Erikson’s 8 Stages of Life
(pg. 366)
Stage
(Crisis/Conflict)
Age Range
Description or Example
Important
Relationships
Positive
Outcomes
(Virtues)
Negative Outcomes
(Maladaptations and
Malignancies)
1. Trust vs. Mistrust
0-1 (Infant)
Mother
Hope
Faith
Sensory Distortion
Withdrawal
2. Autonomy vs.
Shame/Doubt
2-3 (Toddler)
Parents
Will
Determination
Impulsivity
Compulsion
3. Initiative vs. Guilt
3-6 (Preschooler)
Family
Purpose
Courage
Ruthlessness
Inhibition
4. Industry vs.
Inferiority
7-12 (School-Age
Child)
Neighborhood
School
Competence
Narrow Virtuosity
Inertia
Chart adapted from Erikson's 1959 Identity and the Life Cycle (Psychological Issues vol 1, #1)
Taken From: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/erikson.html
Erikson’s 8 Stages of Life
(pg. 366)
Stage
(Crisis/Conflict)
Age Range
Description or Example
Important
Relationships
Positive
Outcomes
(Virtues)
Negative Outcomes
(Maladaptations and
Malignancies)
5. Ego Identity vs.
Role Confusion
12-18
(Adolescence)
Peer Groups
Role Models
Fidelity
Loyalty
Fanaticism
Repudiation
6. Intimacy vs.
Isolation
20s
(Young Adult)
Partners
Friends
Love
Promiscuity
Exclusivity
7. Generativity vs.
Self-Absorption
Late 20s-50s
(Middle Adult)
Household
Workmates
Care
Overextension
Rejectivity
8. Integrity vs.
Despair
50s-Beyond
(Old Adult)
Mankind
Wisdom
Presumption
Despair
Chart adapted from Erikson's 1959 Identity and the Life Cycle (Psychological Issues vol 1, #1)
Taken From: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/erikson.html