Psychosocial Theory of Erik Erikson

I’m going to talk a little about the Psychosocial Theory of Erik Erikson. Erikson’s Theory has eight stages (much like Sigmund Freud, Erikson believed that personality develops in a series of stages), each one consist of a task that confronts individuals with a crisis. While better the task is resolved, the more psychological healthy an individual will be. Also we saw that very stage has both positive and negative sides. The negative one is what the individual got when he couldn't achieve the task.

The eight stages are:

Trust versus Mistrust.

Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt

Initiative versus Guilt

Industry versus Inferiority

Identity versus Role Confusion

Intimacy versus Isolation

Generativity versus Stagnation

Ego Integrity versus Despair.

Now I’m going to add a little example of 5 stages:

Trust versus Mistrust: As an example of this stage, we can appoint that is something that usually happens in families, the first born receives a lot of attention and warm care, while the family grows up, and sometimes affection starts to drop. The first son of a marriage usually is more secure and develops better trust than other members of the family.

Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt: We can add as an example of this stage, when a child is learning to use the toilet (toilet training). The child starts to have some control over his physical skills and a sense of independence. If he got to master the task of toilet training he’ll develop a sense of autonomy, if not he’ll feel insecure and will develop shame and doubt.

Initiative versus Guilt: This is from 3 to 5 years. Is the age when children develop like other level of activities its imagination grow and is more energetic.

I have a cousin of this age and she starts to move more freely around the house, I remember her a year ago and she was like shyer, she barely uttered a word and now you can engage in a little conversation with her, her vocabulary is wider and she makes a lot of questions. I think now she is more active and she already knows what she can do along with what is capable of doing.

Industry versus Inferiority: In this stage (from 5 to 13) children are able to go to school; some of they are even exited of doing new things of planning those things and they are eager to learn new stuff and to work with partners. And when they feel like they’re not good enough on doing some of those things they got the sense of inferiority.

Identity versus Role Confusion: I’m a living example of this stage, when I was in Secondary School I remember I passed all kind of identity

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