Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development
Table of Contents
- 1. The First Stage - Trust vs. Mistrust
- 2. The Second Stage: Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt
- 3. The Third Stage: Initiative vs. Guilt
- 4. The Fourth Stage: Industry vs. Inferiority
- 5. The Fifth Stage: Identity vs. Role Confusion
- 6. The Sixth Stage: Intimacy vs Isolation
- 7. The Seventh Stage: Generativity vs. Stagnation
- 8. The Eighth Stage: Ego Integrity vs. Despair
- 9. Critical evaluation
Erik Erikson (1902 - 1994) was a developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst.
He coined the idea that individuals go through different stages of psychosocial development. During each stage, the person experiences a crisis that can have a positive or negative outcome for the development of the individual's personality.
The theory is psychosocial in nature because it describes the typical conflicts experienced at the intersection of the individual and society.
The successful completion of a stage enables the individual to face the next stage with greater ability, thus making it more likely that he will succeed; failure to complete a stage may contribute to an unhealthier personality and sense of self. These stages can, however, be completed at a later time.
| Stage | Crisis | Basic Virtue | Age Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trust vs. Mistrust | Hope | 0 - 1½ |
| 2 | Autonomy vs. Shame | Will | 1½ - 3 |
| 3 | Initiative vs. Guilt | Purpose | 3 - 5 |
| 4 | Industry vs. Inferiority | Competency | 5 - 12 |
| 5 | Identity vs. Role Confusion | Fidelity | 12 - 18 |
| 6 | Intimacy vs. Isolation | Love | 18 - 40 |
| 7 | Generativity vs. Stagnation | Care | 40 - 65 |
| 8 | Ego Integrity vs. Despair | Wisdom | 65+ |
1 The First Stage - Trust vs. Mistrust
A child who receives consistent care will develop a sense of trust that will help them in other relationships, and they will feel the necessary confidence to meet their needs even when threatened.
If the child's needs are not met, the child will develop prevalent feelings of anxiety and mistrust. The child will not trust the world around him, and develop neurotic, i.e. neurotic strategies to deal with the world and meet their needs.
1.1 Success and Failure during the first stage of life
Success in this stage will inspire the development of the virtue of hope. Because the child has learned that he can trust the environment to meet his needs, he will come to believe that he can meet his needs (or have his needs met) even if a crisis emerges.
Failure, on the other hand, fosters the conditions for the vice of fear to dominate the child's view of the world.
2 The Second Stage: Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt
The child has become mobile and able to explore the world around him. As he learns and develops more skills (e.g. dressing himself, walking, playing) he will develop a greater sense of autonomy and independence.
2.1 Success and Failure during the second stage of life
If the child is encouraged and supported to become autonomous, this will lead to development of the virtue of will.
However, a child that is overly criticised and limited at this stage will become to feel inadequate and will not trust their ability to survive in the world. Self-esteem will not develop appropriately, and a sense of shame may become dominant.
3 The Third Stage: Initiative vs. Guilt
As the child reaches his third year of life, he becomes more and more active and assertive in his development. During this period, the child will interact with other children at school and learn how to play with others.
If given this opportunity, the child will develop a sense of initiative and feel secure in their ability to lead others and make decisions. This leads to the development of the virtue of purpose.
Should the child be limited in his opportunities to interact with others, he may develop a strong sense of guilt. This leads to psychological pressure and the child may push to have his way; this could result in punishment and further limitations. For example, children at this stage will often ask many questions, and the parent may respond as if the child is a nuisance and their questions trivial or unworthy.
If a sense of guilt (instead of purpose) becomes prevalent, then the child may be slow to interact with others and this may inhibit their development.
4 The Fourth Stage: Industry vs. Inferiority
Around the fifth year of life, the child will usually begin their academic path: learning to read, do sums, and become increasingly autonomous. The basic virtue developed at this stage is competence.
Because he is becoming more and more autonomous from the relatively sheltered home environment where he lived so far, the child faces new challenges that he must meet with recourse to his own abilities. The child's peer group has also expanded, and he feels the need to win approval by demonstrating specific competencies that are valued by society. He will also develop a sense of pride if he does well.
If children are encouraged, they begin to feel competent and confident in their ability to reach their goals. However, if this is restricted by the family or the teachers, the child may feel inferior and will probably fail to reach their potential.
5 The Fifth Stage: Identity vs. Role Confusion
The now adolescent individual will experience a number of important and confusing changes as their bodies make the transition to adulthood. Because of the nature of the transitions, the adolescent will often feel uncomfortable and at odds with the world around them. If supported through this stage, however, they will develop the virtue of fidelity.
The adolescent mind is essentially a mind or moratorium, a psychosocial stage between childhood and adulthood, and between the morality learned by the child, and the ethics to be developed by the adult. (Erikson, 1963, p. 245)
The adolescent will explore possibilities and form their own identity. Failure to form a sense of identity within society will lead to role confusion. The adolescent will not know what they are or how they are meant to fit in with society.
Note: I believe that this is a crucial stage for the development (or reinforcement) of what Alfred Adler called private logic as opposed to common sense. Private logic is how an individual justifies their way of life and is a neurotic process aimed at establishing security and superiority at the expense of everything else.
6 The Sixth Stage: Intimacy vs Isolation
During this stage, we seek to share ourselves more intimately with others. We explore relationships with the aim of creating a long-term bond with someone who is, initially, a stranger to us.
The successful completion of this stage can result in happy relationships and a sense of commitment, safety, and care within an intimate relationship. This helps develop and reinforces the virtue of love.
Failure to do so may lead to isolation, a sense of loneliness, and sometimes depression & anxiety.
7 The Seventh Stage: Generativity vs. Stagnation
Starting at the fourth decade of life, the individual will contemplate how to leave their mark on the world through creation and nurture of something that will outlast them. They will seek to give back to society, often through raising children, productive work, and becoming more involved in community activities. The basic virtue of this stage is care.
Success at this stage leads to feelings of usefulness and accomplishment, and a reinforcement of the virtue of purpose; failure results in superficial involvement with the world, a loss of social interest, and an impoverishment and stagnation of the personality.
8 The Eighth Stage: Ego Integrity vs. Despair
During old age, individuals slow down and explore life in a different way as we slow down. A healthy person with ego integrity will accept their one and only life and something that had to be and feel a a sense of coherence and wholeness.
Success at this stage will develop the virtue of wisdom, which also helps accept death without fear. Wise people will be able to balance both ego integrity and episodes of despair.
Failure to develop wisdom leads to guilt, regret, and dissatisfaction which leads to depression and hopelessness: in one word, despair.
9 Critical evaluation
Some ideas:
- Do these ideas have universal applicability? This is especially relevant towards adulthood, as the potential and crises of early years intermingle to form an unique lattice of personality traits.
- How are conflicts resolved? cf. Dabrowski's theory of Positive Disintegration where neurosis resulting from the lack of positive resolution to earlier crises in life can lead the individual to reach a higher goal of personality development.