Unit 2: Theories of Human Development

Module 4: Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory

Overview

The Psychosocial Theory is categorized as Neo-Freudian approach to the study of the

development of personality. It countered and expanded the original Psychoanalytic Theory
of Sigmund Freud. It incorporated the cultural and social influences into personality
development, thus the term psychosocial. Erikson identified eight sequential stages where
individuals need to overcome conflict or developmental task. The theory assumes that the
development of healthy personality depend on the successful completion of task in every
stage which in turn serves as building block to completing the succeeding tasks.

Technical Requirements

Content Outline:
1. The Psychosocial Theory of Personality Development: an overview
I. Key assumptions
II. Conflict in each stage
III. Mastery of developmental tasks lead to Ego strength
IV. Summary Chart of Psychosocial Stages of Development
2. The 8 Psychosocial Stages of Personality Development
I. Trust vs. Mistrust
II. Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt
III. Initiative vs. Guilt
IV. Industry vs. Inferiority
V. Identity vs. Role Confusion
VI. Intimacy vs. Isolation
VII. Generativity vs. Stagnation
VIII. Ego Integrity vs. Despair

Objectives:
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1. Evaluate your own personality development based on the description, condition and
outcomes in your behavior and in your relationship with other people. Limit your
evaluation to the following stages:
a. Trust vs. Mistrust
b. Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
c. Initiative vs. Guilt
d. Industry vs. Inferiority

Preliminary Activity

This article is a personal story of Hanson, R. (2017). It is his journey towards trusting himself
– something he never had while growing up. Read his personal reflection after which you
are expected to write about your own journey into trusting yourself.

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Hanson,R. (2017, January 18). Is there self-doubt, holding back, and fear of looking bad or
failing? Retrieved from Psychology Today.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/your-wise-brain/201701/trust-yourself

Who do you trust?

As I grew up, at home and school it felt dangerous to be myself—my whole self, including
the parts that made mistakes, got rebellious and angry, goofed around too loudly, or were
awkward and vulnerable.

Not dangers of violence, as many have faced, but risks of being punished in other ways, or
rejected, shunned, and shamed.

So, as children understandably do, I put on a mask. Closed up, watching warily, managing
the performance of "me." There was a valve in my throat: I knew what I thought and felt
deep inside, but little of it came out into the world.

From the outside, it looked like I didn't trust other people. Yes, I did need to be careful
sometimes. But mainly, I didn't trust myself.

Didn't trust that the authentic me was good enough, lovable enough—and that I'd still be
OK if I did mess up. Didn't have confidence in my own depths, the core of me, that it
already contained goodness, wisdom, and love. Didn't trust the unfolding process of living
without tight top-down control. Doubted myself, my worth, my possibilities.

And so I lived all squeezed up, doing well in school and happy sometimes—but mainly
swinging between numbness and pain.

In Erik Erikson's eight stages of human development, the first foundational one is about
"basic trust." He focused on trust and mistrust of the outer world (especially the people in
it), and to be sure this is important. Yet often what looks like "the world is untrustworthy"
is at bottom, "I don't trust myself to deal with it."

It's been a lifelong journey to develop more faith in myself, to lighten up, loosen up, swing
out, take chances, make mistakes, and then repair and learn from them, and stop taking
myself so seriously.

Sure, things go wrong sometimes when you trust yourself more. But they go really wrong
and stay wrong when you trust yourself less.

How?

Nobody is perfect. You don't need to be perfect to relax, say what you really feel, and
take your full shot at life. It's the big picture that matters most, and the long view. Yes,
top-down tight control and a well-crafted persona may bring short-term benefits. But
over the long-term, the costs are much greater, including stress, bottled-up truths, and
inner alienation.

With gentleness and self-compassion, take a look at yourself. Is there self-doubt, holding
back, fear of looking bad or failing? If you imagine being your full self out loud, is there an
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 expectation of rejection, misunderstanding, or a shaming attack?

Understandably, we are concerned about what seems "bad" or "weak" inside. But
challenge that labeling: Are those things actually so bad, so weak? Maybe they're just
rattled, desperate, or looking for love and happiness in young or problematic ways.

Maybe you've internalized the criticism of others, and have been hugely exaggerating
what is wrong about you.

And missing so much that is already right.

When you ease up and tap into your own core, when you are in touch with your body, in
your experience as you express it—what's that like? How do others respond? What are
you able to accomplish, at home or work?

Sure, be prudent about the outer world and recognize when it's truly unwise to let go,
take risks, speak out. And guide your inner world like a loving parent, recognizing that not
every thought or feeling or want should be said or enacted.

Meanwhile, if you are like me and every single person I have ever known who has decided
to trust one's own deep self, you will find so much that's right inside: so much knowing of
what's true and what matters, so much life and heart, so many gifts waiting to be given,
so many strengths.

Be your whole self; it's your whole self that you can trust. This day, this week, this life—
see what happens when you bet on yourself, when you back your own play. See what
happens when you let yourself fall backward into your own arms, trusting that they will
catch you.

1. Do you trust yourself and the decisions you make?

2. Do you find it easy to trust others? Or do you find it difficult to trust others?
3. Can you explain how you learned to trust or mistrust yourself/others? What is
your story?

Discussion:

The Psychosocial Theory of Personality

The Psychosocial Theory is categorized as Neo-Freudian approach to the study of the

development of personality. It countered and expanded the original Psychoanalytic Theory
of Sigmund Freud. The proponent is Erik Erikson (1902-1994) who disagreed with the
biological-sexual-orientation of Freud’s framework of personality development. Instead,
Erikson incorporated the cultural and social influences into personality development, thus
the term psychosocial. It is also known as bio-psycho-social theory.

Erikson identified eight sequential stages where individuals need to overcome conflict or
developmental task. The theory assumes that the development of healthy personality

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depend on the successful completion of task in every stage which in turn serves as building
block to completing the succeeding tasks.

An Overview of Psychosocial Theory, (Orenstein, G.A. & Lewis, L., 2020)

Stages arise as individuals grow and face new decisions and turning points during childhood,
adolescence, and adulthood. Each stage is defined by two opposing psychological
tendencies – one positive/syntonic, and the other being negative/dystonic.

Negative?Dystonic
Positive/Syntonic

From this develops an ego virtue/strength or maldevelopment, respectively. If the virtue is

adopted, it can help to resolve the current decision or conflict. It will also be helpful in
subsequent stages of development and in contributing to a stable foundation for core belief
systems in relating to the self and the outer world. The opposite is true with the adoption of
the maldeveloped quality.
As an example, the ego identity crystallizes in stage 5, during adolescence. The two
opposing qualities are ego identity and confusion/diffusion. Those who develop ego identity
yield the virtue of fidelity, while the inability to do so – ego confusion – creates a quality of
repudiation. With a stronger sense of ego identity, the interaction with the outer and inner
world is of rejecting incongruent evaluations of self and a decreased level of anxiety,
respectively.

Role
Confusion Ego Identity

Repudiation;
rejection of a need fidelity; loyalty,ability to
for identity live by society,s
standards despite
imperfections

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While adopting the syntonic attribute is clearly beneficial in this example, doing so should be
done within reason. Extreme ego identity can become fanaticism, which can create
unhealthy interactions with the self and others. One must navigate the two opposing values
in each stage to find a balance, instead of only striving for the positive quality. Straying too
far towards the positive tendency can be maladaptive while leaning too far toward the
negative can be malignant.

Ego identity fanaticism

fidelity
Conflict during Each Stage, (Cherry, K., 2020)
 Each stage builds on the preceding stages and paves the way for following periods of
development.
 Conflict serves as a turning point in development.
 Conflicts are centered on either developing a psychological quality or failing to
develop that quality.
 The potential for personal growth is high but so is the potential for failure.
 If people successfully deal with the conflict, they emerge from the stage with
psychological strengths that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.
 If they fail to deal effectively with these conflicts, they may not develop the essential
skills needed for a strong sense of self.
Mastery Leads to Ego Strength (Cherry, K., 2020)
 a sense of competence motivates behaviors and actions.
 Each stage is concerned with becoming competent in an area of life.
 If the stage is handled well, the person will feel a sense of mastery, which is
sometimes referred to as ego strength or ego quality.
 If the stage is managed poorly, the person will emerge with a sense of inadequacy in
that aspect of development.

Psychosocial Stages: A Summary Chart

Age Conflict Important Events Outcome

Infancy (birth to 18 months) Trust vs. Mistrust Feeding Hope

Early Childhood (2 to 3 years) Autonomy vs. Shame and Toilet Training Will
Doubt

Preschool (3 to 5 years) Initiative vs. Guilt Exploration Purpose

School Age (6 to 11 years) Industry vs. Inferiority School Confidence

Adolescence (12 to 18 years) Identity vs. Role Confusion Social Relationships Fidelity

Young Adulthood (19 to 40 Intimacy vs. Isolation Relationships Love

years)

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 Psychosocial Stages: A Summary Chart

Age Conflict Important Events Outcome

Middle Adulthood (40 to 65 Generativity vs. Stagnation Work and Care

years) Parenthood

Maturity (65 to death) Ego Integrity vs. Despair Reflection on Life Wisdom

Adapted from Cherry, K. (2020). A Summary Chart of Psychosocial Stages

Description of Stages
A summary of the eight stages (McLeod, S., 2018; Cherry, K., 2020)

Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust

Age /Period: 0 to 1 year

Concomitant Freudian Stage: Oral Stage

Description of this period: This is the most fundamental stage in life. The infant is totally
dependent. The development of trust or mistrust depends on the dependability and quality
of the infant’s caregivers or the absence of those characteristics in caregivers. The infant is
totally and helplessly dependent on the caregiver for everything in order to survive – food,
love, warmth and nurturance.

Conditions for Development:

 If caregivers succeed to provide adequate care and love, the infant will come to feel
that s/he can trust and depend on adults or people in his/her life.
 If caregivers fail to provide the adequate care and love, the opposite happens and
that is the development of mistrust of people.

Outcomes in personality development:

If a child successfully develops trust, the child will feel safe and secure in the world.
Caregivers who are inconsistent, emotionally unavailable, or rejecting contribute to feelings
of mistrust in the children under their care. Failure to develop trust will result in fear and a
belief that the world is inconsistent and unpredictable. During the first stage of psychosocial
development, children develop a sense of trust when caregivers provide reliability, care, and
affection.

No child is going to develop a sense of 100% trust or 100% doubt. Erikson believed that
successful development was all about striking a balance between the two opposing sides.
When this happens, children acquire hope, which Erikson described as an openness to
experience tempered by some wariness that danger may be present.

Subsequent work by researchers including John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth demonstrated
the importance of trust in forming healthy attachments during childhood and adulthood.

Virtue: Hope
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Maldevelopment: Withdrawal

Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Age /Period: 2 to 3 years

Concomitant Freudian Stage: Anal Stage

Description of the period:

The second stage of Erikson's theory of psychosocial development takes place during early
childhood and is focused on children developing a greater sense of personal control. At this
point in development, children are just starting to gain a little independence. They are
starting to perform basic actions on their own and making simple decisions about what they
prefer. The essential theme of this stage is that children need to develop a sense of
personal control over physical skills and a sense of independence. Potty training plays an
important role in helping children develop this sense of autonomy. Erikson believed that
learning to control one's bodily functions leads to a feeling of control and a sense of
independence. Other important events include gaining more control over food choices, toy
preferences, and clothing selection.

Conditions for personality development

By allowing kids to make choices and gain control, parents and caregivers can help children
develop a sense of autonomy.
Outcomes in personality:

Children who struggle and who are shamed for their accidents may be left without a sense
of personal control. Success during this stage of psychosocial development leads to feelings
of autonomy; failure results in feelings of shame and doubt. Children who successfully
complete this stage feel secure and confident, while those who do not are left with a sense
of inadequacy and self-doubt. Erikson believed that achieving a balance between autonomy
and shame and doubt lead to will, a belief in children’s capacity to act with intention within
reason and limits.

Virtue: willpower, determination

Maldevelopment: Compulsion

Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt

Age/Period: 3 to 5 years The Preschool Years

Concomitant Freudian Stage: Phallic Stage

Description of the Period

The third stage of psychosocial development takes place during the preschool years. At this
point in psychosocial development, children begin to assert their power and control over
the world through directing play and other social interactions.

During this period the primary feature involves the child regularly interacting with other
children at school. Central to this stage is play, as it provides children with the opportunity
to explore their interpersonal skills through initiating activities.

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It is at this stage that the child will begin to ask many questions as his thirst for knowledge
grows.
Conditions for personality development

Children begin to plan activities, make up games, and initiate activities with others. If given
this opportunity, children develop a sense of initiative and feel secure in their ability to lead
others and make decisions.
Conversely, if this tendency is squelched, either through criticism or control, children
develop a sense of guilt. The child will often overstep the mark in his forcefulness, and the
danger is that the parents will tend to punish the child and restrict his initiatives too much.
If the parents treat the child’s questions as trivial, a nuisance or embarrassing or other
aspects of their behavior as threatening then the child may have feelings of guilt for “being a
nuisance”.
Outcomes in personality

Children who are successful at this stage feel capable and able to lead others. Those who fail
to acquire these skills are left with a sense of guilt, self-doubt, and lack of initiative. The
major theme of the third stage of psychosocial development is that 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.

Too much guilt can make the child slow to interact with others and may inhibit their
creativity. Some guilt is, of course, necessary; otherwise the child would not know how to
exercise self-control or have a conscience.

Virtue: purpose
Maldevelopment: inhibition

Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority

Age/Period: 5 to 11 years (Elementary School Age)

Concomitant Freudian Stage: Latency Period

Description of the Period

Through social interactions, children begin to develop a sense of pride in their

accomplishments and abilities. Children need to cope with new social and academic
demands. Success leads to a sense of competence, while failure results in feelings of
inferiority.
Children are at the stage where they will be learning to read and write, to do sums, to do
things on their own. Teachers begin to take an important role in the child’s life as they teach
the child specific skills.
It is at this stage that the child’s peer group will gain greater significance and will become a
major source of the child’s self-esteem. The child now feels the need to win approval by
demonstrating specific competencies that are valued by society and begin to develop a
sense of pride in their accomplishments.
Conditions and outcomes in personality development

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If children are encouraged and reinforced for their initiative, they begin to feel industrious
(competent) and feel confident in their ability to achieve goals. If this initiative is not
encouraged, if it is restricted by parents or teacher, then the child begins to feel inferior,
doubting his own abilities and therefore may not reach his or her potential.
If the child cannot develop the specific skill they feel society is demanding (e.g., being
athletic) then they may develop a sense of Inferiority.
Some failure may be necessary so that the child can develop some modesty. Again, a
balance between competence and modesty is necessary. Success in this stage will lead to
the virtue of competence a belief in their abilities to handle tasks set before them.
Virtue: Competence
Maldevelopment: inertia (passivity)

Stage 5: Identity vs. Confusion

Age/Period: 12 to 18 or 22 years. (High School to College)
Concomitant Freudian Stage: Genital Stage
Description of the Period

Early part of the period is generally the teenage years often described as the turbulent
teenage years. This stage plays an essential role in developing a sense of personal identity
which will continue to influence behavior and development for the rest of a person's life.
Teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity. During adolescence, children
explore their independence and develop a sense of self.

During adolescence, the transition from childhood to adulthood is most important. During
this stage the body image of the adolescent changes. Children are becoming more
independent, and begin to look at the future in terms of career, relationships, families,
housing, etc. The individual wants to belong to a society and fit in.
This is a major stage of development where the child has to learn the roles he will occupy as
an adult. It is during this stage that the adolescent will re-examine his identity and try to find
out exactly who he or she is. Erikson suggests that two identities are involved: the sexual
and the occupational. What should happen at the end of this stage is “a reintegrated sense
of self, of what one wants to do or be, and of one’s appropriate sex role”.
Condition and Outcomes in personality development

Those who receive proper encouragement and reinforcement through personal exploration
will emerge from this stage with a strong sense of self and feelings of independence and
control. Success leads to an ability to stay true to yourself, while failure leads to role
confusion and a weak sense of self. Those who remain unsure of their beliefs and desires
will feel insecure and confused about themselves and the future.

In response to role confusion or identity crisis, an adolescent may begin to experiment with
different lifestyles (e.g., work, education or political activities). Also pressuring someone into
an identity can result in rebellion in the form of establishing a negative identity, and in
addition to this feeling of unhappiness.

(Note: We highlight the need for the development of Identity, a sense of self, a sense of who
you are, and who you are not. This is the very foundation of your choices in life – your
degree program, career path, who to love, what you want to become. – GM)

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Identity refers to all of the beliefs, ideals, and values that help shape and guide a person's
behavior.

Completing this stage successfully leads to fidelity, which Erikson described as an ability to
live by society's standards and expectations. Ego identity is the conscious sense of self that
we develop through social interaction and becomes a central focus during the identity
versus confusion stage of psychosocial development.

According to Erikson, our ego identity constantly changes due to new experiences and
information we acquire in our daily interactions with others. As we have new
experiences, we also take on challenges that can help or hinder the development of identity.

The Importance of a Sense of Identity

Our personal identity gives us an integrated and cohesive sense of self that endures through
our lives. Without it we can be likened to a leaf, fell from the tree and blown to all directions
as the wind wills. Our sense of personal identity is shaped by our experiences and
interactions with others. People can build us, but they can also break us. It is this sense of
identity that guides our actions, beliefs and behaviors as we go through life.

Virtue: Fidelity
Maldevelopment: Repudiation

Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation

Age/Period: 18 to 40 years

Description of the Period

During this stage, the major conflict centers on forming intimate, loving relationships with
other people. During this stage, we begin to share ourselves more intimately with others.
We explore relationships leading toward longer-term commitments with someone other
than a family member.

Young adults need to form intimate, loving relationships with other people. It is vital that
people develop close, committed relationships with other people. Those who are successful
at this step will form relationships that are enduring and secure.

Condition and Outcome in personality development

Building on Earlier Stages

Remember that each step builds on skills learned in previous steps. Erikson believed that a
strong sense of personal identity was important for developing intimate relationships.
Studies have demonstrated that those with a poor sense of self tend to have less committed
relationships and are more likely to struggler with emotional isolation, loneliness, and
depression.

Successful completion of this stage can result in happy relationships and a sense of
commitment, safety, and care within a relationship. Success leads to strong relationships,
while failure results in loneliness and isolation.

Avoiding intimacy, fearing commitment and relationships can lead to isolation, loneliness,
and sometimes depression. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of love.

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Virtue: Love
Maldevelopment: exclusion

Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation

Age/Period: 40 to 65 years (Middle Adulthood)

Description of the Period:

We give back to society through raising our children, being productive at work, and
becoming involved in community activities and organizations. Through generativity we
develop a sense of being a part of the bigger picture. During adulthood, we continue to
build our lives, focusing on our career and family.
Conditions and Outcomes in personality development

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.

Those who are successful during this phase will feel that they are contributing to the world
by being active in their home and community. Those who fail to attain this skill will feel
unproductive and uninvolved in the world.
Virtue: Care
Maldevelopment: Rejectivity

Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair

Age/Period: 65 to death (Late Adulthood)

Description of the stage:

We become senior citizens and we tend to slow down our productivity. We explore life as a
retired person It is during this time that we begin to think about our accomplishments and
possibly failures in our life. We tend to look back and see what we did right; what we did
wrong. We can think of how to make amends in life. People who see that they have led a
fulfilled and meaningful life may find their ego identity, a sense of wholeness, a sense of
having led a meaningful life. While others may feel bitterness and despair for having lived a
life or regrets and missed opportunities in life, love, family, and career.

Condition and Outcome in personality:

Ego integrity is the acceptance of one’s one and only life cycle as something that had to be
and later as a sense of coherence and wholeness. Erik Erikson believed if we see our lives as
unproductive, feel guilt about our past, or feel that we did not accomplish our life goals, we
become dissatisfied with life and develop despair, often leading to depression and
hopelessness. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of wisdom. Wisdom enables a
person to look back on their life with a sense of closure and completeness, and also accept
death without fear.

Wise people are not characterized by a continuous state of ego integrity, but they
experience both ego integrity and despair. Thus, late life is characterized by both integrity
and despair as alternating states that need to be balanced.
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Virtue: Wisdom
Maldevelopment: disdain

Criticisms and Support of the Theory

Criticisms Support
The specific mechanisms for resolving It provides a broad framework with which
conflicts and moving from one stage to to view development through the lifespan.
another are not well defined, not well-
It gives importance and emphasis on the
described; not fully developed
social nature of human beings; and the
importance of meaningful and nurturing
human relationships in our development.
It provided the direction for further studies
on identity formation
It outlined a more realistic perspective of
personality development.
Later periods in development are viewed as
active and significant times of personal
growth
It has good face-value; relatable; people
can see themselves in the psychosocial
stages.

Post Activity
3 W’s
1. What did you learn from this module?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_
2. So what? (Relevance, Importance,
Usefulness)__________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
________

3. Now What? (How does this fit into what we are learning? Does it affect our
thinking?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
__________
Evaluation
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 1. Evaluate your own personality development based on the description, condition and
outcomes in your behavior and in your relationship with other people. Limit your
evaluation to the following stages:
a. Trust vs. Mistrust
b. Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
c. Initiative vs. Guilt
d. Industry vs. Inferiority
e. Identity vs. Role Confusion
2. Analyze how your personality formed from stages 1 to 5 influenced your attitude
towards school, learning, teachers, and classmates.

Reflective Writing
Journal Writing 4: Choose 1 quote from Erik Erikson. Reflect on it and write about it.
Life doesn’t make sense without interdependence.
We need each other. The sooner we learn that, the better for us all.

In the social jungle of our human existence, there is no feeling of being alive
without a sense of identity.

Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the state of being alive. If life
is to be sustained, hope must remain,
even where confidence is wounded and trust is impaired.

The more you know yourself, the more patience you have
for what you see in others.
References

Cherry, K. (2020, June 26). Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development. Retrieved
from Very Well Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/erik-eriksons-stages-of-
psychosocial-development-2795740

Corpuz, B., et.al. (2010). Child and adolescent Development Looking at Learners at Different
Life Stages. QC: Lormar Publishing Inc.
Hanson,R. (2017, January 18). Is there self-doubt, holding back, and fear of looking bad or
failing? Retrieved from Psychology Today.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/your-wise-brain/201701/trust-yourself
Orenstein, G.A. and Lewis, L. (2020, March 9). Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial
Development. StatPearls Publishing. Licensed under the terms f Creative Commons
Attribution http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Retrieved from NCBTI
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556096/

Lumen Learning (n.d.). Neo-Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory of Personality. Retrieved from

Lumen Learning
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-psychology/chapter/psychodynamic-
perspectives-on-personality/
McLeod, S. A. (2018, May 03). Erik erikson's stages of psychosocial development. Simply
Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html

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