ICE TASK Psychology 1B:

Courtney Boonzaier- st10264650

Rebecca Rebelo- st 10280785

Stage 3: Initiative vs Guilt (preschool age 3-6)

According to Weiten (2022), this stage starts at ages 3 to 6, During this specific stage, curiosity, and
inquisitiveness are significant aspects, meaning that preschool children learn from the mistakes that
they end up making due to decision-making which is okay because trial and error is what helps the
children understand what’s right from wrong. Evidently, this stage involves the start of independence
from the preschoolers, meaning the boundaries from adults are to be set in this stage as well. This is
where initiative and guilt come in. The challenge comes when children's exploration is not balanced
with boundaries by the parents. An equal amount of initiative and accountability should be dispersed
during this stage of the child's development.

Example: Toy Story

The character Buzz Lighter in this movie shows the initiative part of this stage because he believes he
is a real space ranger and takes on the responsibility to explore unknown territory, on the other
hand, Woody shows the guilt aspect for he is worried about what might happen if the initiative is
taken, therefore he becomes jealous and upset about how buzz can have so much bravery to explore
the world. The lesson we can learn from this is that mistakes are okay as long as we learn from them
and that it is okay to not fit into social norms and be different.

Stage 4: Industry vs Inferiority (ages 6- puberty)

During this phase, a child's parents become less important than before. Before parents were who the
child would listen and look up to, now though as the child enters this stage, his or her friends along
with any new people who might come into the child’s life, become like the ‘rulers of the world’,
where their opinions and views become more important than those of the primary care givers. As
the child enters this stage, they start to develop new skills and abilities. If the child does not feel like
he or she can execute these abilities correctly or can not face criticism well, the child begins to feel
less than his or her peers. “Children who are able to succeed at school and in society develop a sense
of industry or self-confidence and the failure to meet these demands makes the child feel inferior
and unwilling to try new things” (Weiten 2022).

Example: In the movie franchise, Harry Potter, as the characters grow, they face personal as well as
academic challenges, Harry tends to try to prove himself in his school life and with peers, like how he
joined the Gryffindor quidditch team in his first year, this shows his industry aspect. The inferiority
that Harry shows comes from, his fights and interactions, with Voldemort or Draco as they create
different feelings to arise within Harry. The lesson that can be learned from this is there will always
be someone who will love and care for you and that family doesn’t always mean blood or doesn’t
have to be blood, a family can be chosen.
Reference list:

Weiten, W. (2022). Psychology Themes and Variations: A South African Perspective 4 th

Edition. Cengage Learning.