1. Erik Erickson
Area of Study Two

2. Erik Erickson
Theorist in this area is Erik Erikson, with his eight stage model of psychosocial development
Erikson believed that all individuals go through eight major stages, or psychosocial conflicts, within their lifespan
The successful (or unsuccessful) resolution of each of these stages impacts the individual’s personality and future development

3. Erikson’s eight stage model of psychosocial development
birth - 1 year
Trust v. mistrust
1 -3 years
Autonomy v. shame
3 - 6 years
Initiative v. guilt
years
Industry v. inferiority
years
Identity v. role confusion
years
Intimacy v. isolation
years
Generatively v. stagnation
65 years +
Integrity v. despair

4. Trust v. mistrust (birth-1year)
The stage of trust v. mistrust is primarily characterised by the infants relationship with their primary care giver.
Infants must learn to trust that their caregivers are able to and will meet their needs
Warmth, affection, and consistency of care lead to a positive, secure attachment with the primary caregiver
Negative resolution: inadequate care during this stage results in fear and mistrust, which may lead
the individual to struggle with forming close
relationships. Extremely inadequate
care may result in significant
developmental problems.

5. Autonomy v. shame and doubt (1-3 years)
The stage of autonomy v. shame and doubt is characterised by the child’s need to be autonomous- that is, to assert their wills and do things for themselves
The child must be encouraged and allowed to do things for themselves (where developmentally appropriate, and with support if needed)
Negative resolution: children who are not
permitted or encouraged to try to do
things for themselves at this stage are
likely to feel a sense of self doubt, and be
dependent on others.

6. Initiative v. guilt (3-6 years)
Children at this stage of development are characteristically curious, adventurous, and high energy
Appropriate resolution of the initiative v. guilt stage depends on the responses of caregivers to this type of behaviour
If inquisitiveness is encouraged (where appropriate), the child will develop initiative and continued curiosity about the world
Negative resolution: if the child’s
inquisitive nature is not encouraged
by the caregiver, children will often
develop a sense of guilt, and will grow
to lack initiative

7. Industry v. inferiority (6-12 years)
The stage of industry v. inferiority takes place during the child’s primary school years
The crucial characteristic being developed during this stage is a sense of competence and/or self confidence
For successful resolution of this stage, the child must master new social and academic skills, and importantly, must also feel that they are on par with their peers in the mastery of these skills
Negative resolution: the child whom
does not master these new skills,
or feels they are behind compared
to their peers, will likely develop a
sense of inferiority

8. Identity v. role confusion (12-20 years)
During the stage of identity v. role confusion the individual is primarily concerned with the question of “who am I?”
The individual in this stage typically explores and experiments with many different behaviours in order to develop their true identity
Successful resolution aims at establishing clear social and vocational identities, providing the individual
with a sense of belonging and purpose
Negative resolution: lack of resolution of
identity at this stage leads to confusion later
in life, where the individual feels uncertainty
about the role(s) they play

9. Intimacy v. isolation (20-40 years)
The stage of intimacy v. isolation is where the individual is though to be at a stage of development where they are truly able to experience intimacy with another, in terms of both close friendships and romantic relationships
The development of such relationships at this stage leads to positive outcomes and resolution
Negative resolution: due to lack of appropriate resolution, either during earlier stages, or
during this stage itself, individuals
may develop a fear of intimacy,
and/or feel a sense of loneliness
or isolation

10. Generativity v. stagnation (40-65 years)
During the middle years of adulthood, the individual moves into the stage of generativity v. stagnation
The individual experiences a need to feel as though they are doing and/or contributing something which is significant to the world; in some cases, something which will outlive them
If the individual feels they are doing something significant, they are better able to give wholeheartedly to the various aspects of their life, such as marriage, parenthood, and work.
Negative resolution: if the individual
is not able to do this, they become
‘stagnant’, self centred, and are
unable to give wholeheartedly to
others in their life

11. Integrity v. Despair (65 years +)
The stage of integrity v despair is one in which, upon successful completion, older adults come to view their life as meaningful
If the previous stages have been resolved successfully, the individual now feels a sense of integrity and fulfilment, and views their lives as having been, and still being, successful and worthwhile.
This also allows the individual to face the possibility of death without fears or regrets
Negative resolution: a negative
outcome at this stage is a feeling
of despair, where one sees their life
as having been primarily negative,
and it being too late for them to
change things

12. Conclusion/ Issues: main points about Erikson’s theory
Uses a model of interaction to explain development of personality and social characteristics
Consists of eight stages: 1) trust v. mistrust; 2) autonomy v. shame; 3) initiative v. guilt; 4) industry v. inferiority; 5) identity v. role confusion; 6) intimacy v. isolation; 7) generatively v. stagnation; 8) integrity v. despair
Individuals move through all eight stages across the lifespan, despite not always having successfully resolved one or more stages
Negative resolution of any one stage will impact negatively upon the successful resolution of latter stages, and unresolved issues from an earlier stage is likely to resurface later in life
An individual is though to have positive/healthy development if they have successfully worked through and resolved the key conflict at each stage.
Caitlin Driscoll

13. Task Answer the following questions in your workbook:
What is the name of the theorist? What is their history/background?
What is the developmental theory they researched/developed? (summarise the stages)
What was they major research they conducted and the results they found?
What criticisms (if any) are there for their research/theories?