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Analyzing Erikson's Eight Stages Of Human Development

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Erik Erikson was a psychologist who came up with the eight stages of human development. He emphasizes on the life stages starting with infants that are comforted and fed by their mothers, and ending a late adult who is independent and has already experienced the last seven stages of life. Erikson hoped to create a successful plan for each stage that resulted in healthy relationships, good personalities, and the investment of basic virtues. To begin, I am going to talk about the first four stages of Erikson psychosocial crisis stages. The first psychosocial crisis occurs during the first year of life. It is known as the Trust V. Mistrust crisis stage. In this stage the infant is learning about the world they live in. During this part of the …show more content…

If the infant feels like they can trust, then they will develop a sense of hope that will make them feel like other people will be there when needed. The second stage of life is Autonomy V. Shame and Doubt. The child is now somewhere from eighteen months to three years old and is able to move around and begin to show their independence. The kid begins to realize that they have many skills and abilities. They are beginning to know how to walk, play with toys on their own, and dress themselves. In this stage the parent should let the kid become more independent and at the same time protect them from failure. If this stage is successful it will lead to the virtue of will. The third stage of life is Initiative V. Guilt. This part of the child’s life is when they begin to interact with others at school. They start to have many questions about land become curious about all aspects of life. The big thing the parent has to remember is to not embarrass or make a scene when a child asks a question, because this creates a since of guilt in the child for being annoying. If a parent is successful in this stage of life it will lead to the virtue of purpose and direction. The …show more content…

Beginning at adolescence, the fifth stage, Identity V. Role Confusion, involves great influence from peers, groups, and friends. The main goal of this stage for the teen is becoming a grown up. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of fidelity and devotion, while failure will lead to fanaticism. The sixth stage of psychosocial crisis is Intimacy V. Isolation. During this part of your life young adults experience intimate relationships, increased social lives, and a full time job. Young adults begin to involve themselves in long term relationships that are intimate and committed. Success leads to love and affiliation, while failure will lead to isolation and promiscuity. Generativity V. Stagnation, the seventh stage, is when mid- adults begin to have children and attempt to be finically stable. The biggest goal at this point in time is to be as productive as possible. If achieved, achievement and care is felt, but if not, it can lead to a feeling of unproductivity and depression. The last stage of life is Integrity V. Despair. After the age of 65 we begin to slow everything down. This is when we become senior citizens and reflect on our life as a whole. If satisfied the individual will have a sense of closure and great wisdom. If a person is not satisfied with their life, they will go into a stage of despair and

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