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The Psychosocial Theory Of Human Development

Decent Essays

A third development theory that I will discuss is called the “Psychosocial Theory.” The psychosocial developmental theory emerged from the work of psychologist Erik Erikson. Erikson argued that human development was influenced by social experiences that take place through eight stages. In fact, Erikson’s theory was influenced by his experience in analyzing and studying of various types of people from various backgrounds and culture. Thus, Erikson believed that human life evolved through experiencing life crisis in each of the eight stages of development. Moreover, it is through the experiences of life crisis and their eventual resolution that allows individuals to continue to grow. According to Erikson, life crisis symbolized a time when vulnerability and possibilities were intertwined (Fiore, 2011). Erikson proposed that life crisis’s was an opportunity where an individual was trying to achieve, while at the same time working towards creating a sense of self—eventually this process would lead to the work of self-development. Stage 1: Basic trust vs. Mistrust (birth to 2years, infancy, hope, maternal), Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and doubt (2-3 years old, early childhood, willpower, both parents or adults substitute), Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt (3-5, preschool, nursery school, purpose, parents, family friends), Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority (5-12, middle school, competence, school), Stage 5: Identity vs. Identity confusion (12-18, adolescence, fidelity,

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