Erik Erikson's Child Development

Erik Erikson’s psychodynamic theory encompasses the entire human lifespan, from infancy to old age.  Each stage lists a positive identity trait that builds with healthy social and caregiver interactions, along with a possible negative identity trait if trauma or poor social or caregiver relationships are modeled during the given years of that person’s life.  His theory “stresses the importance of eight stages in human development that all people have to work through (navigate) successfully in order to lead integrated, meaningful, and fulfilled lives” (Maree, 2021, p. 1111).  He claims that each stage must foster the positive identity trait, either by living in a supportive environment, healing possible trauma, or integrating negative social or caregiver interactions, for a human to thrive fully.

The first stage, from ages infancy to 2 years, is known as Basic Trust vs. Mistrust.  Infants learn to trust by receiving adequate care from caregivers and positive interactions with peers, which will create Basic Trust in their identity.  If the infant is not given these fundamentals, they may develop the identity trait of Mistrust.  The second stage is Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt from ages 2-4 years.  In this stage, children navigate issues of self-autonomy and control over themselves and their environment.  If this is disrupted, the child will take on the identities of Shame and Doubt.  In the third stage, the identity dichotomy is Initiative vs. Guilt.  This is for children in preschool, ages 4-5.  Children must be allowed to attempt completing tasks on their own, exploring the capacity of their limits.  If this is done correctly, children can learn to be goal-oriented and take initiative in their own lives afterwards (Maree, 2021).

Erikson’s fourth stage is Industry vs. Inferiority, which occurs during the ages of 5-12.  Given positive reinforcement from those they care about during the completion of gradually more complex tasks, they will gain a sense of self-belief and expertise that negates the shadow-identity aspect of Inferiority.  The fifth stage is the last of childhood and adolescence and is Identity vs. Role Confusion during the ages of 12-19 years.  This is a furtherance of the previous stage, with positive reinforcement from those close to the adolescent during increasingly complex activities, laying the basis for the positive identity trait of knowing their actual Identity, rather than experiencing Role Confusion.  Entering the adult years, we reach stage six, Intimacy vs. Isolation, during the ages of 20-40.  By entering into healthy intimate relationships that allow them to share vulnerability, these adults integrate thriving Intimacy.  If this is lacking, they may experience Isolation.  Stage seven occurs during middle age (40-65 years) and involves Generativity vs. Stagnation.  Learning to care for and give love to others without expecting reciprocity gives these adults a sense of purpose and meaning.  It leads many to wish for children, generating a legacy.  If this stage is not positively integrated, the adult may experience Stagnation.  The last stage, stage eight, is Ego Integrity vs. Despair during the elderly years of 65 and over.  Elder adults examine their pasts and decide whether they lived well or poorly.  If they believe they lived as best they could, they experience Ego Integrity.  If not, they may experience Despair (Maree, 2021).

Erikson claims that every person passes through all the stages, even if they are unable to meet or exceed the challenges in their lives.  Unfortunately, in Erikson’s theory, “challenges that have not been dealt with effectively often resurface as ‘problems’ in later stages” (Maree, 2021, p. 1112).  This is important for clinicians to recognize, as it can lead to proper treatment for the particular stage or stages a client was unable to navigate correctly (Maree, 2021).