This article discusses Erikson’s eight stages of psychosocial development, as well as criticism of his theory.
At each stage, a person is faced with a psychosocial crisiscritical issuesthat need to be resolved.
The person’s personality is shaped by the way they respond to each of these crises.
d3sign / Getty Images
If they react positively, a new virtue (moral behavior) is gained.
During this stage, the infant is completely dependent on their caregiver to meet their needs.
With consistent care, the infant learns to trust and feel secure.
The virtue gained in this stage is “hope.”
When an infant’s needs aren’t met in this stage, they can become anxious and untrusting.
Children react positively during stage 2 when caregivers allow them to work on developing independence within a safe environment.
The virtue gained in this stage is “will.”
This stage also includes physical skills such as running and jumping.
Stage 3: Initiative vs.
Guilt
Stage 3, initiative vs. guilt, occurs during the early school-age years of a child’s life.
During this stage, a child learns to initiate social interactions and play activities with other children.
Children also ask lots of questions in this stage.
The psychosocial crisis in this stage is industry vs. inferiority.
During this stage, a child is learning how to read and write.
The virtue gained when a child is successful in stage 4 is “competence.”
If a child responds negatively to this psychosocial crisis, it can lead to feelings ofinferiorityand lowself-esteem.
At this stage, the psychosocial crisis is identity vs. confusion.
The virtue that can be gained in stage 5 is “fidelity,” or faithfulness.
In stage 5, teens also learn how to accept other people who are different than themselves.
Stage 6: Intimacy vs. People who are not successful in stage 6 can feel alone and isolated.
In some cases, this can lead todepression.
The crisis at this stage is generativity vs. stagnation.
This can include mentoring the younger generation, being successful at work, and positively impacting the community.
The virtue that can be gained in stage 7 is “care.”
When a person is not successful in stage 7, it leads to stagnation.
This can cause the person to feel useless and disconnected from their community.
Stage 8: Integrity vs.
Despair
The final stage in Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development is integrity vs. despair.
This stage begins around age 65 years and continues for the remainder of a person’s life.
If a person is successful in stage 8, the virtue to be gained is “wisdom.”
It is common for people in stage 8 to experience alternating periods of integrity and despair.
The ultimate goal is to achieve balance.
Criticisms of Erikson’s Theory
There are several criticisms of Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development.
At each stage, a person faces a psychosocial “crisis.”
The way a person responds to each crisis can have a positive or negative effect on their personality.
The theory can, however, provide insight into challenges you may face throughout your life span.
Chung D.The eight stages of psychosocial protective development: Developmental psychology.
Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science.
2018;8(6).
2016;52(3):496-508. doi:10.1037%2Fa0039875
Journal Psyche.The Freudian theory of personality.
Sorell GT, Montgomery MJ.Feminist perspectives on Erikson’s theory: Their relevance for contemporary identity development research.Identity.
2001;1(2):97-128. doi:10.1207/S1532706XID0102_01
