Erik Erikson
Stages of Social
Development
Trust vs Mistrust (Infancy: 0-1)
 babies
need to learn that they can trust
their caregivers to fulfill their needs and
that their requests are effective
 sense
of trust or mistrust carries for life
Autonomy vs Shame
(Toddlerhood:1-3)
 toddlers
begin to exert their will over their bodies
(autonomy)
 potty
 learn
training is an early effort at this
to control temper tantrums
 if
we learn how to control ourselves and our
environment in reasonable ways:
 we
develop a healthy will
 we can control our body and emotional reactions
through following social challenges
Initiative vs. Guilt (PreSchool 3-6)
 natural
curiosity about our
surroundings
 ask many questions
 if our curiosity is encouraged,
we will feel comfortable
expressing it always
 if not, we feel guilty and will not
express it
Industry vs. Inferiority
(Elementary 6-Puberty)
 in
first grade, we are asked to
produce work that is evaluated
 if we perform as well as our peers, we
feel competent


if not, inferiority complex!
→ anxiety about our performance in
that area
Identity vs. Role Confusion
(Adolescence teens-early 20s)
 in
adolescence, our main social task is to
discover what social identity we are most
comfortable with

maybe try out different roles
 identity

crisis
if an adolescent doesn’t figure out a sense
of self, they might have one later in life
Intimacy vs. Isolation
(early 20s –early 40s)
 young
adults figure out how to balance
time and effort between work,
relationships, and self

the patterns we choose become relatively
permanent
Generativity vs. Stagnation
(mid40s – early 60s)
 we
look critically at our life
path
 we try to ensure that our lives
are going the way we want
 Living
purposeful life or am I
stuck in a rut?
Integrity vs. Despair (60s +)
 toward
the end of life
 we look back at our accomplishments
and decide if we’re satisfied


if so, we can step outside society and offer
wisdom
if not, we may fall into despair over lost
opportunities