Erik Erikson’s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development

Erik Erikson¡¯s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development

Erik Erikson was a German-born American developmental psychologist and

psychoanalyst known for his theory on psychosocial development of human

beings. He may be most famous for coining the phrase ¡°identity crisis.¡± Although

Erikson lacked even a bachelor's degree, he served as a professor of prominent

institutions such as Harvard and Yale. He believed that every human being goes

through a certain number of stages to reach his or her full development,

theorizing eight stages that one goes through from birth to death.

Stage

Basic Conflict

Important

Events

Outcome

Infancy (birth to Trust vs.

18 months)

Mistrust

Feeding

Children develop a sense of trust when caregivers provide

reliability, care, and affection. A lack of this will lead to mistrust.

Early Childhood

(2 to 3 years)

Toilet Training Children need to develop a sense of personal control over physical

skills and a sense of independence. Success leads to feelings of

autonomy, failure results in feelings of shame and doubt.

Autonomy vs.

Shame and

Doubt

Preschool (3 to 5 Initiative vs.

years)

Guilt

Exploration

Children need to begin asserting control and power over the

environment. Success in this stage leads to a sense of purpose.

Children who try to exert too much power experience disapproval,

resulting in a sense of guilt.

School Age (6 to Industry vs.

11 years)

Inferiority

School

Children need to cope with new social and academic demands.

Success leads to a sense of competence, while failure results in

feelings of inferiority.

Adolescence (12 Identity vs. Role Social

to 18 years)

Confusion

Relationships

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.

Young

Intimacy vs.

Adulthood (19 to Isolation

40 years)

Young adults need to form intimate, loving relationships with other

people. Success leads to strong relationships, while failure results in

loneliness and isolation.

Relationships

Middle

Generativity vs. Work and

Adulthood (40 to Stagnation

Parenthood

65 years)

Adults need to create or nurture things that will outlast them, often

by having children or creating a positive change that benefits other

people. Success leads to feelings of usefulness and

accomplishment, while failure results in shallow involvement in the

world.

Maturity (65 to

death)

Older adults need to look back on life and feel a sense of fulfillment.

Success at this stage leads to feelings of wisdom, while failure

results in regret, bitterness, and despair.

Ego Integrity vs. Reflection on

Despair

Life

More About Stage Eight ¨C Ego Integrity vs. Despair

This stage affects the age group of 65 and up. During this time one has reached the last chapter in his or her life and

retirement is approaching or has already taken place. People who have achieved what was important to them look back

on their lives and feel great accomplishment and a sense of integrity. However, those who are unsuccessful in their

life¡¯s goals will feel that their life has been wasted and will experience many regrets. The individual will be left with

feelings of bitterness and despair over a life misspent.

Old for a Day

Today, you¡¯re going to put yourself in the mindset of someone nearing the end of his or her life. You will be completing

three assignments ¨C a bucket list, a final will and testament, and an epitaph. These will hopefully point toward a time of

integrity, not despair, in your future.

Bucket List: A list of things to do before you die; comes from the term "kicked the bucket" referring to death. Include

five things you want to do before you ride off into the sunset.

Epitaph: a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but

also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the

burial. An epitaph may be in poem or verse. Write it on the provided tombstone.

Examples of famous epitaphs

I am ready to meet my Maker.

Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.

¡ª Winston Churchill

To save your world you asked this man to die:

Would this man, could he see you now, ask why?

¡ª Epitaph for the Unknown Soldier, written by W. H. Auden

Final Will and Testament: Provides all of the essential details of who will inherit your property, when and how they will

inherit it, and who will be put in charge of settling your final affairs. The testament portion is a final statement to one¡¯s

family and friends ¨C a goodbye letter of sorts.

_______________¡¯s Bucket List

Before I die, I will¡­

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

My Epitaph

My Final Will and Testament

To ______________ I leave my favorite piece of property, my ____________________.

To________________ I leave all of the money in my possession.

To _____________________ I leave my pet.

To _________________ I leave my organs.

To _________________ I leave my house.

To __________________ I leave my car.

I am naming _________________ as the person who should execute this will. I have good faith that

they will fulfill all of my last requests to the best of their abilities.

To my loved ones, I would like to leave the following message:

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