Analyzing Erikson's Eight Stages Of Human Development

In the late 1950’s Erik Erikson developed a theory that there are eight stages to human development throughout the lifespan. Extensive research was performed by Erikson and his colleagues on hundreds of college men and women. Uniquely, the last three stages of biological, emotional, and cognitive development during early, middle, and late adulthood impact our quality of life. According to Santrock (2016), in Erikson’s sixth stage during early adulthood at the age of twenty-thirty years old we experience intimacy versus isolation. He states, “At this time, individuals face the developmental task of forming intimate relationships. If young adults form healthy friendships and an intimate relationship with a partner, intimacy will be achieved;
As Santrock (2016) states, “During this stage, a person reflects on the past. If the person’s life review reveals a life well spent, integrity will be achieved; if not, the retrospective glances will yield doubt or gloom-the despair Erikson described,” (p. 18). Since the early 1900’s life expectancy has increased tremendously; resulting in, a decrease in the older generation’s onset of chronic diseases. In fact, it has been recently discovered that an individual’s gene pool has an impact on life expectancy. In particular, a cell called, telomeres, which contributes to the makeup of a person’s DNA. According to Santrock (2016), “Injecting the enzyme telomerase into human cells grown in a laboratory can substantially extend the life of the cells beyond the approximately 70 to 80 normal cell divisions,” (p. 368). However, the research is not complete and there is ongoing gene and stem cell studies taking place in order to determine the actual level of regeneration. Nevertheless, during the final stage of life there are many options today, in comparison, to decades ago. For instance, Advance care planning, advance directives, and living wills are available to list desires on medical treatment and wishes upon approaching death. These options alleviate the family from the burden of planning for unexpected financial medical expenses and funeral costs. Also, in today’s society, unlike in the past, passive (person allowed to die by withholding medical care) and active euthanasia (deliberately induced death) are being utilized more and more in hospital settings. In hospital and institutional settings end of life care costs are overwhelming for families and medical facilities, such as: hospice palliative care (reduce pain and suffering while dying) has been transitioning from taking place in an institutional setting to the family home environment which, has