Eight Stages of Life

Eight Stages of Life

Psychology 230

March 27, 2011

"It is human to have a long childhood; it is civilized to have an even longer childhood. Long childhood makes a technical and mental virtuoso out of man, but it also leaves a life-long residue of emotional immaturity in him."

— Erik Homburger Erikson (1902-1994)

There are two basic themes that Erik Erikson based his philosophy on and that is: (1) the world gets bigger as we go along and (2) failure is cumulative. All of Erikson’s stages of life have opposites.

1. Infancy: Birth to 18 Months

a. Ego Development Outcome: Trust vs. Mistrust

i. Basic strength: Drive and Hope

Erikson suggested that this period was thought to be the Oral Sensory Stage and the reason for this at this age children put everything in their mouth. This stage is also based on the child having positive interaction of a caring and loving mother. It was thought that during this period that a child needed to have trust in their primary caregiver. The child also needed to have trust in their own ability to make things happen. If this bond was not made then the child did not have that trust met then there might be a feeling of mistrust throughout their life.

2. Early Childhood: 18 Months to 3 Years

a. Ego Development Outcome: Autonomy vs. Shame

i. Basic Strengths: Self-control, Courage, and Will

During this stage children learn to master doing things for themselves. Children in this stage learn to walk, talk, feed ourselves, and they develop fine motor skills. As they gain more control over their bodies they also gain self-esteem and autonomy. Children are also seen saying “no” to caregivers during this age also. At this age children can be seen as vulnerable. If a child when trying to learn to use the potty is made to feel shame then the process might take even longer. As a result for that they might suffer from low self-esteem throughout their life.

3. Play Age: 3 to 5 Years...