54 ERIKSON Erik Erikson (1902-1994) was a German psychologist who developed a theory of psychosocial development which covers a person s entire lifespan. According to his theory, every individual goes through eight stages of personality development, from infancy to late adulthood. He believed that at each stage of development there is a crisis or task that we need to handle; success in resolving it results in a sense of competence and a healthy personality; failure leads to feelings of inadequacy. The stages of psychosocial Look up a couple of quotations by Erik Erikson and share them with your classmates. accomplishment: riuscita, successo bitterness: amarezza to handle: gestire lifespan: corso della vita to measure up: cavarsela, essere all'altezza to stifle: soffocare 116 development Stage 1 (infancy, birth to 1 year) Trust vs mistrust. If babies do not learn that adults can be trusted (because they are responsive and sensitive to their needs), they may develop a sense of mistrust for people. Stage 2 (early years, 1 to 3) Autonomy vs shame and doubt. Children start controlling their actions and expressing their preferences. If praised, they may develop independence and autonomy, conversely, they may start doubting their abilities and develop low selfesteem and feelings of shame. Stage 3 (preschool years, 3 to 5/6) Initiative vs guilt. Children start to exert their power over the world through social interaction and play, developing a sense of ambition, responsibility, and self-confidence, however, if society does not support them or stifles their initiative, they may develop feelings of guilt. Stage 4 (school years, 5/6 to 11/12) Industry vs inferiority. Comparison with peers allows children to see how they measure up and may make them develop either a sense of pride and accomplishment in their activities and interactions, or a sense of inferiority and inadequacy. Stage 5 (adolescence, 11/12-18) Identity vs confusion. Teenagers try to define their self exploring various roles, ideas, goals, etc. If they succeed in remaining true to their beliefs and values, they will develop a strong adult self, otherwise, they will struggle to find themselves as adults. Stage 6 (young adulthood, 18-40) Intimacy vs isolation. A strong sense of self helps to develop successful, loving, and intimate relationships with others, but failure to have developed it during the previous stage can lead to isolation and loneliness. Stage 7 (middle adulthood, 4065) Generativity vs stagnation. Adults care for others, engage in productive work, and contribute positively to society, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Those who do not succeed in doing this may develop a sense of unproductivity and a lack of involvement in the world. Stage 8 (late adulthood, over 65) Integrity vs despair. People look back at their life and feel either a sense of satisfaction being proud of their accomplishments and feeling a sense of integrity or failure living with feelings of bitterness, depression, and despair.