Social Development Issues facing
the Discriminated
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Self- conscious
Bad sense of self-image
Don’t fit in
Gangs and other criminal activity
Hate yourself AND others
Quiet
Inferiority-complex
No hope for success
Fight back!
Erik Erikson
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Erik Erikson’s Theory of Social Development
**Focuses on experiences and social interactions
in developing our sense of self, of who we are.
Essential Question for Today:
Which of Erikson’s eight stages seems most important?
Why?
Erikson’s Social Development Stages
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Please, please, PLEASE do NOT lose any of the
pieces from your envelope (8 cut outs)
Using your unfinished Erikson model, place your 8
cut out pieces in the order you believe that you went
through the crisis.**
Listen to the song and make any corrections
necessary to your order.
Exit Slip
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Which of Erikson’s eight stages seems
most important? Why?
ERIK ERIKSON (not Leif Erickson)
AND PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
Erikson’s Social Development Stages
Essential Questions
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How did Erik Erickson view social development from
prenatal development to death?
Which stage of Erikson’s social development model
is most important for teachers to understand? Why?
Erickson’s Social Crisis Theory
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Stage 1: Trust VS Mistrust (age 0-1) sensorimotoronly trust mom
Main question- Is my environment trustworthy or
not?
 In
the first year of life, infants depend on others
for food, warmth, and affection, and therefore
must be able to blindly trust the parents (or
caregivers) for providing those.
Stage 1 Trust V Mistrust
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If an infant is well cared for= they will
develop faith in the future.
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If an infant is NOT well cared for= look at
the world with fear and suspicion
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEHW
8oTj0BA
Erickson’s Social Crisis Theory
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Stage 2: Autonomy VS Doubt (ages 2-3) Beginning
preoperational
Main question- Do I need help from others or not?
Toddlers learn to walk, talk, use toilets, and do
things for themselves. Their self-control and selfconfidence begin to develop at this stage.
Stage 2 Autonomy VS Doubt
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If the child receives praise and reassurance for their
attempts= the child will develop the confidence
needed to cope with future situations that require
choice, control, and independence.
If the child receives too much criticism for their
attempts or parents are overprotective=she may begin
to feel ashamed of her behavior, or have too much
doubt of his/her abilities.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru74VlqC8MU
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Erickson’s Social Crisis Theory
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Stage 3: Initiative VS Guilt (3 - 6 years).
preoperational
Main question- Am I good or am I bad?
Children have newfound power at this stage as
they have developed motor skills and become
more engaged in social interaction with people.
They now must learn to achieve a balance
between eagerness for more adventure and
more responsibility, and learning to control
impulses and childish fantasies.
Stage 3 Initiative VS Guilt
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If parents are encouraging, but consistent in
discipline= children will learn to accept that certain
things are not allowed, but at the same time will not
feel shame when using their imagination and
engaging in make-believe role plays.
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If the child is constantly discouraged or punished=
child will feel shamed/guilty, take the easy way out,
depend on adults for instruction.
Erickson’s Social Crisis Theory
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Stage 4: Competence VS Inferiority (6 - 12 years).
concrete
Main question-Am I good at something or am I worthless?
School is the important event at this stage. Children learn
to make things, use tools, and acquire the skills to be a
worker and a potential provider. And they do all these
while making the transition from the world of home into
the world of peers.
Stage 4 Competence VS Inferiority
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If the child receives praise for their work and have
success= confident in abilities to cope with
life(industry), feels successful.
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If the child receives too much criticism of their work or
too much failure= lead to long-term feelings of
inferiority
Erickson’s Social Crisis Theory
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Stage 5: Identity vs. Role Confusion (Teenagers). Formal. YOU
Main question- Who am I and where am I going?
This is the time when we ask the question "Who am I?" To
successfully answer this question, Erikson suggests, the
adolescent must integrate the healthy resolution of all earlier
conflicts. Did we develop the basic sense of trust? Do we have
a strong sense of independence, competence, and feel in
control of our lives? Adolescents who have successfully dealt
with earlier conflicts are ready for the "Identity Crisis", which is
considered by Erikson as the single most significant conflict a
person must face.
Stage 5 Identity VS Role Confusion
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the child fails in this stage= they will feel
confused on who they are, and who they’re
“suppose” to be.
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the child succeeds in this stage= they will feel
confident in their own personality, love who they
are now and what they will be in the future.
Erickson’s Social Crisis Theory
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Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation (Early Adulthood) ME 
“Main question- Shall I share my life with another or live
alone?
In this stage, the most important events are love
relationships. No matter how successful you are with
your work, said Erikson, you are not developmentally
complete until you are capable of intimacy. An individual
who has not developed a sense of identity usually will
fear a committed relationship and may retreat into
isolation.
Stage 6 Intimacy VS Isolation
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A person who is secure in their identity=can
have an intimate partnership and compromise
for another.
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A person who is not secure in their identify=
feel isolated and unable to depend on anyone
in the world, might be in long-term relationship
but avoids true closeness
Erickson’s Social Crisis Theory
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Stage 7: Generativity vs. Self-Absorption (Middle
adulthood 40-60)
Main question- Will I make life better for the next
generation?
By "generativity" Erikson refers to the adult's ability to
look outside oneself and care for others, through
parenting, for instance. Erikson suggested that adults
need children as much as children need adults, and that
this stage reflects the need to create a living legend.
Stage 7 Generativity VS Selfabsorbed
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Positive outcome: People can solve this crisis by
having and nurturing children, or helping the next
generation in other ways.
Negative outcome: If this crisis is not successfully
resolved, the person will remain self-centered and
experience stagnation later in life.
Erickson’s Social Crisis Theory
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Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair (Late Adulthood 65-death)
Main question- Have I lived a full life?
Old age is a time for reflecting upon one's own life and
its role in the big scheme of things, and seeing it filled
with pleasure and satisfaction or disappointments and
failures.
Stage 8 Integrity VS Despair
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Positive outcome: If the adult has achieved a sense of
fulfillment about life and a sense of unity within himself
and with others, he will accept death with a sense of
integrity. Just as the healthy child will not fear life, said
Erikson, the healthy adult will not fear death.
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Negative outcome: If not, the individual will despair and
fear death
A Quick Review
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Erikson’s Social Development review.
Question:
“Which stage/crisis do you believe is most
important for teachers to understand?”
Evaluating Erickson’s Theory
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Strengths:
 Explains
how our personality stays the same over
time and how/why it changes
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Criticisms:
 Relies
too heavily on case studies
 Does not explain the enormous differences in
personality among various people
Skit- Stage Identification
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With a partner read each skit and identify which
stage of Erickson’s theory the child is at.