1. STAGES OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Erik Erikson’s
Theory of
Psychosocial Development

2. Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust
Infancy: birth to 18 months
Children develop a sense of trust when caregivers provide reliability, care and affection.
A lack of this will lead to mistrust
Vocabulary word: marasmus: to die from a lack of human touch, warmth (monkey experiment)

3. Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt
Early childhood (2 – 3 years)
Children need to develop a sense of personal control over physical skills and
A sense of independence (“NO!”)
Success leads to feelings of autonomy
Failure results in feelings of shame, doubt
Key tasks: toilet training, gross, fine motor skills

4. Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt
Preschool (3 to 5 years)
Key task: Exploration
Children need to begin asserting control and power over the environment
Success at this stage leads to a sense of purpose
Children who try to exert too much power experience disapproval, resulting in a sense of guilt
Unstructured free play, “superheroes” important

5. Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority
School age: 6 – 11 years
Key event: school
Children need to cope with new social, academic demands
Success leads to a sense of competence
Failure results in feelings of inferiority

6. Stage 5: Identity vs. Role Confusion
Adolescence (12 – 18 years)
Key element: Social relationships
Teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity
Success leads to an ability to stay true to oneself
Failure leads to role confusion and weak sense of self
Moving towards independence, autonomy

7. Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation
Young adulthood (19 – 40 years)
Key: relationships
Young adults need to form intimate, loving relationships with other people
Success leads to strong relationships
Failure leads to loneliness, isolation
Intimacy: Not sex; emotional intimacy=the ability to reveal your true self to another

8. Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation
Middle adulthood: years
Key: Work, parenthood
Adults need to create or nurture things that will outlast them (children, positive change that benefits others)
Success leads to feelings of usefulness, accomplishment
Failure results in shallow involvement in the world, emptiness, ‘something missing’

9. Stage 8: Ego Integrity vs. Despair
Maturity (65 – death)
Key: Reflection on one’s life
Older adults need to look back on life and feel a sense of fulfillment
Success leads to feelings of wisdom, peace
Failure results in regret, bitterness, despair