Development Erikson’s Stages

Intro to DevelopmentYou will be placed into 4 groups and assigned

two of the age groups listed here:

1. Infancy: 0-18 months2. Toddlers: 18 months - 3 years3. Young Children: 3-6 years4. Older Children: 6-12 years5. Teenagers: 13-20 years6. Young Adulthood: 21-35 years7. Middle Adulthood: 35-55 years8. Late Adulthood: 55+ years

group 1

group 2

group 3

group 4

Intro to DevelopmentAnswer the questions. (10 mins)

1. What feelings or behaviors are common to people in this age group?

2. What life challenges are common to people in this age group?

Intro to Development

Make a simple google slides presentation that displays your answers to the questions. Your presentation should be 1-2 minutes in length.

Share your slides with Ms. G when you are done. Be prepared to read your slides out loud to the class.

Developmental Psychology:The branch of psychology that studies the patterns of growth and change that occur throughout life.

Cross-Sectional ResearchA frequently used method to study development is

cross-sectional research: comparing people of different ages at the same point in their lives. This is done in

order to discover differences between age groups and similarities within the same age group.

Researchers compare groups of 5

year olds, 15 year olds, 25 year olds

(and so on) in order to identify how they are similar at certain times in their lives.

Longitudinal ResearchAnother method of studying development is longitudinal

research: studying the behavior and changes of an individual as they age.

Individuals are studied many

times throughout their lives at

benchmark ages. Researchers note

differences in behavior as the participants get

older.

We study human development to see if certain behaviors or personality traits appear at

specific ages.

Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development

Erik Erikson (1902-1994) was a German/American psychologist

who was famous for his developmental theory and for

coining the phrase “identity crisis.”

His theory sought to explain human development by

categorizing our behaviors and major changes into 8 stages. In each stage, there is a crisis, or challenge that humans must

overcome.

Stage 1: Trust vs. MistrustAge: 0-18 months.

Crisis: Infants develop feelings of trust, or a lack of trust. If adults meet the needs of the baby (nourishment, attachment, attention), the baby develops trust. If adults are inconsistent providers or the baby

experiences unpleasant interactions, it develops mistrust.

Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Age: 18 months - 3 years.Crisis: Toddlers develop independence and autonomy if exploration

and freedom are encouraged, or shame and self-doubt if they are overprotected and freedom is too restricted. Parents must provide the right amount of control: if they provide too much, children can’t learn to assert themselves and develop their own sense of control over the environment. If parents do not provide enough control,

children become demanding, spoiled, or controlling.

Stage 3: Initiative vs. GuiltAge: 3-6 years.

Crisis: Children experience conflict between making independent actions, and the negative consequences that sometimes result from

those actions. Children begin to learn that they are independent individuals who control their own behavioral choices. If parents

respond well when their children make mistakes, it helps resolve the experience of guilt the children will be facing.

Stage 4: Industry vs. InferiorityAge: 6-12 years.

Crisis: Older children may develop positive social interactions with others, or may feel inadequate and become less social. In this stage,

children become more competent in all areas from social interactions to academic skills. Experiencing difficulty in this process leads to

feelings of failure.

Stage 5: Identity vs. Role Confusion

Age: 12-20 years (adolescence).Crisis: Teenagers develop awareness of self (who they are and what their purpose is) and knowledge of their role in the world, or, they

feel “lost” and unsure of who they are. In this stage, reliance on adults becomes increasingly less.

Stage 6: Intimacy vs. IsolationAge: 21-35 years (Early Adulthood).

Crisis: Young adults focus on forming close relationships with others. Difficulties during this stage result in feelings of loneliness and even fear of relationships themselves. Successful resolution of this crisis results in formation of relationships that are intimate on a physical,

intellectual, and emotional level.

Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation

Age: 35-60 years (Middle Adulthood).Crisis: Generativity means the ability to contribute to one’s family,

community, work, and society in a positive way, and to assist the younger generation. Success in this stage results in feelings of self-worth and connectedness with the world. Difficulties in this stage result in feeling insignificant, and the feeling that your activities are

trivial, stagnant, or not helping future generations.

Stage 8: Integrity vs. DespairAge: 60+ years (Late Adulthood).

Crisis: In late adulthood, we review life’s accomplishments and failures. Either we form a sense of satisfaction and unity, or we form a sense of regret over opportunities that we lost and things we never

got the chance to do. Adults continue to work of forming a feeling of peace with their lives until death.

Stages: Summary

Overcoming the obstacles

presented in each stage leads

to positive behavioral

developments. Failure to overcome

difficulties can lead to

unfavorable behavioral outcomes.