Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages of

Development

Presented By: Jasmine Siddiqui

B.Ed. 1st Semester
 Who was Erik Erikson?

• Erik Erikson was a 20th century psychologist who developed the

theory of psychosocial development.

• Father of psychosocial development.

• Expanded Sigmund Freud’s original five stages of development.

• Gave “Erikson’s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development”.

• Book: “Childhood and Society”

Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development
 Conflicts, Important Events and Outcomes

Stage Conflict Important Events Outcome

Infancy Trust vs. Mistrust Feeding Hope
(birth to 18 months )
Early childhood Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt Toilet Training Will
(2 to 3 years)
Preschool Initiative vs. Guilt Exploration Purpose
(3 to 5 years)
School Age Industry vs. Inferiority School Confidence
(6 to 11 years)
Adolescence Identity vs. Role Confusion Social Relationships Fidelity
(12 to 18 years)
Young Adulthood Intimacy vs. Isolation Relationships Love
(19 to 40 years)
Middle Adulthood Generativity vs. Stagnation Work and Parenthood Care
(40 to 65 years)
Maturity Ego Integrity vs. Despair Reflection on Life Wisdom
(65 to death)
 Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust
Infancy : Birth to 18 months

• Most fundamental stage in life.

• Infant is utterly dependent on caregivers.
• Developing trust is based on the dependability and quality of the child’s caregivers.
• If a caregiver fails to provide adequate care and love, the child will come to feel
that they cannot trust and depend upon the adults.

Outcomes:
• Child will feel safe and secure.
• Failure to develop trust will result in fear and a belief that the world is inconsistent
and unpredictable.
• No child is going to develop 100% trust or 100% doubt.
• Successful development is about striking a balance between the two.
 Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
Early Childhood: 2 to 3 years

• Focused on children developing a greater sense of personal control.

• At this point children are starting to perform basic actions on their own and
making simple decisions about what they prefer.
• Learning to control one’s bodily functions leads to a feeling of control and
sense of independence.
• Example: Toilet training, food choices, toy preferences, clothing selection, etc.

Outcomes:
• Children who struggle and are ashamed for their accidents may be left
without a sense of personal control.
• If successful during this stage, leads to feeling of autonomy.
• Children feel secure and confident.
 Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt
Preschool: 3 to 5 years

• Children begin to assert their power and control.

• Control through directing play and other social interactions.
• When an ideal balance of individual initiative and a willingness to work with
others is achieved, the ego quality known as purpose emerges.

Outcomes:
• Children who are successful feel capable and able to lead others.
• Success leads o a sense of purpose.
• Failure leaves children with sense of guilt, self doubt, and lack of initiative.
• Children who try to exert too much power experience disapproval.
 Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority
School Age: 6 to 11 years

• Children begin to develop a sense of pride.

• Children need to cope with new social and academic demands.
• Success leads to a sense of competence.
• Failure leads to feelings of inferiority.

Outcomes:
• Children who are encouraged develop a feeling of competence.
• Children also start to develop belief in their skills.
• In case of little or no encouragement, children doubt their abilities.
 Stage 5: Identity vs. Role Confusion
Adolescence (12 to 18 years)

• This stage plays an essential role in developing a sense of personal identity.

• This influences behavior and development for the rest of a person’s life.
• During adolescence, children explore their independence and develop a sense
of self.

What is Identity?
• Beliefs, ideals and values that shape and guide a person’s behavior.

Ego Identity:
• It is the conscious sense of self that we develop through social interaction.
Why is Identity important?

• Personal identity gives integrated and cohesive sense of self.

• It endures through our life.
• Sense of personal identity is shaped by our experiences and interactions.
• Identity helps guide our actions, beliefs, and behaviors.

Outcomes:
• Success leads to fidelity.
• Fidelity: an ability to live by society’s standards and expectations.
• Failure leaves children confused and struggling with their identity also called
role confusion.
 Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation
Young Adulthood: 19 to 40 years

• Young adults need to form intimate, loving relationships with other people.
• This stage covers the period of early adulthood when people are exploring personal
relationships.
• It is important that people develop close, committed relationships with other people.
• Sense of personal identity is important in order to achieve this stage.

Outcomes:
• Success leads to strong relationships.
• Successful resolution of this stage results in the virtue known as love.
• Failure results in loneliness, isolation and sometimes depression.
 Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation
Middle Adulthood: 40 to 65 years

• Adults need to create or nurture things that will outlast them.

• Usually by having children or creating a positive change that benefits other
people.
• During adulthood, we continue to build our lives.
• People at this stage focus on career and family.

Outcomes:
• Success leads to feelings of usefulness and accomplishment.
• Those who fail to attain this skill will feel unproductive and uninvolved in the
world.
 Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair
Maturity: 65 years to death

• This is the final psychosocial stage.

• Focused on reflecting back on life.
• At this point, people look back on the events of their lives and determine if they are
happy with the life they have lived or if they regret the things they did or didn’t do.
• Older adults need to look back on life and feel a sense of fulfillment.

Outcomes:
• Success at this stage leads to feelings of wisdom.
• They feel satisfied if they look back in life and think it was well lived.
• Failure results in regret, bitterness, and despair.
• Those who look back and only feel regret will instead feel fearful that their lives will
end without accomplishing anything.
 Strengths and Weaknesses of Erikson’s Theory

Support:
• It provides a broad framework to view development throughout the lifespan.
• It allows to emphasize the social nature of human beings.
• It emphasize the important influence that social relationships have on
development.

Criticism:
• Exact mechanisms for resolving conflicts is not well described or developed.
• The theory fails to detail exactly what type of experiences are necessary at each
stage.
Questions can be asked now.

Thank You