Eriksons Self-Study

Eriksons eight stages of psychosocial development take us through each stage of life,
giving us the most important task at certain ages. Each stage covers months or years out of an
individuals lifetime. During these stages, we change and grow a little bit older. With each stage
comes a different life changing event that makes us who we are today.
Erikson was born on June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt Germany. He was raised by his mother
because his parents split before he was even born. His mother then married a physician, which
was the man Erikson believed to be his father for many years. After he was told the truth about
who his biological father was, he became to feel confused about his own identity. This is one
reason why Erikson was interested in identity. During school, Erikson was bullied because of
his looks and background of being a Jew. This also is another reason why he was interested in
identity, which gave him motivation throughout his years of work. Erikson did not start off
knowing he would be a big part of history today. He began going to college, traveling, and also
working a lot with art. He got a received a certification from Vienna Psychoanalytic Society for
studying psychoanalysis. Erikson then began his teaching degree, and that is when he met his
future wife, Joan Serson. The couple married in 1930 and had a family including three children.
After starting their family, they moved to the USA. He began writing books about life cycles
and Childhood. Erikson continued teaching, but now at Harvard Medical School. Not only did
Erikson teach, but he also had a private practice in child psychoanalysis (Cherry, 2005).
TRUST VS. MISTRUST
Eriksons first stage of psychosocial development is trust vs. mistrust. Believe it or not,
this stage is the most important time period in an individuals life. This stage of life occurs at


birth and lasts approximately up to the eighteenth month. During this stage, the major question
that occurs to a child is who they can and cannot trust. The basic virtue at this age is hope and
the most important event to the child is being fed. During this stage, infants rely 100% on their
caregivers. If caregivers do not comfort and provide children with the things they need to feel
safe and healthy, the child then begins to not trust their caregiver or people around them.
Children learn to trust individuals who feed, comfort, and provide their needs (Cherry).
Because my mother was a stay at home mom for the beginning of my life, I developed
through this stage very well. Not only did I have my mother in the house, but also my dad and
my two and a half year old sister, LeeAnne. Between the three of them, I was always getting
some sort of attention. At this time, I lived in Fort Wayne, IN where most of my family lives.
My house was located in a nice area providing my parents with a nice baby environment for
my sister and I. My mother explained to me that I loved to eat! As a matter of fact, she
mentioned that I usually only cried when I was hungry or had a dirty diaper (R. Hughes, personal
communication, Feburary13, 2013). I loved to be held, which makes me believe I felt safe while
I was being cradled by my parents and family members. By the stories I hear and pictures that I
have seen throughout my life, I believe that I was provided with everything I needed, which
allowed me to trust my caregivers.
AUTONOMY vs. SHAME AND DOUBT
Eriksons second stage of development is autonomy vs. shame and doubt. This stage
begins around eighteen months and last until the child is three years old. During this stage, the
major thing a child wonders is if they can do things themselves or if they are reliant on the help
of others. Potty Training happens to be the most important event at this stage. Every child is

different, which means some children begin using the toilet sooner than others. The basic benefit
of this age is will, the power of choice. According to Cherry, Toilet training plays a major role;
learning to control ones body functions leads to a feeling of control and a sense of
independence. Other important events include gaining more control over food choices, toy
preferences, and clothing selection (Cherry).
This was a very busy stage for my parents and me. During this stage, I learned to use the
potty! According to my mother, Rachel Hughes, it was a pretty easy process because I wanted to
be just like my older sister (R. Hughes, personal communication, Feburary13, 2013). Once I saw
her using the big girl potty, I wanted to use it too. I also was very reliant, and I believe it was
because I hated to be alone. My mother gave me choices about what toys to play with and what
food to eat, but when it came to other tasks, I always wanted my mom right there with me
helping me through. Some new skills, accomplishes, and talents I developed in this stage are
talking, knowing exactly what I wanted, brattiness, and getting off the pacifier at the beginning
of 1995. According to my mom, this was my biggest accomplishment (R. Hughes, personal
communication, Feburary13, 2013). When it came to eating, I knew exactly what I wanted and
my parents allowed me to choose. I loved meat, so of course almost every meal I chose had
meat in it. I believe that I exited this stage pretty confidently. Even though I loved being around
my parents, they let me do things on my own and allowed me to make my own choices. Not
only that, but my parents did not rush me to be potty trained. They allowed me to basically learn
from my sister, and because of that, I learned to use to the potty almost right after I turned two
years old.
INITIATIVE vs. GUILT


Eriksons third stage of psychosocial development is Initiative versus Guilt. This stage
occurs from three to five years old, and for most kids, during preschool years. During this stage,
children begin to wonder if they are a good or bad child. Also, children begin to develop a sense
of purpose. Children focus most on play at this age, which involves exploring new places and
things they have never been around before. When children are playing, they are using their
imagination, which helps them learn how to do things more independently. Children that go to
preschool have a great opportunity to explore and work on their social skills. Being around other
children helps their social needs develop, and also puts them in an active learning environment at
an early age (Cherry).
It is very important for caregivers to be supportive during this stage. Caregivers should
provide children with a learning environment that allows them to play daily. McDevitt and
Ormrod, (2010) state, When adults encourage such efforts, children develop initiative, an
energetic motivation to undertake activities independently. When adults discourage such
activities, children may instead develop guilt about acting improperly (p. 419).
During this stage in my life, I began to talk more clearly, shared and cared with and about
individuals, learned all my colors and ABCS, sounded my words out, and became more
independent. Instead of attending a preschool, my mother set up a preschool room for my
sister and me at home. This room provided an everyday area for me to play and use my
imagination. For me to get the social development that I needed, my mother signed me up for
gymnastics and swimming. While at these activities, I was able to meet new friends and share
my interest with other children. My mother gave me chores during this stage to work on my
independency. When I turned five, every morning, I was to make my bed. My mom expected
for me to clean up after myself and put my toys and laundry away as needed. Doing my chores

made me feel good about myself because I was getting things done on my own instead of my
mom doing these things for me. Soon enough, these chores grew on me and I completed them
without being asked to do so. I believe that this stage was a success for me in my development.
My caregivers made sure I had everything I needed to explore and play daily. Not only did I do
things independently, but with all of the tasks my caregivers gave to me, I felt as if I had a
purpose in the family at this point.
INDUSTRY vs. INFERIORITY
Eriksons fourth stage of psychosocial development is Industry vs. Inferiority. During
this stage, children are wondering how they can be good. In other words, children try and get
elders approval by excessive amount of activities or new skills. According to Cherry, School
and social interaction play an important role during this time of a childs life. Through social
interactions, children begin to develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments and abilities.
During this stage, children are in elementary school and their ages range from 6 to 11 years old.
Children enjoy mastering new skills and accomplishing new goals to get recognized by adults.
When children receive praise, this is an example of industry, but when adults do not recognize
their hard work and new skills, this is an example of inferiority (McDevitt and Ormrod, 2010).
By mastering these new skills, children develop self-confidence. School activities are an
example of a way they can receive encouragement and rewards. The more family or friends that
are involved with the childs learning skills and school activities, the more children try to
succeed even harder to be congratulated by elders. Childrens social skills seem to grow larger
during this stage because of the amount of children in their elementary school compared to the
amount in the preschool.


I really enjoyed this stage of my life. During this stage, I met some of the greatest
teachers and friends that I will never forget. My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Barnett, inspired me
to go above and beyond in her class. She was my sisters kindergarten teacher also, so my
family and I already knew her when I entered her class. I was always called the teachers pet
because I did everything I knew to do just to get her attention. I tried a little harder with
everything I did, which made me very successful at a young age. During first grade, I entered
basketball for my school. This sport allowed me to meet new friends that had the same interest
as I did. Not only was I entering after school activities, but I was the lunch helper in the lunch
room. Every day after I ate, I would help the lunch ladies clean up. After clean up, I always
would receive a little surprise for my hard work. At this age, I always felt like the cool one
when I would get to help the adults. My mother actually worked in my school during this time,
so all of the adults knew me a tad bit more than the other kids. In my shoes, that gave me the
benefit of the doubt in most cases!
At the age of six, I joined softball. This sport was a big passion for me because my father
played baseball when he was younger. It always brought a smile to his face when he would see
me play, so this made him decide to coach my leagues team. Since I was a coachs kid, I got to
help out a lot with the team. Also, my dad worked with me a lot at home so I always felt as if I
could help my other teammates at practice. Softball consumed my life and I loved it! I played up
until my sophomore year of high school and I will never regret it because I met some of my
lifetime friends over the years playing this sport. I believe that I exited this stage on a good note.
I tried to attend every after school program, and get impressive grades to impress my family.
Because of how hard I tried, I received many awards for my all A report cards throughout
elementary school years.

IDENTITY vs. ROLE CONFUSION
Eriksons fifth stage of psychosocial development is Identity vs. Role Confusion. During
this stage, children begin to wonder who they are. Social relationships become very important,
which leads to their basic virtue, fidelity. For this stage, the ages range from twelve to eighteen.
Developing a personal identity takes place in this stage, which children become more and more
independent and receives more privileges as they get closer to adulthood. As children transition
into adulthood, some begin to feel insecure about themselves or have the feeling of being
different from everyone else. This is when they begin to experiment with ways to fit in including
different attitudes, behaviors, and activities. Those who do not successfully complete this stage
positively will be confused about their identity and beliefs for their future.
I can honestly say that this stage was my toughest stage yet. To begin, my family and I
are Apostolic Pentecostal. This is a certain religion that is very strict, and how we dress looks
very different from what most people wear. Every day at school I would have to explain to
someone why I dressed the way I did and why I looked different from everyone else. I was
pretty confident in the way I dressed, but my peers made fun of me which made me not want to
dress this way anymore. Every day I would go to school in a skirt, no makeup, and no jewelry.
This may not sound like a big deal, but when I was the only girl out of my group of friends that
looked different, it was a really big deal to me. Not only did I look different from everyone else,
but what I could do was very limited as well. When my friends and I got to the age where we
could go to the movies or games to hang out with one another, I was not allowed to attend. My
church does not believe in going to the movies, games, or even concerts. My friends, and
myself, really did not understand all of these rules. It put a damper on my social life and just
made me feel like I was an odd ball. Because of all of the strict rules that I had, I began to go


against them by sneaking around. Since I was not allowed to wear jeans out of my house, I
started to leave the house with them in my backpack and change when I got to school. When I
fit in with my friends, I felt as if I was accepted more by them. Being accepted by my friends
was my biggest priority in this stage. As I got older, I made some bad choices while in high
school, so my parents moved me to a Pentecostal school for my second semester of ninth grade.
This was a big wake up call for me so I decided to change my ways. By showing a big
difference in my behavior, my parents allowed me to go back to my original high school for the
tenth grade. From tenth grade to twelfth, I tested my boundaries. Even though I was not allowed
to do some things, I went behind my parents back to do so. All of this sneaking around was for
acceptance. I wanted to be accepted by my peers so bad that I risked being in trouble. This is
one of my biggest regrets. Even though I went through all of this trouble, I believe that it has
made me who I am today. I am a very strong and busy individual that definitely knows wrong
from right. When I turned eighteen, my parents let me decide on how I wanted to dress and how
I wanted to look. I then began to wear jeans, got my ears pierced, and got a tattoo. I realized
that all of these things were not worth all of the trouble I went through just for acceptance. Now
that I am not told basically how to live my life, I am a lot more comfortable. I can now say that I
have my own identity and sense of self.
INTIMACY vs. ISOLATION
Eriksons sixth stage of psychosocial development is Intimacy vs. Isolation. During this
stage, individuals question if they will be loved or be alone for the rest of their life. Because of
that, we tend to focus mostly on love during this stage. Romantic relationships or just
relationships alone tend to be the most important thing on the mind. This stage takes place
during adulthood, ranging from ages nineteen to forty. Eriksons fifth stage of psychosocial

development carries into this sixth stage. To find positive and strong relationships, a person has
to have a sense of self or identity. If one does not love their self, it is hard for others to love
them. According to Cherry, Studies have demonstrated that those with a poor sense of self tend
to have less committed relationships and are more likely to suffer emotional isolation, loneliness,
and depression. Success, in this stage, results in strong romantic relationships while failure
results in being alone and sad (Cherry).
I am in the beginning of this stage, being nineteen and all. So far, I have a strong,
healthy, romantic relationship. I have been with my boyfriend, Tyler Henderson, for three years
now going strong! It took time finding the one person that is your best friend and love all in one,
but the time was worth it. We began dating while I was in high school, when my sense of self
was not very strong, and our relationship was not like it is now at all. We began like every other
relationship that I had in the past, but once I grew up and had a better sense of self, everything
changed. Once I did not care about being accepted by my friends as much, I began working on
myself to make me a better person. This is when our relationship began to grow stronger and
healthier. Looking back, I have not had the best of luck when it comes to relationships. While
writing this paper, I realized it was because my lack of identity. Now that I am satisfied with
myself and where my life is heading, the strong relationship I have always wanted is now what I
have. I hope that this love continues throughout this long stage, even past the age of forty. Our
plan is to wait until we both graduate to get married, and then begin a family together.
GENERATIVITY VERSUS STAGNATION
Eriksons seventh stage of psychosocial development is Generativity vs. Stagnation. This
stage occurs from ages forty to sixty-five. Adults now begin to wonder if they can contribute to


the world. Contributing to the world, and in a persons home, makes them feel good about their
selves. Adults feel as if they need to give back to the world during this stage. Care is the basic
reason why adults feel this way. Many things become so much more important to those as they
get older. According to Cherry, During this time, adults strive to create or nurture things that
will outlast them. Starting a family would be a great way to enjoy this stage. If a couple starts
a family and has children, they will forever have someone to contribute to and to provide for
with everything they need to be a successful human being. Children bring joy to life and are
what completes a family. If one is not successful during this stage, they will begin to feel as if
they have nothing to bring forth and also uninvolved like some people they see around them
(Cherry).
During this stage, I plan on being very busy spending time with my family and working
hard with my career. By this time, I hope to have started my family and found a decent area to
continue my career and raise my family. While teaching, I will take classes to further my career
to get my masters. After teaching for a while, I plan on being a principal of an elementary
school. By having a husband, children, my own place, my dream job, and taking classes on the
side, I believe that I will be a very busy and caring individual. Every day up until I reach this
point, I will be working towards reaching my goals. I plan on being very successful with all of
the exciting dreams and goals that I have for myself as I reach this stage in life.
INTEGRITY vs. DESPAIR
Eriksons last stage of psychosocial development is Integrity vs. Despair. This stage
begins at age sixty-five and last until the end of an individuals life. The major concern during
this stage is whether they lived a meaningful enough life or not. Adults spend a lot of time

during this stage thinking back on life. Their basic virtue at this point is wisdom. Some suffer a
great amount of depression during this time in their life. Happiness and accomplishes in prior
stages become very important in this last stage. If an adult successfully completes each stage of
life, this stage ends with happiness. All of the memories and thinking that goes on during this
time comes from past events. Those who look back with little regret will feel accomplished and
happy, even during their last days on this earth. Those who look back and realize they did not
get the chance to do everything they would have liked to do feel a sense of depression. Also,
depression occurs when one looks back and regrets a lot of the things they did end up doing in
their past. The depression occurs because now it is too late to accomplish their lifetime goals; it
is the ending of their time (Cherry).
I have many set goals for myself in my near future that will continue throughout my
lifetime. I believe that during this time, I will have great memories to keep myself happy during
this stage of my life. My accomplishments will have been met by this time. I would have started
a family, a career, and a life with the love of my life by my side. I will look back and be so
thankful for all of my friends and family that have stuck by my side throughout all of my years
living.
By this time, I probably have gone through some deaths of friends and family very dear
to me. This could make me sad, but it could also give me more memories that I hold so dear to
my heart. Seeing my children and my grand children grow up will be one of the highlights of
this stage. I will love the fact knowing that even when I am gone, I will be able to pass
everything that I own down to the ones that I love the most. I will not look back in frustration
and regret because of all of my accomplishments I made throughout my life. I will know that I
started at a young age working very hard to reach my life time goals. My main focus during this


stage is spending as much time as I can with my family. Without my family by my side, I
believe that I would sense a great amount of depression. Everything that I do now is for
happiness in my future stages.
















Works Cited
Cherry, K. (n.d.). Stages of psychosocial development psychosocial development in preschool,
middle childhood, and adolescence. Retrieved from
http://psychology.about.com/od/psychosocialtheories/a/psychosocial_2.htm
Cherry, K. (2005, November 22). psychology.about.com . Retrieved from
http://psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers/p/bio_erikson.htm
Hughes, R., personal communication, Feburary13, 2013.
McDevitt, T.M., & Ormrod, J.E. (2010). Child Development and Education (4
th
ed.). Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson