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UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

(UNDSELF)

Lesson 3:
PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Lecturer:
MARJON D. ENRIQUEZ

ACCESS COMPUTER COLLEGES

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TOPIC

• ERIK ERIKSON
• PSYCHOSOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
• 8 STAGES OF
PSYCHOSOCIAL
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ERIK ERIKSON
•American- German
Psychologist
•Psychoanalyst known for his
Theory on Psychological
Development of human being
•Born June 15, 1902
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Psychosocial Development
Erik Erikson’s theory of
Psychosocial Development is
one of the best known theories
of personality in Psychology. He
believed that personality
develops in a series of stages.
Erikson’s theory describe the
impact of social experience
across the whole lifespan.
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Psychosocial Development
Each stage in Erikson’s theory is
concerned with becoming
competent in area of life. Each
stage build upon the successful
completion of earlier stages. If the
stage handled well, the person will
feel a sense of mastery. If the stage
is managed poorly, the person will
emerged with a crisis or problems
in the future that serves as a
turning point in development.
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Stages of Psychosocial Development

8 STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

1) TRUST VS. MISTRUST (From birth to 12 months
of age)
2) AUTONOMY VS. SHAME AND DOUBT (Ages
from 1 to 3 years)
3) INITIATIVE VS. GUILT (3 to 6 years)
4) INDUSTRY VS. INFEREIORTY (6 to 12 years)
5) IDENTITY VS. ROLE CONFUSION (12 to 18 years)
6) INTIMACY VS. ISOLATION (20’S through early
40’s)
7) GENERATIVITY VS. STAGNATION (40’s- middle
adulthood extends to mid 60’s)
8) INTEGRITY VS. DESPAIR (60’s to end of life)
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Stages of Psychosocial Development
1. TRUST VS. MISTRUST
From birth to 12 months of age, infants must learn
that adults can be trusted. This occurs when adults
meet a child’s basic needs for survival. Infants are
dependent upon their caregivers, so caregivers who
are responsive and sensitive to their infant’s needs
help their baby to develop a sense of trust; their
baby will see the world as a safe, predictable place.
Unresponsive caregivers who do not meet their
baby’s needs can engender feelings of anxiety, fear,
and mistrust; their baby may see the world as
unpredictable. If infants are treated cruelly or their
needs are not met appropriately, they will likely
grow up with a sense of mistrust for people in the
world.
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Stages of Psychosocial Development
2. AUTONOMY VS. SHAME AND DOUBT
As toddlers (ages 1–3 years) begin to explore their world,
they learn that they can control their actions and act on
their environment to get results. They begin to show clear
preferences for certain elements of the environment, such
as food, toys, and clothing. A toddler’s main task is to
resolve the issue of autonomy vs. shame and doubt by
working to establish independence. This is the “me do it”
stage. For example, we might observe a budding sense of
autonomy in a 2-year-old child who wants to choose her
clothes and dress herself. Although her outfits might not
be appropriate for the situation, her input in such basic
decisions has an effect on her sense of independence. If
denied the opportunity to act on her environment, she
may begin to doubt her abilities, which could lead to
low self-esteem and feelings of shame.
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Stages of Psychosocial Development
3. INITIATIVE VS. GUILT
Once children reach the preschool stage (ages 3–6
years), they are capable of initiating activities and
asserting control over their world through social
interactions and play. According to Erikson, preschool
children must resolve the task of initiative vs. guilt. By
learning to plan and achieve goals while interacting with
others, preschool children can master this task. Initiative,
a sense of ambition and responsibility, occurs when
parents allow a child to explore within limits and then
support the child’s choice. These children will develop
self-confidence and feel a sense of purpose. Those who
are unsuccessful at this stage—with their initiative
misfiring or stifled by over-controlling parents—may
develop feelings of guilt.
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Stages of Psychosocial Development
4. INDUSTRY VS. INFERIORITY
During the elementary school stage (ages 6–12),
children face the task of industry vs.
inferiority. Children begin to compare
themselves with their peers to see how they
measure up. They either develop a sense of
pride and accomplishment in their schoolwork,
sports, social activities, and family life, or they
feel inferior and inadequate because they feel
that they don’t measure up. If children do not
learn to get along with others or have negative
experiences at home or with peers, an inferiority
complex might develop into adolescence and
adulthood.
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Stages of Psychosocial Development
5. IDENTITY VS. ROLE CONFUSION
In adolescence (ages 12–18), children face the task of identity vs.
role confusion. According to Erikson, an adolescent’s main task is
developing a sense of self. Adolescents struggle with questions such
as “Who am I?” and “What do I want to do with my life?” Along the
way, most adolescents try on many different selves to see which
ones fit; they explore various roles and ideas, set goals, and attempt
to discover their “adult” selves. Adolescents who are successful at
this stage have a strong sense of identity and are able to remain
true to their beliefs and values in the face of problems and other
people’s perspectives. When adolescents are apathetic, do not
make a conscious search for identity, or are pressured to conform to
their parents’ ideas for the future, they may develop a weak sense
of self and experience role confusion. They will be unsure of their
identity and confused about the future. Teenagers who struggle to
adopt a positive role will likely struggle to “find” themselves as
adults.
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Stages of Psychosocial Development
6. INTIMACY VS. ISOLATION
People in early adulthood (20s through early 40s)
are concerned with intimacy vs. isolation. After we
have developed a sense of self in adolescence, we
are ready to share our life with others. However, if
other stages have not been successfully resolved,
young adults may have trouble developing and
maintaining successful relationships with others.
Erikson said that we must have a strong sense of self
before we can develop successful intimate
relationships. Adults who do not develop a
positive self-concept in adolescence may experience
feelings of loneliness and emotional isolation.
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Stages of Psychosocial Development
7. GENERATIVITY VS. STAGNATION
When people reach their 40s, they enter the time known as
middle adulthood, which extends to the mid-60s. The social
task of middle adulthood is generativity vs.
stagnation. Generativity involves finding your life’s work and
contributing to the development of others through activities
such as volunteering, mentoring, and raising children.
During this stage, middle-aged adults begin contributing to
the next generation, often through childbirth and caring for
others; they also engage in meaningful and productive work
which contributes positively to society. Those who do not
master this task may experience stagnation and feel as
though they are not leaving a mark on the world in a
meaningful way; they may have little connection with others
and little interest in productivity and self-improvement.
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Stages of Psychosocial Development
8. INTEGRITY VS. DESPAIR
From the mid-60s to the end of life, we are in the
period of development known as late adulthood.
Erikson’s task at this stage is called integrity vs.
despair. He said that people in late adulthood reflect
on their lives and feel either a sense of satisfaction or
a sense of failure. People who feel proud of their
accomplishments feel a sense of integrity, and they
can look back on their lives with few regrets.
However, people who are not successful at this stage
may feel as if their life has been wasted. They focus on
what “would have,” “should have,” and “could have”
been. They face the end of their lives with feelings of
bitterness, depression, and despair.
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References
• Theories of Personality book
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Next Session

• UNPACKING THE SELF