Examples of Erik Erikson’s 8 Stages of Development

Erik Erikson’s theory of development states that an individual goes through a given order of stages from infancy stage to adulthood. The theory was influenced by the Freudian concept of Psychosexual development, however, Erik Erikson focused his work on the psychosocial development of the individual. Although slightly different, the two theories try to understand the human behavior as a result of innate forces under the umbrella theory known as Psychodynamic theory .

The theory involves the following stages:

1. Trust versus Mistrust
2. Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt
3. Initiative versus Guilt
4. Industry versus Inferiority
5. Identity versus Confusion
6. Intimacy versus Isolation
7. Generativity versus Stagnation
8. Integrity versus Despair

Trust versus Mistrust

The Psychological facts about this stage are in this article . However here are the real life examples.

Real-life examples can be demonstrated using two case scenarios. The first scenario is a child who has been raised by a caregiver who is addicted to substance use. The caregiver is never present within the home or they are never in the right state of mind to pay attention to the needs of the child. The child grows up learning to cope knowing that the ways of the street and that they have to fend for themselves first because the world is not fair.

The second scenario is a child who has been raised in a middle-class society with a stay-at-home mother. She basically runs the house with her own hands and fends for the children without the extra help of a Nanny. The child grows up knowing that in whatever case, mommy is always around and someone will get things fixed. Thus they tend to look at the world from a positive angle. Knowing that somehow things would fall into place.

Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt

The Psychological facts about this stage are in this article. However here are the real life examples.

The real-life example for this stage is demonstrated by a few signs. As a caregiver, this is the stage where toilet training takes place. The child needs to develop independence and a sense of physical control. The child would also insist on things like putting their shoes or clothes on by themselves. The positive thing to do as a caregiver is to encourage that sense of independence. When they insist on what foods they would rather eat, let them have their own way.

Initiative versus Guilt

The Psychological facts about this stage are in this article. However here are the real life examples.

A real-life example is a child who wants to impress their parents, takes the initiative to make a sandwich but makes a mess in the kitchen. The making of a sandwich at this point is a neutral initiative until there is a negative reaction from their parents. Therefore, Erickson suggests that the child would develop feelings of guilt when the initiative is perceived as negative.

Industry versus Inferiority

The Psychological facts about this stage are in this article. However here are the real life examples.

A real-life example is a child who is academically poor as compared to their peers. The child would feel inferior if his parents or caregivers are harsh or scold him for the poor grades. However if they do encourage him, he would not perceive himself as a failure or underachiever.

Identity versus confusion

The Psychological facts about this stage are in this article. However here are the real life examples.

In real life, an adolescent gets attached to their peers and barely listen to the adults. Their body changes make them feel like they are adults and thus, they expect to be treated as one. It is their search for their place in society that makes them extremely attached to their peers.

Intimacy Versus Isolation

The Psychological facts about this stage are in this article. However here are the real life examples.

In real-life experience, individuals who succeed in navigating this stage have romantic relations, close friends, and other meaningful connections. These individuals develop strong relationships around them. However, those who fail in navigating this stage tend to have a fear of commitment, Inability to open up, have few or no friends, poor romantic relationships, and have weak social support. Isolation might lead to issues such as depression, substance abuse, stress, and suicide

Generativity versus Stagnation

The Psychological facts about this stage are in this article. However here are the real life examples.

In practical life experiences, a stagnated individual is evidenced by characteristics such as being self-centered, no efforts to improve themselves, no interest in productivity, and failing to be involved with other people. Whereas generativity is marked with a commitment to others, developing relationships with family, mentoring other people, and generally contributing to developing the future generation.

Integrity versus Despair

The Psychological facts about this stage are in this article. However here are the real life examples.

In a practical experience, Integrity is characterized by a sense of success, lack of regret, the feeling of peace, feelings of wisdom, a sense of wholeness and acceptance. Despair on the other hand is shown by regret, bitterness, depression, feeling unproductive, ruminating over mistakes, and feeling that life wasted.

Conclusion

The 8 stages of psychosocial development as shown by Erik Erikson’s work is insightful. It shows how an individual develops throughout their lifespan. The theory evaluates both the positive and negative outcomes and what to expect if an individual picks either of the ways. However, is majorly based on theoretical perspectives of what can happen and thus it is a guide towards making concrete choices and not a stone cast experiences.