Gregoire 1

Erik Erikson
Ellen Gregoire
Professor McCreery
Signature Final Assignment
April 29, 2016

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Introduction
In psychology we learn a lot about different theories and theorist, each believing we develop in
different ways and explaining how we came to be. While learning about all these different
theorist over the course of this semester, one in particular has stuck out to me. I have chosen to
write my final paper on Erik Erikson and his psychosocial stages. I have been fond of him for a
long time. His theory is easy to understand and I am able to apply his theory to my life more
easily than other theorists.
Erik Erikson
Erik Eriksons ideas were under the influence of Freud. Erikson was an ego psychologist.
He focused on the role of environment and culture and how it affected the ego. He believed that
the ego developed through overcoming crisis. Once passing a certain social crisis an individual
would then progress to the next developmental stage. He believed strongly that personality
develops in a predetermined order and that each stage builds on top one another. Unlike Freud,
he was interested in the social, not sexual, aspect of development. (Mcleod 2013)
Eriksons Stages of Development
Erikson created eight stages of psychosocial development. As said before, Erikson
believed that each stage had a crisis that needed to be overcome and each stage held a virtue.
When the crisis was overcome, the individual would move to the next stage. Failure to
successfully overcome a stage could lead to reduced ability to accomplish other stages and
therefore, have a lower sense of self and an unhealthy personality. These stages could be reached
at any point of time. (Mcleod 2013)

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Eriksons stages include, trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame, initiative vs. guilt,
industry vs inferiority, ego vs. role identity, intimacy vs. isolation, generativity vs. stagnation,
and ego integrity vs. despair.
Trust vs. Mistrust
This stage occurs during the first year of life. It is where infants learn whether the world
can be trusted with basic needs. They feel secure when they are comforted and provided with the
basic necessities of life. (Berger 2014). Achievement of this stage will lead to the virtue of hope.
Failure of this stage will lead to mistrust and will cause mistrust in future relationships and of the
world. (Mcleod 2013)
Autonomy vs Shame
The second stage of Eriksons psychosocial stages of development is Autonomy vs.
Shame. It occurs in early childhood, ages 1 - 3 years old. In this stage toddlers want control
over themselves, without it they feel doubt. (Berger 2014) In this stage they learn will. (Mcleod
2013)
Initiative vs. Guilt
Initiative vs. Guilt is the third stage. It occurs in children three to five years old. In this
stage children explore their social connections and interpersonal skills. Accomplishment of this
stage leads to the child feeling secure and confident in making decisions. In this stage an
individual learns his/her purpose (Mcleod 2013).
Industry vs. Inferiority
Children are typically five to twelve years old in the fourth stage, Industry vs. Inferiority.
Erikson said that during these years the child must forget past hopes and wishes, while his
exuberant imagination is tamed and harnessed to the laws of impersonal things and he becomes

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ready to apply himself to given skills and tasks (erikson, 1963, pp. 258, 259). It is in this stage
that one is taught competence.
Identity vs. Role Confusion
This is the fifth stage of Eriksons psychosocial stages and occurs between 12-18 years of
age. This is a major stage in development. The individual is learning what roles he/she will play
as he/she transitions into being an adult. In this stage the individual will reexamine his/her
identity multiple times to find out who they really are. This stage will lead to fidelity. (Mcleod
2013)
Intimacy vs. Isolation
Intimacy vs. Isolation is the sixth stage of the psychosocial stages and occurs in
individuals 18-40 years old. This is the powerful desire to share life with someone else. Without
intimacy people are lonely and isolated (Berger 2014). The virtue achieved in this stage is love
(Mcleod 2013).
Generativity vs. Stagnation
The seventh stage of Eriksons psychosocial stages is Generativity vs. Stagnation. It
occurs in individuals 40-65 years of age. Adults are proactive in a caring way (Berger 2014).
Individuals are able to see a bigger picture. Failure to do so leads to feeling unproductive and
stagnant. The virtue achieved in this stage is care. (Mcleod 2013).
Ego Integrity vs. Despair
The eighth and final stage of Eriksons psychosocial stages of development is Ego
Integrity vs. Despair. This is achieved in older adults 65 and older. It is in this stage where one
looks back on his life and explores our accomplishments. Erikson believed that if we thought of

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our life as being unproductive or feel guilty about our life, it will lead to a sense of hopelessness
and depression. Success in this stage leads to wisdom (Mcleod 2013).
There is a time in everyones life when they struggle. I remember watching my sister
change immensely in the course of about one year and enter into a downward spiral. She was 18
years old, had just moved out and started college, and her high school boyfriend had just left on
his mission. She was in Eriksons fifth stage of psychosocial development, Identity vs Role
Confusion. She had gone through changes throughout high school, keeping up with all the latest
trends and had a steady turnover of friends she brought over. I had seen her change before and fit
in with whatever friends she was currently with, but I had seen nothing like what I saw that year.
I grew up in a very religious home. We lived in a pretty traditional household. My parents
werent strict but everyone respected them and our family had always gotten along. My sister,
Janna was considered to be the rebel of the family as well as the smartest, bookiest one of us
all.
After Janna graduated she immediately moved out and went to live in Salt Lake City so
she could go to school at the University of Utah. As she continued with school she moved around
a lot and was given multiple opportunities and experiences. The more things she experienced the
more I saw her lose weight, dress differently, and later found out she had been drinking and
partying. I have no problem with that usually but because she was my sister and thats not how
we were raised I was shocked. I think this concerned me more than her. I am five years younger
than she is, she was my biggest role model. At this point, I too, was finding out who I wanted to
be.
Jannas boyfriend returned from his LDS mission about a year later and she went back to
being the sister I had grown up with. I realize now that that was just a stage of her finding out

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who she was as an individual, without her boyfriend and it was completely normal according to
Erikson.
Positive aspects are that Im sure she learned a lot about who she was and who she
wanted to be from going through that crisis. As a younger sister, I was also able to learn from
what she did. As she was at the end of that stage, I had just begun and as I look back I am able to
see how we were both searching for our identity. She found her role and soon moved on to
Intimacy vs Isolation and married. I believe I am in the middle of that transition right now.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I strongly agree with Erik Eriksons eight stages of psychosocial
developmental stages. They are easy to understand, I am able to apply them to my own life and
am able to notice what stages my friends and family are in. I have enjoyed learning and
researching Erik Erikson and his developmental theory.

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Reference Page
Berger, K. S. (2010). Invitation to the life span. New York: Worth.
McLeod, S. A. (2013). Erik Erikson. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/ErikErikson.html