stage, we begin to share ourselves
more intimately with others. We explore relationships leading toward longer-term commitments
with someone other than a family member.
Successful completion of this stage can result in happy relationships and a sense of
commitment, safety, and care within a relationship. Avoiding intimacy, fearing commitment and
relationships can lead to isolation, loneliness, and sometimes depression. Success in this stage
will lead to the virtue of love.
Stage 7. Generativity Vs. Stagnation. This stage takes place during during middle
adulthood (ages 40 to 65 yrs). We give back to society through raising our children, being
productive at work, and becoming involved in community activities and organizations. Through
generativity we develop a sense of being a part of the bigger picture. Success leads to feelings
of usefulness and accomplishment, while failure results in shallow involvement in the world. By
failing to find a way to contribute, we become stagnant and feel unproductive. These individuals
may feel disconnected or uninvolved with their community and with society as a whole. Success
in this stage will lead to the virtue of care.

4. Stage 8. Ego Integrity Vs. Despair. This stage begins at approximately age 65 and ends
at death. It is during this time that we contemplate our accomplishments and can develop integrity
if we see ourselves as leading a successful life. Individuals who reflect on their life and regret not
achieving their goals will experience feelings of bitterness and despair. As we grow older (65+
yrs) and become seniour citizens, we tend to slow down our productivity and explore life as a
retired person.
Erik Erikson believed if we see our lives as unproductive, feel guilt about our past, or feel
that we did not accomplish our life goals, we become dissatisfied with life and develop despair,
often leading to depression and hopelessness. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue
of wisdom. Wisdom enables a person to look back on their life with a sense of closure and
completeness, and also accept death without fear. Wise people are not characterized by a
continuous state of ego integrity, but they experience both ego integrity and despair.
Based on Erikson’s ideas, psychology has reconceptualized the way the later periods of
life are viewed. Middle and late adulthood are no longer viewed as irrelevant, because of Erikson,
they are now considered active and significant times of personal growth. Erikson’s theory has
good face validity. Many people find that they can relate to his theories about various stages of
the life cycle through their own experiences. Indeed, Erikson (1964) acknowledges his theory is
more a descriptive overview of human social and emotional development that does not
adequately explain how or why this development occurs. However, Erikson stressed his work was
a ‘tool to think with rather than a factual analysis.’ Its purpose then is to provide a framework within
which development can be considered rather than testable theory. One of the strengths of
Erikson's theory is its ability to tie together important psychosocial development across the entire
lifespan.
Prepared by:
VIGE Y. ALVARADO
Ph.D Student

5. References:
Bee, H. L. (1992). The developing child. London: HarperCollins.
Cherry, K. and Susman, D. (2022). Erikson's Stages of Development. A Closer Look at the
Eight Psychosocial Stages. https://www.verywellmind.com/erik-eriksons-stages-of-
psychosocial-development-2795740.
Donne, J. (2020). “No Man is an Island”. No Sweat Shakespeare.
https://nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/famous/no-man-is-an-island/
Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society. New York: Norton.
Erickson, E. H. (1958). Young man Luther: A study in psychoanalysis and history. New York:
Norton.
McLeod, S. A. (2018, May 03). Erik erikson's stages of psychosocial development. Simply
Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html
Journal of the Krishnamurti Schools (2022). Erik Erikson's Theory of Development: A Teacher's
Observations. http://www.journal.kfionline.org/issue-6/erik-eriksons-theory-of-
development-a-teachers-observations.
Online MSW Program (2022). Introduction to Psychosocial Development Theory in Social Work
Application of experiential learning in the context of science