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Human Development: Erikson’s psychosocial stages
Jane Doe
Mia Holder, M.A.
Houston Community College
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Chapter 9: Erikson’s psychosocial stages – Trust versus Mistrust (birth to 18 months)
According to McCarthy & Maughan (2004), there has been a growing body of research indicating
that negative childhood experiences may lead to an increased risk of poor relationships as an adult.
Although not all children exposed to negative relationships as children do grow up with difficulties in
adult relationships, numerous studies however show that individuals who are not securely attached as
infants go into adulthood with childhood experiences that may lead to psychosocial issues. To understand
early childhood behaviors, Erik Erikson (1902-1994) proposed eight psychosocial stages of development
from infancy through old age. Of the eight stages, Erikson theorized that the first four stages were in early
childhood and needed to be mastered at a particular place in the life span (King 2014). Erikson also
theorized that two possible outcomes could come out of the development tasks – either mastery which
would result in greater strength and competency or weakness which would lead to vulnerability (King
2014).
Based on Erikson’s theory, the first stage of trust versus mistrust occurs from birth to eighteen
months when a baby’s basic needs such as comfort, food and warmth are met by responsive, sensitive
caregivers (King 2014) therefore, the brain system responsible for healthy emotional relationships will not
develop in a healthy way in the absence of normal bonding attachments at this critical stage of a child’s
life (Perry, 2004). Once trust is established at this stage, toddlers begin to see themselves as independent
people. Research conducted by Von der Lippe, Eilertsen, Hartmann and Killen (2010) suggests that for an
infant, the primary caregiver (who in most cases is the mother) is regarded as a ‘secure base’ where s/he
can turn to when the attachment system is aroused, although the prerequisite for being a secure base is
based on the caregiver’s own early secure relationships
To further corroborate this theory, Dr Mary Ainsworth developed the strange situation procedure
which could also influence bonding and attachment and indicates whether a child is securely attached or
insecurely attached. Based on Ainsworth’s theory, a securely attached child is upset when the mother or
caregiver leaves but calms down when she returns. The child may then move freely away from the mother
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or caregiver but constantly keeps glancing at her. On the other hand, the insecurely attached child either
ignores their mother or caregiver when she returns or exhibits intense distress when she leaves and rage
when she returns (Perry, 2004)
These theories came to life for me as I reflected on my cousin’s situation and saw certain patterns
that I had previously missed. My cousin is a thirty-five year old female who lives here in Houston. We
were born five years apart but have been very close since childhood. To our family’s frustration and
anger, my cousin has never married or had a long-term relationship. She had tried dating when she was in
her early twenties but broke off the relationship because she became too stressed out worrying about
whether her boyfriend was faithful to her or if he loved her enough. She got so upset when he did not call
her at certain times that everyone around her became miserable. She exhibited the same traits in
relationships with her female friends, colleagues or anyone who got close to her. She constantly suspected
that her friends were insincere or that they would leave her. This got so bad that she lost even her female
friends because they got tired of her accusations and her constant need for them to reaffirm their loyalty
or friendship. As much as she craved close relationships and companionship, she inadvertently sent
people away from her because they could not keep up with her emotional demands. One day out of
hopelessness and despair, I begged her to sit down and talk honestly and openly with me. She resisted at
first but gradually over a series of days, she opened up and unlocked a whole lot of emotions that she had
bottled up inside. Through our discussions I found out that deep down she was insecure and did not trust
that the people around her were there out of a genuine love for her. She confessed that she was afraid to
trust and accept them because she was afraid that if she opened herself completely they would eventually
leave and she could not cope with the thought. As we got deeper in our conversations over time, it
occurred to me that she probably had a problem with intimacy and was afraid to form attachments with
people because of an experience she had as an infant when she was too young to even realize. When she
was nine months old her mother left her back in Nigeria because she won a three-year scholarship to
study abroad. As it was a whole new experience, her mother could not afford to travel with her because it
would be too tedious to look after her while in school. Her mother had no choice but to leave her with
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relatives who though caring in their own way, did not provide her with the secure bond and attachment
she needed at that time. This led to her unconscious fear of close relationships because she was trying to
protect herself from being hurt and abandoned. Her mother did return home after her studies but she said
she had always wondered why there was no emotional connection between them. I was able to convince
her to see a therapist by pointing out to her the obvious link between her past and the pattern unfolding
around her. She has been in therapy for some time now and reports getting more clarity about her life
issues. She also reports feeling less anxious and ambivalent about relationships. M y hope is that she will
emerge from therapy better equipped to navigate her relationships with close friends and hopefully get
into a romantic relationship.
With attachment problems one question is often asked – are attachment problems always from
abuse? Perry (2004) believes that the answer is no, because as we can see in this case, she did not suffer
any trauma or abuse. Her attachment issues were as a result of honest and ignorant oversights made by
her parents who ‘abandoned’ her at such a crucial time and inattentive family members who became her
care-givers in the absence of her parents. Perhaps if her mother had delayed going back to school for
another year, she would have enjoyed more nurturing at this crucial stage of development.
We may never truly know if there is indeed a connection between her mother’s absence in her
childhood and her current situation, but one thing I have learned in this instance is the fact that the first
few years of a child’s life are very crucial. It is important to provide the right environment and surround
the child with the best care possible in order to expect the best outcome in life. Human bonds,
unconditional love and positive physical touch all go a long way in providing a safe nurturing
environment for a child to grow into a healthy and emotionally stable adult.
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References
King, L. (2014). The Science of Psychology. NY: McGraw-Hill.