Essay on "Erikson's Psychological Stages"

Essay 4 pages (1263 words) Sources: 1

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Erik Erikson

Erik Eriksson

Erik Erikson theorized that there were eight psychosocial stages that took into account the struggles during different periods of life. These include: Trust v. Mistrust, Autonomy v. Shame and Doubt, Initiative v. Guilt, Industry v. Inferiority, Identity v. Role Confusion, Intimacy v. Isolation, Generativity v. Stagnation, and Integrity v. Despair. This paper describes the ways in which I have accomplished each of Erikson's eight stages.

Erik Erikson

Erik Erikson theorized that there were eight psychosocial stages that took into account the struggles during different periods of life. These include: Trust v. Mistrust, Autonomy v. Shame and Doubt, Initiative v. Guilt, Industry v. Inferiority, Identity v. Role Confusion, Intimacy v. Isolation, Generativity v. Stagnation, and Integrity v. Despair. This paper describes the ways in which I have accomplished each of Erikson's eight stages.

Trust v. Mistrust

Erikson's first stage of psychosocial development is Trust v. Mistrust. This stage occurs in infancy. For me, I developed a sense of security thanks to my parents' care giving, during this early stage of my life. Like most babies, I was fed and clothed and changed. My parents made sure I was kept warm and comfortable. When I cried, they addressed my needs. To my knowledge, I was never abused nor neglected. Most importantly, my entire family showed me they loved me by holding me and being affectionate. I learned I could trust my family to take care of me when I needed help, and this is still true today.

Autonomy v. Shame and Doubt



Erikson's second stage of Autonomy v. Shame and Doubt, for me, was fulfilled when I was a little over three years old and finally was toilet trained. The most important facet in this stage is a child being able to begin to control their own physical being. This gives them a sense of autonomy that then helps with the third stage of development. Of course, like all children, I had times of failure -- "accidents," and this, as Erikson notes, leads to shame and doubt. However, with my parents' encouragement, I was successful.

Initiative v. Guilt

In Erikson's Initiative v. Guilt stage of psychosocial development, the child takes their newly discovered autonomy and begins to use it on their environment. I remember this time of my life was probably one of the more frustrating times for my parents. Whenever I'd go somewhere with my family, instead of staying right where they were, I was very prone to wandering off. It didn't matter if it was a park, a grocery store, the mall, or the library. I just wanted to explore what was out there, in the great, big world. I could not control this impulse to explore. Of course, this would drive my mother crazy and when she'd scold me for running off, I'd feel guilty for making her so upset. I had to learn that exploring was OK, as long as I told someone where I was going, and that it was within the limits they thought was appropriate, for a preschooler.

Industry v. Inferiority

For me, Erikson's Industry v. Inferiority stage came while I was in elementary school. I remember how exciting it was to go to school for the first time and how proud I was that I knew all of my alphabet while there were other children that didn't. I remember working hard in Kindergarten to try to color in the lines or cut out a shape perfectly. I felt a sense of accomplishment when I'd receive a paper back with a star on it or a smiley face from the teacher. However, when I noticed some of my peers doing much better at some academic things -- like memorizing multiplication tables -- there was a sense of inferiority, as my confidence in… READ MORE

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