Erikson’s Stages of Development
• Infancy
Trust vs Mistrust (birth-18 mos) - needs to learn that the world and people are
safe, that his/her basic needs will be met, and that the world is basically OK
Failure to experience trust and/or have basic needs met may result in deep-seated feelings
of worthlessness, inadequacy and a mistrust of the world in general
•
Early Childhood
Autonomy vs Shame (18 mos-3 years) - needs to master skills for themselves, be
able to assert her/his will (NO!), build self-esteem
If the child is shamed during the process of learning skills or toilet training, he/she may
develop great shame and doubt about capabilities and suffer low self-esteem and selfefficacy
•
Play Age
Initiative vs Guilt (3-5 years) - needs to be able to ask WHY, know it is OK to
express negative emotions, make up stories with Barbies and Kens, toy phones
and hot wheel cars, and play out roles in a trial universe
If frustration is experienced during the process of pursuing natural desires and roles, the
child may experience incredible guilt, which leads to insecurity, confusion, and fear of the
world
•
School Age
Industry vs Inferiority (6-12 years) - during this stage, the child is capable of
learning, creating and accomplishing new skills and knowledge; it is also a very
social stage of development
Experiencing unresolved feelings of inadequacy and inferiority among peers can result in
serious issues with competence and self-esteem
• Adolescence
Identity vs Role Confusion (12-18 years) - the task during this stage is to discover who
we are as individuals separate from our family of origin and as members of a wider
society; also developing a philosophy of life, wrestling with moral issues and navigating
social interactions (till now, development mostly depends on what is done to us; from
here on out though, development depends on what we do)
If we are unsuccessful during this stage, role confusion, moral ambiguities and social
inadequacies will abound