Analyzing Erikson's Stages Of Psychosocial Development

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The first stage that we all go through, according to Erik Erikson, is the trust vs. mistrust stage. During this stage infants, age zero to one develop trust, usually on one’s parents. The infant develops trust based on if the essential needs they have to survive are met. If the needs of the infant are met, it will gain hope. According to Pastorino and Doyle-Portillo, “ Developing a sense of trust also fosters the development of a secure attachment.” (p.379) If the infant's needs aren’t met the infant will carry a sense of mistrust in new forming relationships. This stage, therefore, alters all of the infant's life without even knowing.
The second stage that all humans go through is autonomy vs. shame and doubt. During the ages of one to three, a toddler will begin to gain enhanced mobility contributing to learning control and independence. As these toddlers separate from their primary caretaker they must find an appropriate balance between autonomy and dependence. (p.379) This stage will produce the
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guilt. This stage takes place in children ages three to six. As these children start school and group activities the child will start exploring interpersonal skills; they explore these interpersonal skills by initiating activities through trial and error. “ At the same time, they start to understand that others have expectations for their behavior, and they learn to read people’s reactions to their explorations.” (Pastorino, Doyle-Portillo, p.379). Success in this stage is developed through a balance, with parents, and with peers, in both initiative and guilt. Success will lead to the child gaining a sense of purpose, while failure leads to the child feeling guilty for “being a nuisance.” Failure comes from either parents trying to be protective, ending up being overprotective, or from their parents and others in their environment having different ideas for how the child “ought to