Erik Erikson 's Life Span Development Theory

On October 13, 2017, our Life-Span Development class had the opportunity to observe the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development of Levi, a seventeen-month-old male toddler. When he came to the observation with his mother, father, and sister. With the whole family coming to the observation, we were able to observe more interactions, and learn more from the parents. The observation was conducted at Dordt College in room 1309, and the infant’s parent consented to participate in the live observation.

During this stage, infants feel uncertain about the world they live in and resolve this uncertainty by looking to their primary caregiver for stability. If the caregiver is consistent, reliable, and predictable, the infant will develop a sense of trust that will assist them in feeling secure throughout various relationships. If the caregiver is harsh, unpredictable, and inconsistent, the infant will develop a sense of mistrust, which leads to a lack of confidence in the world around them.

Stage one of Erikson’s theory is described as “trust vs. mistrust.” This stage occurs from birth to year one of a child’s life (Erickson H., 1964). It is obvious that overcoming this developmental crisis is out of the hands of the child at this point in their lives. If there is stable and consistent care, the child will gain a feeling of trust that carries on in relationships later on in life. On the other hand, inconsistency and neglect will instill in the infant a sense of mistrust that carries on in future relationships (Erickson H., 1964).

In the early 20th-century, interest in the field of child development emerged. Researchers and theorists studied the ways in which children grew, learned, and, in some instances, were shaped by societal influences (Weiland, 1993). The study of child development enables us to appreciate and understand the social, emotional, physical, educational, and cognitive growth that children go through from birth to early adulthood. Grand theories attempt to organize and arrange concepts and aspects of development using a step approach. Such as that of Erik Erikson’s theory, the Psychosocial Identity Development theory, in which he addresses the development of personal, emotional, and social progression in an individual through stages (Pretorius et al., 2015). Erikson’s model for the approach of development involves the focus of overcoming conflicts that individuals encounter over the span of their childhood that influence their ego identity, or the conscious sense of self that develops and constantly changes due to new experiences and information that is acquired through daily interactions with others and events. In Erikson’s theory, he believed that each person experienced a conflict that served as a defining moment in their development that essentially shaped who they would become later on in life; he believed that unresolved problems of adult life echoed unresolved conflicts of one’s childhood (Berger, 2011).

Trust vs. Mistrust- During this stage the infant is uncertain about the world in which they

The first stage of Erikson’s eight stages of development is called Trust vs Mistrust, and these two coexists on how the infant will later be affected in the world. Trust revolves around how often the parent attends to their children. Mistrust of course is the complete opposite from Trust. According to Erikson, my mother informed me that I developed a sense of Mistrust/Trust. She explained to me that at first she used to attend to my needs, and pick me up every time I cried, therefore, I developed trust. That all went downhill when my great grandmother told my mother to not pick me up because, crying will help my lungs. Ending with mistrust, is part of the reason why I don’t try to get close to others as much. Nowadays, I tend to keep my distance from other people.

| Development of basic trust, a derivative of the positive attachment between the infant and the primary caretaker, occurs during the first year. This is a cornerstone of emotional development. (0 - 1) Ability to control oneself in a given environment. Developing rudimentary selfconcept - displaying pleasure at being ‘good‘, yet shame, upset, distress and embarrassment at being ‘bad’. (1 - 3) Initially no moral development, as baby but shows needs by crying, cooing, smiling etc. (0-1). No understanding of right or wrong, starts to understand yes/ no. Can have tantrums and sudden mood changes,

Parents are primarily responsible for satisfying this stage of development in their child. It is imperative parents are attentive to their infant's needs so trust can be developed.

Mistrust. An infant trusts that their caregiver is going to be there to meet their needs. If a caregiver does not appear the infant will experience conflict of trusting others. Erikson believed that this shaped a person’s interactions for the rest of their life. Benjamin Spock stated in his book Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care that infants learn during early infancy a sense of trust by having their needs met promptly and lovingly. He does go on to say that after six months a baby can wait a bit for a parent’s attention, especially, if the parent is feeling overwhelmed or anxiety due to the fact that the she is feeling enslavement by the baby always needing to be held (2012. pg. 112-113). Mary Ainsworth has four categories of behavior based on maternal care: sensitivity-insensitivity, cooperation-interference, and acceptance-rejection. Ainsworth believed that a mother to form positive attachment should be able to interpret her baby’s signals and respond promptly, understand that the baby is individual, to intervene in the babies activities without inferring, and the mother’s feelings toward her baby (Benson, Haith. 2009. pg. 32). It seems though that Raj took it to one extreme of not answering cries after in the night after six months, while I was at the opposite end of not putting my six month old down. Cheryl is the balance between us because she has the balance that Ainsworth’s theory requires.

Infancy through toddlerhood embodies the stage of life during which we emerge from the womb up until about 1 ½ years old. This period of growth as we become a human in the world is punctuated by the crisis that Erikson describes as “Trust vs. Mistrust”. During this time, infants are unsure of just about everything, because they have no experience with anything (maybe change to lack experience). Learning what things they can and cannot trust is crucial and they look to their primary caregiver to guide them. For example, a person who was not given close caregiver relationships during infancy and toddlerhood may grow up to be reserved and less likely to confide in others or look for (seek out) guidance in them(delete). I spoke with my mother

    According to Erikson’s first stage of development, “Trust vs. Mistrust” begins as soon as the infant is born. Erikson believe that when an infant is first born, they must learn how to trust others. In other words, their parents are the ones who are suppose to

In his theory of development, Erikson suggests that a child develops a blend of trust and mistrust during the first year of his/her life if he/she receives consistent and healthy care. Therefore, a child needs warm, attentive, consistent, and predictable care in order to develop trust during the initial eighteen months of his/her life. Kim's

If the individual’s needs are not met in this stage the individual will most likely develop a mistrust that will hamper relationship in the future. The relationship between parent and caregiver is vital. “It is during the first months of life that the baby comes to trust or not, to have faith or not. Whether trust and faith are developed has direct implications for identity formation” (Goodwin, 1998) The goal of this stage is to gain ‘Hope’.

Erikson’s theory of ‘trust vs. mistrust’ will be outlined in this paper to suggest how it can be implemented to support parents in developing positive relationships and attachment with their infant and lay the foundations for trusting relationships into adulthood.

I have collected a lot of examples and information from my virtual child during her infant and toddler years, where it shows her lacking in social and emotional development. According to my virtual child observations, at 9 months Aubree had an obvious attachment to me and prefers me over other people, but this is pretty common in infants. According to Erikson, for 0-2 years “mother” is the significant relationship during these years. This stage is Basic Trust VS Mistrust which is oral, sensory. Trust as defined by Erikson is "an essential truthfulness of others as well as a fundamental sense of one 's own trustworthiness." The infant depends on the parents, especially the mother, for nourishment and comfort. My records also show that “Aubree was always cautious and shy in most new situations or with new people. With me present, she will eventually explore, but rarely warms up completely to the strange situation or person”. According to my virtual child it says that