Erik Erikson's Stages
Applied and Made Easy for Parents

Erik Erikson (1902 -1994) was a German-born American psychoanalyst; he was known for his psychosocial theory of emotional development of human beings. This theory looks at the impact of parents and society on personality development from childhood to adulthood. According to Erikson, each person has to pass through a series of eight interrelated stages over his entire life cycle. We will look at the first 4 stages that cover the childhood years.

Developmental Crisis

Erikson hypothesised that the personality of a person develops in universal and observable patterns corresponding to the ways a human foetus develops. In fetus development, each organ system of the body has its own innate time for growth (or danger of defect). In the same way, each stage is characterized by an emotional bipolar crisis.

Erik Erikson - (First Four) Stages of Psychosocial Development

Period	Developmental Crisis	Positive Resolution	Negative Outcome
Infancy Birth - 18 months	Trust vs Mistrust	Trust in people & the environment	Mistrust of people & the environment
Toddler 18 mths - 3 years	Autonomy vs Shame & Doubt	Pride in self; Assertion of will in the face of failures	Doubt in self & one's abilities
Preschool 3 - 6 years	Initiative vs Guilt	Able to initiate activities; Enjoy learning	Inhibition because of fear of failure, guilt & punishment
School Age 6 - 11 years	Industry vs Inferiority	Acquire skills for & develop competence in work; Enjoy achievement	Repeated frustration & failure lead to feelings of inferiority

Crises are seen as decisive turning points of increased vulnerability or strength to function effectively. However, Erikson did not imply that any manifestation of potentially dangerous traits is undesirable but that when the negative far outweighs the positive, then difficulties in development arise.

A positive resolution of any given developmental crisis is not regarded as an achievement because no one crisis is resolved once and for all. Each crisis is present in some way as the person moves through the life cycle. For example, the crisis of industry versus inferiority is experienced intensely during school-going stage but the struggle goes on throughout life.

The strengths and capabilities developed through successful resolution of a crisis at any given stage can be affected by later events. In this, there are both hope (that the vulnerability can be overcome) and danger (that the strength developed can be destroyed). Nevertheless, a psychological strength is generally affected most strongly during the stage in which it is developed.

"Blessed to be a Blessing" - A Christian Parenting Newsletter
Copyright by Alan S.L. Wong

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If you have comments or suggestions, email me at vta_alan@hotmail.com

Excellent job! I especially enjoyed the Christian perspective that absolutely coincided with the real world. I think it would be highly interesting, not to mention helpful, if you would go through the next 4 stages, using the same easy to understand and highly practical approach. Keep up the good work and God bless. I'll definitely be watching for any other articles. Simone Chambers February 5, 2000

As a parent who has recently lost a child to Leukemia, your choice of words were very impressive. I enjoy how you incorporate "God" into Erikson's theories. Thanks a bunch! Beatrice Starks October 11, 2003

Would like to commend you on a job well done!! It's a great help to have the stages explained in the local context + concerns of Christian parents addressed. And I like the smooth transitions between the webpages, made the web surfing a pleasure! Laura from Singapore February 3, 2004