Erik Erikson

"The Life Cycle"

Psychosocial stages of development in infancy- Trust vs. Mistrust

The first stage is trust vs. mistrust. This stage takes place between birth and one year old. Because the child is dependent on his/her caretaker, he/she will base their trust on the dependability of it's caregivers. The child will feel safe and secure if he/she can rely on it's caregiver. If their is inconsistency from the caregiver, the child will develop mistrust which can lead to fear and not rely on it's surroundings.

Psychosocial stage of development in early childhood- Autonomy vs. shame and doubt

Children between the ages of 18 months and 3 years old begin to gain independence and increased perception of control over their physical abilities. Success over bodily functions, like learning to go potty on the potty chair gain feelings of power, and increased independence. Caregivers that always criticize can lead a child to feel insecure and causing doubt. There needs to be a balance between doubt and autonomy. This will help the child believe they can act with intention rather than experience self doubt and a sense of inadequacy.

Psychosocial stage of development in middle childhood- Initiative vs. Guilt

This stage occurs between ages 3 - 5 yrs old. At this stage children begin to initiate activities with others, and make up games to play. If allowed to take initiative it will make the child feel secure and make his/her own decisions. If a caregiver criticizes or controls the child constantly, the child will begin to feel a sense of guilt. For example, children at this age begin to ask the question "why" to just about everything. If the caregiver is positive and present for these questions, the child will begin to feel a virtue of purpose.

Psychosocial stage of development in middle childhood- Industry vs. Inferiority

The child's mastery of tasks leads to a sense of industry ,whereas failure produces feelings of inferiority. If a person is praised and encouraged consistently, they will develop self-confidence. When a child believes they are competent, they will become productive members of society. Not all children will move onto the next stage with a strong sense of self confidence. Children are beginning to compare themselves to their peers. They begin to recognize that other students may be getting better grades or are better athletes then he/she is. An example would be, Matt decides he wants to play basketball. When he goes to try-outs, he noticed he didn't do as well as some of the other boys did and becomes very discouraged. But, with the encouragement of his parents and the coach, they reassure him that overtime, with practice, he will get better.

Psychosocial Stages of Development in Adolescence-

Adolescence is a stage when a person develops his/her identity. Finding your identity defines who you are, what you value, and your beliefs. Teenagers will experience identity crisis temporarily as the experience different paths before settling on their goals. They can also experience role confusion which is associated with lack of direction, who you are, restricted exploration, etc.

Some teenagers experience a lack of self-esteem, but it will rise at this stage. Having authoritative parents can play a role in high self-esteem. Consistent negative feedback results in low self-esteem.

Erickson believed more in social skills than sexuality. He studied ego identity vs. role confusion. You experience and found your personal identity or struggled with role confusion. Kohlberg had a comprehensive theory of moral understanding in stages

Preconventional - morality externally controlled
- punishment and obedience
- instrumental purpose
Conventional - continue to regard conformity to social rules as important, but not for self-interest
- Morality of interpersonal cooperation "good girl / good boy"
- Social order maintaining
Postconventional- move beyond unquestioning support for their own society's rules and laws
- Social contract
- Universal ethical principle

The parent-child relationship is the most important predictor of mental health. Those that have troubles relationships with the caregivers tend to have difficulties that began in childhood. Peer relationships tend to become stronger as teens spend less time with their caregivers. Cooperation and mutual affirmation increases between friends and teens become more possessive of their friends than when they were younger.

Suicide is another thing increases over the lifespan, peaking at adolescence. Poverty, LGBTQ, schooling, alcohol or drug use, and depression underline this trend.

Psychosocial Stage of development in early adulthood-

At this stage young adults are leaving home and sometimes having to come back. They are dealing with not being a teen anymore but not quite an adult. They are trying to solidify a career, make romantic choices, and have economic independence. Identity development continues to be the main focus. During this stage, you will do more planning, choosing, and changing course than any other age group. Major life events start at this stage, from finding your first job, getting married, having your first child, to buying your first home.

Erikson's theory at this stage is intimacy vs. isolation. A person needs to develop an intimate relationship with someone else, while some others are still dealing with identity crisis and may not be able to commit to a relationship, or could commit to early on. Establishing a close relationship to another person is important at this stage of development. People usually pick a partner who has the same interests, religion, ethnicity, etc. Physical attractiveness, personality, and intelligence are a big factor in finding your mate. Sternberg has theory of love that involves 3 components: intimacy, passion, commitment. He says we should strive for all 3. Others will be in relationships that may only have intimacy, commitment, passion, or liking alone.

Psychosocial stages of development in middle adulthood-

Generativity vs. stagnation is Erickson's theory at this stage in life. People in middle adulthood begin a transitional period where they evaluate their success by meeting goals.
- - Generativity is satisfaction and general well-being. You are giving guidance to the next generation.
  - Stagnation are those are disconnected, aren't contributing to society. They have a lack of interest in young people, and are self-centered and self-indulgent. They have little interest in being productive at work, or bettering the world.
Midlife crisis, aka, identity crisis as an adult. This could be caused by realization of failure, physical changes to your body and mind. This is an emotional turmoil one may deal with, but will come out of it.
Work satisfaction is at its peak and almost half of Americans are satisfied with their jobs.
"Sandwich generation" is what people in this stage of life are known as. They may have moved a parent in to care for him/her while still supporting a child. These caregivers report poorer health habits.
Friendships decline but the relationships with the ones you do have are more meaningful and fulfilling. Women tend to have a bigger circle of friends because they tend to socialize more then men.

Psychosocial stages of development in late adulthood-

Ego integrity vs. despair is Erikson's final stage.
- - Ego integrity is a sense that you have lived a fulfilling and meaningful life. You are satisfied with who you are, and how you have lived your life.
  - Despair is a feeling of hopelessness. You are not satisfied with who you are. You are still trying to sort things out, but you realize "I can't change it because it is too late".
Exercise and activity play a role in prolonging your life. You feel greater satisfaction with yourself. There is a lower mortality rate with healthy people.
Religion is used in times of stress. The elder generation tends to turn to religion when they are experiencing dissatisfaction or unhappiness in their lives. It can also keep you social life alive and the elderly that are involved with churches seemed to be more compliant with taking better care of themselves.
Retirement begins in the early stages of this stage in life, for most people. This is a big decision in your life. You are asking yourself, "who am I going to spend the rest of my years with?", where do I want to retire?, do I have enough money to retire?
Living arrangements are made now. You may experience each one, or may go through only one of the stages of the different living arrangements.
- Independent living- involves one living alone or with his/her spouse in a community with age restrictions and no healthcare services provided.
- Assisted living- apartment living that promotes independence but provides healthcare services. There are social activities for the residents and transportation is provided for appointments and to go to the grocery store.
- Skilled nursing- residents are in a private or semi-private room with around the clock healthcare services. There are social activities as well, and family and friends can come visit.
- Aging in place involves on continueing to live at home or with a child/grandchild. Healthcare can be hired to come into the home once or several times a week.