Erik Erikson was a great psychologist of his time. Some modern psychologists even choose to use some of his theories. His biggest, most important theory was the Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development. Each of the eight stages is a developmental turning point where a crisis needs to be met before moving on to the next stage. Going into each stage, one is met with the crisis one must overcome, and leaving each stage, one leaves with a virtue to carry on into the next stage.
The first of Erikson’s eight stages is Trust vs. Mistrust. It begins as soon as a baby is born, and ends around the time the baby is eighteen months old. In this period, a baby learns whether people are dependable or not, depending on whether or not the baby gets his or her needs met. If the needs of the baby do not get met, then mistrust develops, and that carries on through the rest of the seven stages. The virtue that one should gain in stage one is hope/faith.
The second stage is Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt. Between the ages of two and three, a child is becoming an individual. He is toilet training and building his muscles to walk. He is learning the control that he has. If he does not get the support he needs from the people around him, then he will start feeling some shame and doubt. It is important, in this stage, to let him experiment with his control, but be there to support him. The virtue he walks out of this stage with is willpower and determination.
Stage three of Erikson’s eight stages occurs between the ages of four and five. It is the stage of Initiative vs. Guilt. A child in this stage is a lot more active. She plays a lot, and likes to explore. She will start developing a conscience, and an understanding between right and wrong. Support is a key issue in this stage as well. Without support, a sense of guilt can develop and follow through the rest of the stages until the conflict is dealt with. A sense of purpose is the virtue she will gain when things go well in stage three.
Industry vs. Inferiority is what makes up stage four. It runs in children between the ages of six and goes up to adolescence. A child needs to feel a sense of achievement in the work he does, which makes school so important in these early years. If this crisis of needing to find a sense of achievement fails, then he may be left feeling inferior. The virtue he aims to achieve in stage four of Erikson’s eight stages is competency. This, too, will carry through the rest of the stages.
Adolescence is where the fifth stage comes into play. It comes as no surprise that this stage is considered to be the Identity vs. Role confusion stage. An adolescent is trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs in the world. She will begin to experiment with different aspects of her personality, and break away from her parents. The experimentation is important. The more she experiments, the more she will learn about herself. If the crisis is not met positively, and she does not gain a strong sense of self, she will experience some identity confusion and negative identity issues. These issues will carry on through the rest of her stages. During this stage, she will learn the virtue of loyalty.
The sixth stage of Erikson’s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development is Intimacy vs. Isolation. It comes around the age of nineteen and ends somewhere around age forty. In order to have the capacity to join with another, one must have a strong identity. This is the time frame when most people get married. If a person does not have a strong sense of who he is as an individual, he may end up having many relationships. If his crisis goes unresolved, he may end up isolating himself, or feeling isolated from the world. The virtue one learns in stage six is love.
Stage seven occurs between the ages of forty and sixty-five. It is the stage of Generativity vs. Stagnation. A person in stage seven works toward generating work and supporting the next generation. She may have an interest in broad social issues, and may appear unconcerned with others. She needs to learn to balance between caring for others and caring for herself.
Stage eight is the last stage. It is Ego-Integrity vs. Despair. It starts around age sixty-five and goes all the way through to death. In this stage, one should begin feeling fulfilled with the life he has lead. He may ponder the meaning of his life. On the flipside, he can become bitter and, if he is closer to the Despair side of the spectrum, may be unwilling to accept death. Generally, those closer to the Ego-Integrity side of the spectrum do not fear death, but embrace it. The virtue one gains in stage eight is wisdom.
Throughout all eight stages, one continues to learn and face crises after crises. From birth to death, one is motivated by society issues to better oneself. Any unmet crises can affect all other stages. For example, a woman in stage six trying to find love has a hard time trusting men. This mistrust issue could have occurred because in stage one, she did not get all of her needs met, and thus has a difficult time trusting. Each stage, as you can see, is just as crucial to psychosocial development as the next.
