1

Signature Assignment
By:
Brooke Wilde

Brooke Wilde
Tammy McCreery
PSY 1100
May 1, 2016

Erik Erikson was a German theorist who studied the psychosocial stages of human
development and then categorized them into eight crises. Sigmund Freud and his stages of
human development, which lead Erikson to become a theorist himself, fascinated Erikson.
Erikson emphasized the role of culture and society and the conflicts that can take place within
the ego itself, whereas Freud emphasized the conflict between the id and the superego (McLeod,
2008). Erikson named two polarities at each stage (which is why the word versus is used in
each), but he recognized that many outcomes between these opposites are possible (Berger, 2014,
pg.25). Erik Eriksons theory is very descriptive of the stages of human development and can be
easily applied to personal experience.
The first stage is what Erikson referred to as Trust vs. Mistrust. This happens from birth
through the first eighteen months of ones life. During this stage a child will either develop a
trust or mistrust for their caregivers and the way they care for their basic needs. If the child trusts
the caregiver he will learn confidence, optimism and trust, if the child doesnt trust the caregiver
this could cause the child to feel worthlessness and insecurities. This stage will lead to the virtue
of hope (McLeod, 2008). If something happens to the child the child will have hope that
someone will be there to, for example, catch them if the fall.
The second stage is called Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt, which occurs from eighteen
months to three years of age. This stage is similar to Freuds stage that he called the Anal Stage.
During this stage children either become self-sufficient in many activities, including toileting,

feeding, walking, exploring, and talking, or doubt their own abilities (Berger, 2014, pg.24). In
this stage of development children can feel a sense of shame when they cannot accomplish the
things around them that they instinctually feel they should be able too. If a child is toilet training
and struggles with it he may feel shame or doubt but once he accomplishes toilet training he will
have success in the virtue of will (McLeod, 2008).
The third stage is Initiative vs. Guilt, this occurs approximately from three to six years of
age. During this time in the human development children begin copying the world around them
and exploring it as well, this is the time when children begin asking why. On the reverse side
children may internalize the limits and prohibitions set by parents and feel guilty. Guilt could
also be caused by the struggle to reach goals. For example, a child attempting to learn to tie a
show might become frustrated when they cannot master the skill.
The fourth stage is Industry vs. Inferiority, this is around the age of six to twelve years of
age. During this stage children are capable of learning and mastering many new skills. Children
at this stage are also experiencing an expanded social world; this is when a child might struggle
with the inferiority side of things while he tries to feel adequate among his peers. This stage can
bring about many self-esteem issues in a child. When a child enters school and has a large peer
group he or she may begin comparing himself to others and expect certain things of him or her
self. For example, if all of the childs classmates are athletes then the child will feel the need to
also be athletic and feel inferior if he or she isnt. On the other hand the child will feel
competence if they are athletic like the rest of their classmates.
The fifth stage is Identity vs. Role Confusion, that occurs during the adolescent ages of 12
to 18 year olds. Adolescents establish sexual, political, and vocational identities or they are
confused about what roles to play (Berger, 2014, pg.24). This is the time when teenagers have

crazy hair colors or dress eccentric to attempt to discover their own identity. The sixth stage is
Intimacy vs. Isolation, this occurs in young adults when they seek to find someone to share their
life with. Young adults seek deep intimacy and a satisfying relationship, but if unsuccessful,
isolation may occur (Eriksons Stages of Development, 2016).
The seventh stage is referred to as Generativity vs. Stagnation. This stage happens during
middle adulthood when humans create a family or contribute to society by attributing to the next
generation. If these middle-aged adults do not make this choice they may feel meaningless and
inactive as well as stagnant. The eighth and final stage of Eriksons theory of human
development happens during late adulthood and is called Integrity or Despair. This is when older
adults try to make sense out of their lives, either seeing life as a meaningful whole or despairing
at the goals they never reached (Berger, 2014, pg24).
Today, Eriksons psychosocial theory is considered one of the most influential theories of
development. From current research some critique Eriksons theory stating that it doesnt cover
cognitive development and emotional development (Ayub, 2016). Erikson also doesnt give
attention to what causes a human to enter the crisis of each stage. Another interesting critique is
that Erikson suggests that after adolescence humans have no struggles with identity. This would
mean that no matter what happens to a human throughout their lifetime they wouldnt ever
struggle with an identity crisis after adolescence. Although there are critics on Erik Eriksons
theory it has still played an important role in studying the development of humans in many ways.
One being that it helped expand the knowledge about human development that Freud first began
with his theory.
It seems natural to experience the conflict that each stage proposes. The best candidate I
know that showcases each stage of Eriksons theory is my mother. However her path seemed to

take her through some developmental stages more than just once. From the stories my mother
has told me she seemed to always beat to the sound of her own drum, hypothetically speaking.
This benefited her when she was an adolescent and experienced Identity vs. Role Confusion, she
knew who she was and never struggled to find her place in society. As she became a young adult
she married my father at age 21 and seemed to have flown through Intimacy vs. Isolation. My
mother also seemed to breezed right through Generativity vs. Stagnation, she had an easy time
finding a career and building a family after she married my father. She and my father had three
daughters and by the age of 36 they divorced and my mother once again struggled with Intimacy
vs. Isolation. It had almost seemed as if she had never fully went through this stage and instead
skipped ahead to the next, having to return at a later time in her life.
Growing up and watching my mother struggle with finding a companion to share her life
with could be confusing at times. My mother seemed to struggle with how important finding that
significant other really was. One day she would weep telling us she was afraid to be alone and
the next she would be in acceptance of it. This shaped my mom's personality when she finally
stopped questioning whether or not she would find the one. Now she will tell you that she will
never be alone because she as all of her children to share her life with. Another positive outcome
from her struggles through the stages and specifically finding a companion is now she can be
involved in her childrens lives and not worry about her future. The growth Ive personally seen
in her has been inspiring to watch, I would describe it as watching someone find their true
potential and become truly happy with who they are and what they did with their life.
In conclusion Erik Erikson had some great theories that broadened many aspects of the
study of human development. However, Erikson seemed to ignore the fact that people may at
anytime in their life experience a crisis that might take them back to an earlier developmental

stage of their life. This was clear in my mothers case when she struggled with Eriksons stage
Intimacy vs. Isolation, in her case the sixth and seventh stage seemed to swap places.

References
Citation: Eriksons Stages of Development. (2016, May 01). Retrieved from:
http://www.learning-theories.com/eriksons-stages-of-development.html
Ayub, S (2016). Critical Analysis on Psychosocial Theory of Erik Erikson. Retrieved from:
http://www.academia.edu/13435846/Critical_Analysis_on_Psychosocial_Theory_of_Erik_Eriks
on
Berger, K. S. (2014). Invitation to the Life Span. Worth Publishers. New York, NY.
Mcleod, S. (2008). Erik Erikson. Retrieved from: http://www.simplypsychology.org/ErikErikson.html