Developmental Stages

Personal Portrait

Nikki Davis

June 4, 2010

HS 5002, Section 02

Dr. Angeline O’Malley

Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development describes the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan. He believed that personality develops in a series of stages. In his theory he explains eight stages through which a healthy developing human should pass from infancy to late adulthood. According to Erikson (1950), “Each stage builds on the successful completion of earlier stages. The challenges of stages not successfully completed may be expected to reappear as problems in the future”.

In Erikson’s first stage, infancy (birth to 18 months), he centers on the concept of trust vs. mistrust where the infants basic needs are being met. During this stage, the child’s relative understanding of the world and society comes from parents/primary caregiver. Infants are especially dependant for food, sustenance, and comfort. According to Erikson (1950), the major developmental task in infancy is to learn whether or not other people, especially primary caregivers, regularly satisfy basic needs. If caregivers are consistent sources of food, comfort, and affection, an infant learns to trust that others are trustworthy. If they are neglectful, or perhaps even abusive, the infant instead learns mistrust in that the world is in an undependable, unpredictable, and possibly dangerous place. As an infant, I was fortunate to experience the love and nurturing that was needed to gain trust from my caregivers. My mother would rock me to sleep while singing or reading to me. As a result, I developed a passion for music and reading. My parents made me feel like everything was going to be alright. I still believe no matter what happens that eventually everything is going to be alright.

In Erikson’s second developmental stage, Early Childhood (18 Months to 3 years), he asserts that a child begins to explore his surroundings after they gain control of eliminative functions and motor abilities (Harder, 2002). A child has the opportunity to build self-esteem and autonomy as he gain more control over our bodies and acquire new skills (learning right from wrong). In this stage the parents or primary caregivers help the child by being patient and encouraging, which fosters autonomy in the child. Parents or caregivers who are highly restrictive are more likely to instill in the child with a sense of doubt and reluctance to attempt new challenges. My parents allowed me to explore but not to the point where my safety was in jeopardy. They popped my hand if I reached for the socket, floor heater, ashtray, or anything else that was in harm’s way. It was during this stage of my life that I received praise for things that I accomplished; for instance, using the potty and putting my toys away. I learned how to master certain skills for myself.

Erikson believes that the third stage, Play Age (3 to 5 years), is essential to a healthy child. It is during this time that children really learn what they live. They want to imitate adults and others around them. This is the stage where most healthy children begin to broaden their skills through active play of all sorts, including fantasy. They also learn to cooperate with others and to lead as well as follow. Young children in this category face the challenge of initiative versus guilt. Nevertheless, Erikson (1968) said that at this stage children usually become involved in the classic “Oedipal struggle” and resolve these struggles through “social role identification”. As a result, the child can be immobilized by guilt. According to Erikson (1950) the child is fearful, hangs on the fringe of groups, continues to depend unduly on adults, and is restricted both in the development of play skills and in imagination. As a child, I remember walking in my mother’s shoes when she was not wearing them. We played dress up and pretended we were queens. My basic family was the most significant relationship.

In Erik Erikson’s fourth stage, School Age (6 to 12 years), children are capable of creating, learning and accomplishing new task (Harder, 2002). They are becoming more aware of themselves as individuals and, as a result, they become more reasonable to share and cooperate. "They work hard at being responsible, being good and doing it right" (Allen & Marotz, 2003). Allen & Marotz (2003) also list some perceptual cognitive developmental traits specific for this age group. Children understand the concepts of space and time in more logical, practical ways and begin to gain a better understanding of cause and effect and calendar time. At this stage, children are eager to learn and accomplish more complex skills such as reading, writing, and telling time. They also get to form moral values, recognize cultural and individual differences and are able to manage most of their personal needs and grooming with minimal assistance (Allen & Marotz, 2003). At this stage, children might express their independence by being disobedient, using back talk, and being rebellious. For myself, I became disobedient but it didn’t take much for them to get me back on track. My parents only had to spank me several times in my life and never for the same thing. If children are encouraged to make and do things and are then praised for their accomplishments, they begin to demonstrate industry by being diligent, preserving at tasks until completed and putting work before pleasure. On the other hand, if children are punished or ridiculed for their efforts or if they feel they are not meeting others (teachers/parents) expectations, they develop feelings of inferiority about their capabilities.

In Erikson’s fifth stage, Adolescence (12 to 18 years), he believes up to this stage development mostly depends upon what is done to us. From here on out what we do determines our development (Harder, 2002). The concept of identity vs. role confusion is used in that it is where a child is neither a child nor an adult. The adolescent is concerned with how they appear to others. This is when what was learned early on play an important part of how an adolescent see themselves. For example, if a child learned mistrust in infancy, shame in early childhood, guilt at play age, and inferiority at school age, what are the chances of this child having a positive image of themselves as an adolescent? Our task is to discover who we are as individuals separate from family. As they make the transition from childhood to adulthood, adolescents ponder the roles they will play in the adult world. Initially, they are apt to experience some role confusion- mixed ideas and feelings about the specific ways in which they will fit into society- and may experiment with a variety of behaviors and activities. At this stage in my life my Grandma taught me some very valuable things. My grandma farmed a beautiful garden which she kept me involved with. From tiling the land, planting the seeds, and watering the garden I learned a great deal. Not only did I learn about vegetation, I learned about life. My grandma taught me the valuable lesson of reaping what you have sown and how one bad fruit can spoil the whole bunch. I also learned that you have to believe in yourself, as well as believe in a Higher Power. My grandma taught me how to live off the land, but most importantly, she showed me by being a good example for me to follow. Erikson (1968) is credited with coining the term "identity crisis" because each stage that came before and that follows has its own 'crisis ', but even more so now, for this marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. It is necessary for this passage to take place because throughout infancy and childhood a person forms much identification. As a marked turning point in human development, it seems to be the reconciliation between the person one has come to be and the person society expects him to become. An emerging sense of self will be established by forging past experiences with anticipations of the future. In relation to the eight life stages as a whole, the fifth stage corresponds to the crossroads, a time of great change of the body as well as the mind. Youth is a bridge between childhood and adulthood. Currently, I find myself in Erik Erikson’s sixth stage of development, Young Adulthood (18 to 35 years). Erikson (1950) expressed that young adults are in a stage of intimacy versus isolation. The Intimacy vs. Isolation conflict is emphasized around the ages of 20 to 34. At the start of this stage, identity vs. role confusion is coming to an end, and it still lingers at the foundation of the next stage (Erikson, 1950). In this stage individuals develop intimate and close relationships with others (Crandell, Crandell, & Vander Zanden, 2009). I find myself struggling with this particular concept extensively. With the type of personality that I have, I constantly look for everyone to "like" me; therefore I never really established a close and intimate relationship with a significant person that means anything. Zucker, Ostrove, & Stewart, (2002) reported that identity certainty may continue to increase over the course of adulthood. I am finding that having tried to make people "like" me that I lost a part of myself. I lost who I was. In finally having the chance to really experience life with someone who loves me for me, I can focus on doing things for myself as well as doing things for my significant other as well, thus making us both happy in our relationship. Erikson (1950) also argues that "Intimacy has a counterpart he calls distantiation which is the readiness to isolate and, if necessary, to destroy those forces and people whose essence seems dangerous to our own, and whose territory seems to encroach on the extent of one 's intimate relations". Once people have established their identities, they are ready to make long-term commitments to others. If people cannot form these intimate relationships (perhaps because of their own needs) a sense of isolation may result. In comparing Kohlberg’s and Erikson’s developmental theories, I discovered that I can relate my life to both theories. There have been both internal (Erikson) and external (Kohlberg) forces that have affected my life. Internally, it was the nurturing and love I received from my Grandmother as a child. She also taught me life lessons. Externally, I watched my grandmother care for her grandmother. It gave me a love and passion for caring for the elderly, not realizing that it was also teaching me how to care for her when she could no longer care for herself.

In the mention of Erikson’s “identity crisis”, I realize that most of my life stages were identified by such crises. At the age of 5, I experienced abandonment and rejection from my father. This shaped my childhood and adolescent years around seeking to hurt before being hurt and also looking for love and attention in others. I learned that a child who grows up not receiving a lot of love and affection may later in life look for love in all the wrong places, thus leading to promiscuous behavior, gang involvement, and /or drug use to fill the void. Subsequently, as an adult I found it hard to acquire and maintain intimate relationships. Kohlberg’s moral development theory focuses more on reasoning. Though growing up I never tried to figure out why I was the way I was or why I did the things I did for attention or to get my way, I have begun to look at the reasons behind those actions and have started to correct the negative characteristics of my being.

Other factors come into play when speaking of the developmental stages of one’s life. These factors include gender differences, environmental, cultural, and ethnical influences. My father, not having nurturing abilities, failed to realize or comprehend the devastation and effects of his leaving the home had on me. Environmentally, most of us lived off of the land and were friendly to each other. However, most of the environment was that of country living and also racial separation. Culturally, our elderly were not placed in nursing homes but remained in the home to be cared for by family. My grandmother cared for her grandmother who cared for her daughter, one not absent from the other. My grandma instilled in me many morals and values that influenced my behavior today.

In conclusion, Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development theorize that there are certain accomplishments that one must encounter to successfully move to the next stage in life. His findings have shown that, in life, sometimes it requires an “identity crisis” to force an individual into another stage so that person may keep moving forward. There are many different aspects of his psychosocial stages that can shape a person into a healthy human being. Personally, I feel that as growing through each stage of my life according to Erikson, I am on my way to being the perfect role model for his theory.

References

Allen, K. E., & Marotz, L. R. (2003). Developmental profiles (4th ed.). Albany, NY: Delmar.

Crain, W. C. (1985). Theories of development. New Jersey:Prentice Hall. pp.118-136

Crandell, T. L., Crandell, C. H., & Vander Zanden, J. W. (2009). Human development (9th ed.).Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society. New York: Norton; Triad/Paladin (1977), p. 242.
Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity, youth and crisis. New York: Norton, p. 54

Harder, A. F. (2002). The developmental stages of Erik Erikson. Retrieved from www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.html

Stevens, R. (1983). Erik Erikson, an introduction. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press. Retrieved from http://openlibrary.org/books/OL3161476M/Erik_Erikson_an_introduction

Zucker, A. N., Ostrove, J. M., & Stewart, A. J. (2002) College-educated women 's personality development in adulthood: Perceptions and age difference. Psychology and Aging. 17(2), 236-244.

References: Allen, K. E., & Marotz, L. R. (2003). Developmental profiles (4th ed.). Albany, NY: Delmar. Crain, W. C. (1985). Theories of development. New Jersey:Prentice Hall. pp.118-136 Crandell, T. L., Crandell, C. H., & Vander Zanden, J. W. (2009). Human development (9th ed.).Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society. New York: Norton; Triad/Paladin (1977), p. 242. Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity, youth and crisis. New York: Norton, p. 54 Harder, A. F. (2002). The developmental stages of Erik Erikson. Retrieved from www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.html Stevens, R. (1983). Erik Erikson, an introduction. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press. Retrieved from http://openlibrary.org/books/OL3161476M/Erik_Erikson_an_introduction Zucker, A. N., Ostrove, J. M., & Stewart, A. J. (2002) College-educated women 's personality development in adulthood: Perceptions and age difference. Psychology and Aging. 17(2), 236-244.