An Introduction to Erikson’s Stages of Development

Psychoanalyst Erik Eriksons stages of psychosocial development theorize a model of human psychological growth made up of eight stages that cover the entire lifespan from birth to old age. Each stage is defined by a central crisis that the individual must grapple with to move on to the next stage. Erikson’s theory has been highly influential in scholars’ understanding of human development and identity formation. Key Takeaways: Erikson's Stages of Development Erik Eriksons stages of development describe eight periods spanning the human lifecycle.Development does not end when an individual reaches adulthood, but continues for their whole life.Each stage of development revolves around a central crisis that the individual must contend with to progress to the next stage.Success at each stage relies on succeeding in previous stages. People must proceed through the stages in the order laid out by Erikson. Trust vs. Mistrust The first stage takes place in infancy and ends around age 1. Letting caretakers out of sight without anxiety is an infants first social achievement. In other words, infants must develop a sense of trust in their caretakers and the people around them. Newborns come into the world vulnerable and dependent on others to survive. When a child’s caretakers successfully provide for their needs—like food, warmth, and safety—the child develops confidence in the world as a safe and secure place. If the child’s needs are not met, however, they come to perceive the world as inconsistent and untrustworthy. This doesn’t mean that all mistrust is bad. A certain amount of mistrust is necessary; without it, a child could become too trusting and consequently would not know when to be skeptical of people’s intentions. Still, an individual should emerge from this stage with a greater sense of trust than mistrust. An infant who triumphs in this endeavor will develop the virtue of hope, which is the belief that desires are achievable despite the chaos of the world. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt The second stage takes place when the child is around 2 or 3 years old. Growing children become more capable of doing things on their own. If they are supported in their newfound independence, they learn confidence in their abilities. On the other hand children who are too controlled or criticized will start to doubt their ability to take care of themselves. A kid who emerges from this stage with a greater sense of autonomy than shame or doubt develops the virtue of will: the ability to make choices freely while also having self-control when appropriate. Initiative vs. Guilt The third stage takes place between the ages of 3 and 6. Preschool-age children start to take initiative in pursuing individual objectives. When they are successful, they develop a sense of competence in their ability to make and achieve goals. If accomplishing their goals meets resistance or becomes socially problematic, they experience guilt. Too much guilt can lead to a lack of self-confidence. Someone who emerges from this stage with an overall positive experience in taking initiative develops the virtue of purpose, or the ability to determine what they want and go for it. Industry vs. Inferiority The fourth stage takes place from 6 to 11 years old, marked by the child’s first forays into grade school and structured learning. This is the first time they must try to understand and contend with the expectations of the wider culture. At this age, kids learn what it means to be a good member of society in terms of productivity and morality. Children who come to believe they cannot function properly in society develop feelings of inferiority. Those who experience success at this stage acquire the virtue of competence, developing sufficient skills and learning to be capable at different tasks. Identity vs. Role Confusion The fifth stage takes place during adolescence and in some cases can extend into the 20s. With the onset of puberty, physical and cognitive changes cause adolescents to consider the future for the first time. Theyre trying to figure out who they are and what they want. On the other hand, theyll worry about making unwise commitments, and are concerned about the way others, especially their peers, perceive them. While identity development is a lifelong process, the fifth stage a key time for individuation as adolescents start to choose and pursue the roles they wish to fulfill as adults. They also must begin to develop a worldview that gives them a sense of personal perspective. Success here results in a coherent sense of identity that leads to the virtue of fidelity, which is loyalty to one’s commitments. Intimacy vs. Isolation The sixth stage takes place during young adulthood. While adolescents are often too preoccupied to truly be intimate with another person, young adults are individuals with an established sense of their own identity who can achieve genuine interpersonal connections. At this stage, those whose relationships remain impersonal experience isolation. People who achieve more intimacy than isolation at this stage will develop the virtue of mature love. Generativity vs. Stagnation The seventh stage takes place during midlife. At this time, people turn their attention to what theyll offer the next generation. Erikson called this â€Å"generativity.† Adults who produce something that contributes to the future, like creative works and new ideas, are being generative. Adults who are unsuccessful at this stage become stagnant, self-absorbed, and bored. However, generative adults who contribute to the next generation avoid becoming overly self-indulgent and develop the virtue of care. Ego Integrity vs. Despair The eighth and final stage takes place during old age. At this point, people start to look back on their lives. If they can accept and find meaning in their lifelong accomplishments, theyll achieve integrity. If people look back and don’t like what they see, they realize that life is too short to try out alternatives or repair regrets, which leads to despair. Finding meaning in one’s life in old age results in the virtue of wisdom. The Structure of the Stages Erikson was influenced by the work of Sigmund Freud, particularly Freuds stage theory of psychosexual development. Erikson expanded on the five stages outlined by Freud by assigning psychosocial tasks to each stage, then adding three additional stages for later periods of adulthood. Erikson’s stages rest on the epigenetic principle, the idea that one moves through each stage depending on the outcome of the previous one and, therefore, that individuals must go through the stages in a specific order. At each stage, individuals must wrestle with a central psychosocial conflict to advance to the next stage. Each stage has a particular conflict because individual growth and sociocultural context work together to bring that conflict to the individuals attention at a particular point in life. For example, an infant who develops more mistrust than trust in a caretaker during the first stage may experience role confusion during the fifth stage. Similarly, if an adolescent emerges from the fifth stage without having successfully developed a strong sense of identity, he or she may have difficulty developing intimacy during the sixth stage. Because of such structural elements, Erikson’s theory communicates two key points: Development does not stop at adulthood. Rather, individuals continue to develop throughout their entire lifespan.Each stage of development hinges upon the individual’s interaction with the social world. Critiques Eriksons stage theory has faced some criticism for its limitations. Erikson was vague about what an individual must experience to successfully overcome the conflict of each stage. He also wasn’t specific about how people move through the various stages. Erikson knew that his work was unclear. He explained his intention to provide context and descriptive detail for development, not precise facts about developmental mechanisms. Nevertheless, Erikson’s theory inspired much research into human development, identity, and personality. Resources and Further Reading Crain, William C. Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications. 6th ed., Psychology Press, 2015.Dunkel, Curtis S., and Jon A. Sefcek. â€Å"Eriksonian Lifespan Theory and Life History Theory: An Integration Using the Example of Identity Formation.† Review of General Psychology, vol. 13, no. 1, 1 Mar. 2009, pp. 13-23.Erikson, Erik H. Childhood and Society. Norton, 1963.Erikson, Erik H. Identity, Youth, and Crisis. Norton, 1968.McAdams, Dan P. The Person: An Introduction to the Science of Personality Psychology. 5th ed., Wiley, 2008.McLeod, Saul. â€Å"Erik Eriksons Stages of Psychosocial Development.† Simply Psychology, 2018.

Wealth and Happiness - 753 Words

Engelsk eksamensopgave – Opgave A 1. Give an outline on the views on the relation between wealth and happiness presented in texts 1 and 2. In text 1 David tells us of how wealth is nothing compared to your relationships with other people. Through many studies it has been shown that people get more happiness out of socializing with people than making lots of money. Text 1 ends with the conclusion that personal triumphs are important, but not as important as relationships. In text 2 we are told that studies show that people are happier when using money on experiences rather than on material goods like a new couch. Some studies also show that people tend to want what the neighbor has. But if people spend more money on experiences, they†¦show more content†¦But does a long life necessarily mean a happy life? â€Å"If you have a successful marriage, it doesn’t matter how many professional setbacks you endure, you will be reasonably happy. If you have an unsuccessful marriage, it doesn’t matter how many career triumphs you record, you will remain significantly unfulfilled† David strongly disagrees with the research, and makes the statement that a good marriage means a good life. He also insures to tell the reader that there are lots of data to back it up, so we know that it isn’t just he who only thinks it. The reader is then explained sets of studies where people are tested for what gives the most happiness in life. One example of the text is that, a group of people who meets once a month produces the same amount of happiness as a doubling of your income. David Brooks’s conclusion on the text is that, career triumphs actually give lots of happiness, but they emerge out of your relationships with other people so therefore relationships is the most important thing. David gives the text an open end. Is it the school systems fault? Do they prepare children more for a career than for making big social decisions? 3. 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Diversity Walkabout Free Essays

It cost us $12 to get in, but we learned that all proceed des go towards the Human Rights Education Project which aims to educate refugees and immigrant ants about their legal rights and responsibilities. In the hour or so that we were there, we saw a display of diverse backgrounds and cultures. We ate a variety of unfamiliar foods. We will write a custom essay sample on Diversity Walkabout or any similar topic only for you Order Now My favorite the inning I tried was Baklava made by a woman named Man. It was uplifting to see how proud SSH e was of her culture and what she had made. It was very crowded and as we walked throw GHz we encountered efferent cultures being represented through art, music, dance, and cuisine. T here was one woman displaying what looked like handmade corn husk dolls, squatting next to a man dancing and playing the drums. This was just one example of how the cultures mixed and blended and everyone was just happy to be celebrating this day together. At the end of the nightwear watched Erik George, a Professor of Law at the University of Utah receive the Human Rights award for her work against sexual assault. It was an nice closure to the night. This experience was very new for me but I really enjoyed it. The atmosphere was very friendly and I didn’t feel like anyone was judging anyone else and there was a sense of appreciation amongst everyone. It was an opportunity for me to see how dive rose Salt Lake really is, something that think people are often oblivious to. This experience was did efferent than other experiences I have had because it was as though I was an outsider learning lee raring about cultures knew nothing about, when usually my culture is the prominent one. Am very happy that ended up attending this event. It made me feel like I had learned a lot a ND exposed myself to cultures I wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to. I now have a deeper a appreciation for the diversity that Salt Lake has to offer. This event is very relatable to what we have been learning in social justice. We have learned that the main reason why stereotypes and generalizations exist is beck cause people are uneducated and ignorant to how things really are. By going to this event, I WA s able to learn about different cultures. I don’t think had any prejudices before going but I w as under many else impressions about the people that also call Salt Lake a home. Now, I can say that know a little more than I did before and hopefully I can use that to do my part to stop the discrimination that happens against diverse cultures. There are still so many things I could lee ran about these cultures, but at least now I know they exist and I have seen a small portion of all the beautiful things they do and create. If anyone tried to tell me that Salt Lake wasn’t diver SE or that the mixing of cultures throughout the city aren’t important I would tell them that I eave seen first hand how wrong that is. How to cite Diversity Walkabout, Papers

Diversity Walkabout Free Essays

It cost us $12 to get in, but we learned that all proceed des go towards the Human Rights Education Project which aims to educate refugees and immigrant ants about their legal rights and responsibilities. In the hour or so that we were there, we saw a display of diverse backgrounds and cultures. We ate a variety of unfamiliar foods. We will write a custom essay sample on Diversity Walkabout or any similar topic only for you Order Now My favorite the inning I tried was Baklava made by a woman named Man. It was uplifting to see how proud SSH e was of her culture and what she had made. It was very crowded and as we walked throw GHz we encountered efferent cultures being represented through art, music, dance, and cuisine. T here was one woman displaying what looked like handmade corn husk dolls, squatting next to a man dancing and playing the drums. This was just one example of how the cultures mixed and blended and everyone was just happy to be celebrating this day together. At the end of the nightwear watched Erik George, a Professor of Law at the University of Utah receive the Human Rights award for her work against sexual assault. It was an nice closure to the night. This experience was very new for me but I really enjoyed it. The atmosphere was very friendly and I didn’t feel like anyone was judging anyone else and there was a sense of appreciation amongst everyone. It was an opportunity for me to see how dive rose Salt Lake really is, something that think people are often oblivious to. This experience was did efferent than other experiences I have had because it was as though I was an outsider learning lee raring about cultures knew nothing about, when usually my culture is the prominent one. Am very happy that ended up attending this event. It made me feel like I had learned a lot a ND exposed myself to cultures I wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to. I now have a deeper a appreciation for the diversity that Salt Lake has to offer. This event is very relatable to what we have been learning in social justice. We have learned that the main reason why stereotypes and generalizations exist is beck cause people are uneducated and ignorant to how things really are. By going to this event, I WA s able to learn about different cultures. I don’t think had any prejudices before going but I w as under many else impressions about the people that also call Salt Lake a home. Now, I can say that know a little more than I did before and hopefully I can use that to do my part to stop the discrimination that happens against diverse cultures. There are still so many things I could lee ran about these cultures, but at least now I know they exist and I have seen a small portion of all the beautiful things they do and create. If anyone tried to tell me that Salt Lake wasn’t diver SE or that the mixing of cultures throughout the city aren’t important I would tell them that I eave seen first hand how wrong that is. How to cite Diversity Walkabout, Papers