Rachel L. Taulbee University of West Georgia

 Erik Erikson believed…..  Development is social in nature and a result of a desire to affiliate with other people.  A person encounters 8 developmental stages in life.  Each stage presents individuals with a crisis that must be faced.  “The more successfully an individual resolves the crisis, the healthier development will be” (Santrock, 2008, p. 18).

 Age  Infancy: First year of life  Virtue  Hope  Question  Is the world a good and pleasant place to live?  Characteristics  Infants need food, comfort, and warmth to develop a sense of trust. If these needs are not meet, a sense of mistrust will follow.

 Age  Infancy: 1 to 3 years  Virtue  Will  Question  Can I do things by myself or must I always rely on others?  Characteristics:  Caregivers provide a strong sense of security and encourage children to accomplish self-sufficient behaviors such as crawling, walking, changing clothes, and bathing. “If restrained too much or punished too harshly, they are likely to develop shame and doubt.”

 Age  Preschool: 3 to 5 years  Virtue  Purpose  Question  Am I good or bad?  Characteristics  Children are faced with new challenges and learning to master the world around them. They begin to act with purpose and also experience guilt when a particular action does not occur as planned. It is important not to belittle or make a child feel anxious about their attempts.

 Age  Elementary: 6 years to puberty  Virtue  Competence  Question  Am I successful or worthless?  Characteristics  Children begin mastering knowledge and intellectual skills. This stage is imperative to foster self-confidence. Children should be encouraged to create and do things and then receive praise. If children are made to feel incompetent, they will develop feelings of inferiority and may be unwilling to try new things.

 Age  Adolescence: 10 to 20 years  Virtue  Fidelity  Question  Who am I and what am I all about?  Characteristics  Adolescents try a variety of roles to identify where they fit in. They must decide who they are and decipher who society expects them to be. They start using their experiences to influence their future.

 Age  Early adulthood: 20s and 30s  Virtue  Love  Question  Am I loved or wanted by someone?  Characteristics  Upon establishing identity, people are able to form long term commitments. Without healthy friendships and intimate relationships, isolation occurs.

 Age  Middle adulthood: 40s and 50s  Virtue  Care  Question  Will I produce something of real value?  Characteristics  “Generativity” is a concern for helping the younger generation lead successful lives. In contrast, feeling like they’ve done nothing to help leads to stagnation.

 Age  Late adulthood: 60s onward  Virtue  Wisdom  Question  Was my life well spent?  Characteristics  A person reflects on the past. If a person feels their life was well spent, they develop a sense of integrity. If they look back on a life of disappointments and missed goals, they develop a sense of despair or gloom.

Santrock, J. W. (2008). Essentials of life-span development. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Erikson's psychosocial development theory. Retrieved from ory.htm.