Analyzing Erikson's Stages Of Development

Erik Erikson’s theory consists of nine stages of psychosocial development: trust vs mistrust, autonomy vs shame and doubt, initiative vs guilt, industry vs inferiority, identity vs identity confusion, intimacy vs isolation, generativity vs stagnation, integrity vs despair, and last but not least, hope and faith vs despair. The developmental periods range from birth to very old age. The first stage of Erikson’s theory is trust versus mistrust. The purpose of this stage is to build a sense of hope in infants (Studer, 2006). This period is an essential part of development because the infant is seeking trust in themselves, in their parents, and in life. If the infant does not develop trust, mistrust will be the result end result. The second stage is autonomy versus shame and doubt. In this stage, the
In this stage of late adulthood, the individual is hoping to get a sense of satisfaction out of life (Crandell, Crandell, & Zanden, 2012). If the individual does not feel this satisfaction, he/she may experience despair.The ninth and final stage of Erikson’s theory is hope and faith vs despair. At this very old age, the individual is looking to achieve a new sense of wisdom (Crandell, Crandell, & Zanden, 2012). If this sense of wisdom is not accomplished, he/she may experience feelings of despair. The logic behind Erickson’s theory is to measure the growth and development of an individual in an attempt to shape his/her self-identity in a positive perspective. Each stage requires positive reinforcement in order for the individual to experience the favored final outcome. In order for this to happen, all parents must be able to be build a sense of trustworthiness in infant by caring for the them and making sure that he/she is well taken care of. When the feeling of trustworthiness is accomplished, the parent must then be supportive and allow the child to develop self-control without neglecting or controlling them (Atalay,