Erikson's Theory on Child Development

Hey, guys here is a little bit more information on child development,

Erik Erikson is a well-known psychologist who is known for his theory on a human's psychological development. Erikson created eight stages of development. To me, Erikson's stages are kind of a reflection of Freud's five stages of developments which are known as psychosexual stages. It is said that we do not necessarily develop psychosexually, however, we do develop psychosocially.

The 8 Stages are the following:
Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust
- This happens during the first year of life. This is where the infant is learning to trust the environment (the world) around him or her.
Stage 2: Autonomy vs Shame&Doubt (1-3 years old)
 -After the infant begins to trust his or her caregiver, the infant begins to discover his or her very own behavior. A sense of independence(autonomy) is starting to develop. Shame and doubt can

start to develop when the infant may start to restrained too much or is punished too harshly. 

Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt (3-5 years old) 

- Children start to explore the social world around them. They will be faced with many challenges. They will start to develop responsibility for their bodies, behavior, toys, etc. If the child is irresponsible, a sense of either guilt or anxious can happen. 

Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority (5-13 years old) 

- This is when the child moves towards middle and late childhood. He or she will start to master knowledge and intellectual skills. This is the only time the child will be excited about learning new things. Also, toward the end of the early childhood period, an expansion of imagination happens within the child. The problem with developing a sense of inferiority is feeling incompetent and unproductive. 

Stage 5: Identity vs Identity Confusion ( 10 to 20 years) 

-Adolescents are now facing many new roles that they may not be accustomed to. Some roles can be in a healthy manner and can be a path that led to positivity in life. Furthermore, he or she can achieve a positive identity. The downside is that if the parent(s) pushes identity onto the adolescent, he or she will not be able to explore many roles that are brought upon them, which can lead to identity confusion.
Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation (21-39 years old)
-This is when the individual is facing a developmental task of forming intimate relationships. The individuals can lose oneself when finding oneself in another. Meaning, if healthy friendships and an intimate relationship are formed intimacy can be developed. However, if intimacy is not developed, isolation would then occur.
Stage 7:  Generativity vs. Stagnation ( 40-65 years old)
- Generativity is helping the younger generation to develop and lead useful lives. Stagnation is feeling as if nothing has been done to help the next generation.
Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair( 65 and older)
- The individual tends to reflect on the past. They have developed a positive outlook on either most or all the stages of development (life to sum it up) Overall, the individual will review his or her life either a with a sense of satisfaction which leads to integrity. If not, despairs tend to happen.

In my opinion, this can somewhat be accurate because everyone tends to develop at different rates depending on exposure. Some individuals may lack behind or some may advance in development. However, Erikson does give a general idea on how the develomental stages are. These stages can be helpful to a parent, educator, psychology students, or just anyone curious about child development.