What Is Erikson's Eight Stage Of Development?

Erikson’s theory states “individuals not only develop a unique personality, but also acquire attitudes and skills that make them active, contributing members of their society that recognize development throughout a lifespan and the impact of culture” (Berk, 2014. p. 16). Based on Erickson’s eight stages, when a child is in the early childhood stage of development, they are considered to be in the initiative versus guilt stage. Just as the term indicates, initiative is when the child begins to try new things, is able to successfully communicate with their peers, and has high levels of curiosity about new concepts and objects. When receiving support from family members and the community, children are more likely to become a major contributor
to society. However, when a child is criticized or under strict control, the child may develop a sense of guilt (McLeod, 2017). This stage is critical for a child as they discover themselves and try to understand their beliefs and purpose in life.
Middle Childhood Developmental Stage
Middle childhood expands from the ages of six through eleven-years-old.
Unlike early childhood, the cognitive skills established in middle childhood are more fully developed with children being able to process logic and provide a “point of view” on topics (Berk, 2014). Piaget’s theory of concrete operational is the best source to review how children process information in the middle childhood stage. The concrete operational stage starts around the age of seven. This process is when thought “becomes logical, flexible, and is organized in its application for concrete information, but the capacity for abstract thinking is not yet present” (Berk, 2014. p. 299). Around the ages of six to eight, children’s attention span, memory size, vocabulary words, and definitions all increase and become more refined.
The social skills developed in middle childhood are maturity and self-awareness. Erikson’s theory for this phase is known as industry vs. inferiority. Industry refers to a “positive, but realistic self-concept, pride in accomplishment, moral responsibility, and cooperative participation with age-mates” (Berk, 2014. p. 330). At this stage, peers become more valuable and become major contributors for the child’s self-esteem. However, when a child has not discovered a specific talent, they will begin to fall into the inferiority trap and may not ever gain a high self-esteem about
themselves.
The biological attributes established in the middle childhood stage are further developed than in the early childhood stage. Although the body decreases its growth rate, muscles become more defined and the majority of the baby teeth are lost (Berk, 2014). During middle childhood, children may experience nighttime growth pain, which mean stiffness in the legs (Berk, 2014).
When a child is in the middle childhood stage, proper nutrition is essential since during this stage, it is more acceptable to be overweight or suffer from obesity. Correspondingly, middle childhood is the time when children may experience a greater number of illnesses because during this stage, children tend to be more susceptible to illnesses that other children may bring to school and spread.
During the middle childhood stage, psychological development is covered by the fourth stage of Erikson’s theory, which is industry versus inferiority. Unlike children in the early childhood stage who are heavily focused on new adventures and discovering new territories, the children in the middle childhood stage concentrate heavily on being creative and productive in society. In addition, the understanding of self–esteem and self-identity becomes more distinguished. Parents and community involvement is imperative at this stage. In the middle childhood stage, children begin to recognize the importance of their parents' support. “They respect their parents' knowledge and skills and strive to be like their parents” (Psychosocial Development, 2017).