Erik Erikson
Stages of Social
Development
Trust vs Mistrust (Infancy: 0-1)
babies
need to learn that they can trust
their caregivers to fulfill their needs and
that their requests are effective
sense
of trust or mistrust carries for life
Autonomy vs Shame
(Toddlerhood:1-3)
toddlers
begin to exert their will over their bodies
(autonomy)
potty
learn
training is an early effort at this
to control temper tantrums
if
we learn how to control ourselves and our
environment in reasonable ways:
we
develop a healthy will
we can control our body and emotional reactions
through following social challenges
Initiative vs. Guilt (PreSchool 3-6)
natural
curiosity about our
surroundings
ask many questions
if our curiosity is encouraged,
we will feel comfortable
expressing it always
if not, we feel guilty and will not
express it
Industry vs. Inferiority
(Elementary 6-Puberty)
in
first grade, we are asked to
produce work that is evaluated
if we perform as well as our peers, we
feel competent
if not, inferiority complex!
→ anxiety about our performance in
that area
Identity vs. Role Confusion
(Adolescence teens-early 20s)
in
adolescence, our main social task is to
discover what social identity we are most
comfortable with
maybe try out different roles
identity
crisis
if an adolescent doesn’t figure out a sense
of self, they might have one later in life
Intimacy vs. Isolation
(early 20s –early 40s)
young
adults figure out how to balance
time and effort between work,
relationships, and self
the patterns we choose become relatively
permanent
Generativity vs. Stagnation
(mid40s – early 60s)
we
look critically at our life
path
we try to ensure that our lives
are going the way we want
Living
purposeful life or am I
stuck in a rut?
Integrity vs. Despair (60s +)
toward
the end of life
we look back at our accomplishments
and decide if we’re satisfied
if so, we can step outside society and offer
wisdom
if not, we may fall into despair over lost
opportunities
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