Erikson's Psychosocial Stages Theory Flashcards
What is the first stage?
Infancy (0 to 18 months)
What basic conflict occurs during the infancy stage?
Trust vs. Mistrust
What important events occur during the infancy stage?
Feeding/comfort
What are the outcomes of the infancy stage?
Children develop a sense of trust when caregivers provide reliability, care, and affection;
A lack of this will lead to mistrust
What key question is answered in the infancy stage?
“Is my world safe?”
What is the second stage?
Early childhood (2 to 3 years)
What is the basic conflict during the early childhood stage?
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
What important events occur during the early childhood stage?
Toilet training/dressing
What key question is answered during the early childhood stage?
“Can I do things by myself or need I always rely on others?”
What is the outcome of the early childhood stage?
Children need to develop a sense of personal control over physical skills and a sense of independence;
Success leads to feeling of autonomy, failure results in feelings of shame and doubt
What is the third stage?
Preschool (3 to 5 years)
What basic conflict occurs during the preschool stage?
Initiative vs. Guilt
What important event occurs during the preschool stage?
Exploration/play
What key question is answered during the preschool stage?
“Am I good or bad?”
What is the outcome of the preschool stage?
Children need to begin asserting control and power over the environment;
Success in this state leads to a sense of purpose;
Children who try to exert too much power experience disapproval, resulting in a sense of guilt
What is the fourth stage?
School age (6 to 11)
What is the basic conflict during the school age stage?
Industry vs. Inferiority
What is the important event that occurs during the school age stage?
School/activities
What key question is answered during the school age stage?
“How can I be good?”
What is the outcome of the school age stage?
Children need to cope with new social and academic demands;
Success leads to a sense of compentence, failure results in feeling of inferiority
What is the fifth stage?
Adolescence (12 to 18 years)
What is the basic conflict of the adolescence age?
Identity vs. Role Confusion
What important event occurred during the adolescence age?
Social relationships/Identity
What is the outcome of the adolescence age?
Teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity;
Success leads to an ability to stay true to yourself, failure leads to role confusion and a weak sense of self
What is the sixth stage?
Young adult (19 to 40 years)
What is the basic conflict of the young adult stage?
Intimacy vs. Isolation
What is the important event that occurs during the young adult stage?
Intimate relationships
What key question is answered during the young adult stage?
“Am I loved and wanted?”
What is the outcome of the young adult stage?
Young adults need to form intimate, loving relationships with other people;
Success leads to strong relationship, failure results in loneliness and isolation
What is the seventh stage?
Middle adulthood (40 to 65 years)
What is the basic conflict during the middle adulthood stage?
Generativity vs. Stagnation
What is the important event of the middle adulthood stage?
Work and parenthood
What key question is answered during the middle adulthood stage?
“Will I provide something of real value?”
What is the outcome of the middle adulthood stage?
Adults need to create or nurture things that will outlast them;
Success leads to feelings of usefulness and accomplishment, failure results in shallow involvement in the world
What is the eighth stage?
Maturity (65 years to passing)
What is the basic conflict of the maturity stage?
Ego Identity vs. Despair
What important event occurs during the maturity stage?
Reflection on life
What key question is answered during the maturity stage?
“Have I lived a full life?”
What is the outcome of the maturity stage?
Older adults need to look back on life and feel a sense of fulfillment;
Success leads to a feeling of wisdom, failure results in regret, bitterness, and despair
What key question is answered during the adolescence stage?
“Who am I and where am I going?”
