Chapter3:Sect i

on1 :
Introducti
onto
Development,Personal
ity,
andSt ageTheories
By 
Dr.Chr
ist
opherL.Heffner
 

Dr
.Chr
ist
opherL.Heffner
   
  
  
Augus
t21
,201
4Chapt
er3:Sect
ion1
:Int
roduct
iont
oDev
elopment
,Per
sonal
ity,
andSt
ageTheor
ies
201
4-1
1-1
7T22:
07:
18+
00:
00
Int
roduct
iont
oDev
elopment
,Per
sonal
ity,andSt
ageTheor
ies

Whendi
scus
singanyt
ypeofdev
elopment
,mos
ttheor
istbr
eaki
tdowni
ntos
peci
fic
s
tages
. Thes
est
agesar
etypi
cal
lypr
ogr
ess
ive.
 Inot
herwor
ds,youmus
tpas
s
t
hroughones
tagebefor
eyoucangett
othenext
. Thi
nkabouthowyoul
ear
nedt
orun;
fi
rstyouhadt
olear
ntocr
awl
,thenyoucoul
dlear
ntowal
k,andfi
nal
lyyoucoul
d
dev
elopt
hes
kil
lsneededt
orun.
 Wi
thoutt
hefi
rstt
wos
tages
,runni
ngwoul
dbean
i
mpos
sibi
li
ty.

Int
hischapt
erwewi
lldi
scus
sthemos
tpr
omi
nents
taget
heor
iesi
nregar
dtomot
or
andcogni
tiv
e,s
oci
aldev
elopment
,dev
elopment
,andmor
aldev
elopment
. Mos
toft
hes
e
 s
taget
heor
iesar
epr
ogr
ess
ive,al
thoughi
nsome,s
uchasEr
iks
on’
sps
ychos
oci
aland
Fr
eud’
sps
ychos
exual
,aper
soncanfai
ltocompl
etet
hes
tagewhi
les
til
lcont
inui
ng.
 
Thi
sfai
lur
e,howev
er,wi
llr
esul
tindi
ffi
cul
tiesl
ateri
nli
feaccor
dingt
othet
heor
ies
. 
Thefol
lowi
ngoffer
sanov
erv
iewofdev
elopmentaccor
dingt
othepr
inci
plesof
ps
ychol
ogy.

Al
l ych 
Ps > 
Psychol
ogy1
01 
> 
Chapt
er3:Sect
ion2:Mot
orAndCogni
tiv
eDev
elopment

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Chapt
er3:Sect
ion3:Er
iks
on’
sSt
agesOfPs
ychos
oci
alDev
elopment

Chapter3:Secti
on3:Er i
kson’s
StagesofPsychosoci
alDevelopment
By 
Dr.Chr
ist
opherL.Heffner
 

Dr
.Chr
ist
opherL.Heffner
   
  
  
Augus
t21
,201
4Chapt
er3:Sect
ion3:Er
iks
on’
sSt
agesofPs
ychos
oci
al
Dev
elopment
201
4-1
1-1
7T22:
10:
21+
00:
00
Er
iks
on’
sSt
agesofPs
ychos
oci
alDev
elopment
Li
kePi
aget
,Er
ikEr
iks
on(
1902-
1994)mai
ntai
nedt
hatchi
ldr
endev
elopi
na
pr
edet
ermi
nedor
der
.Ins
teadoffocus
ingoncogni
tiv
edev
elopment
,howev
er,hewas
i
nter
est
edi
nhowchi
ldr
ens
oci
ali
zeandhowt
hisaffect
sthei
rsens
eofs
elf.Er
iks
on’
s
Theor
yofPs
ychos
oci
alDev
elopmenthasei
ghtdi
sti
ncts
tage,eachwi
tht
wopos
sibl
e
out
comes
.Accor
dingt
othet
heor
y,s
ucces
sfulcompl
eti
onofeachs
tager
esul
tsi
na
heal
thyper
sonal
ityands
ucces
sfuli
nter
act
ionswi
thot
her
s.Fai
lur
etos
ucces
sful
ly
compl
eteas
tagecanr
esul
tinar
educedabi
li
tyt
ocompl
etefur
thers
tagesand
t
her
efor
eamor
eunheal
thyper
sonal
ityands
ens
eofs
elf.Thes
est
ages
,howev
er,can
ber
esol
veds
ucces
sful
lyatal
atert
ime.

Tr
ustVer
susMi
str
ust
.Fr
omagesbi
rtht
ooneyear
,chi
ldr
enbegi
ntol
ear
ntheabi
li
ty
t
otr
ustot
her
sbas
edupont
hecons
ist
encyoft
hei
rcar
egi
ver
(s)
.Ift
rus
tdev
elops
s
ucces
sful
ly,t
hechi
ldgai
nsconfi
denceands
ecur
ityi
nthewor
ldar
oundhi
mandi
s
abl
etofeels
ecur
eev
enwhent
hreat
ened.Uns
ucces
sfulcompl
eti
onoft
hiss
tagecan
r
esul
tinani
nabi
li
tyt
otr
ust
,andt
her
efor
eans
ens
eoffearaboutt
hei
ncons
ist
ent
wor
ld.Itmayr
esul
tinanxi
ety,hei
ght
enedi
nsecur
iti
es,andanov
erfeel
ingofmi
str
ust
i
nthewor
ldar
oundt
hem.

Aut
onomyv
s.ShameandDoubt
.Bet
weent
heagesofoneandt
hree,chi
ldr
enbegi
nto
as
ser
tthei
rindependence,bywal
kingawayfr
omt
hei
rmot
her
,pi
cki
ngwhi
cht
oyt
o
pl
aywi
th,andmaki
ngchoi
cesaboutwhatt
heyl
iket
owear
,toeat
,et
c.Ifchi
ldr
eni
n
t
hiss
tagear
eencour
agedands
uppor
tedi
nthei
rincr
eas
edi
ndependence,t
heybecome
mor
econfi
dentands
ecur
eint
hei
rownabi
li
tyt
osur
viv
eint
hewor
ld.Ifchi
ldr
enar
e
cr
iti
cized,ov
erl
ycont
rol
led,ornotgi
vent
heoppor
tuni
tyt
oas
ser
tthems
elv
es,t
hey
begi
ntofeeli
nadequat
eint
hei
rabi
li
tyt
osur
viv
e,andmayt
henbecomeov
erl
y
dependentuponot
her
s,l
acks
elf-
est
eem,andfeelas
ens
eofs
hameordoubti
nthei
r
ownabi
li
ties
.

Ini
tiat
ivev
s.Gui
lt.Ar
oundaget
hreeandcont
inui
ngt
oages
ix,chi
ldr
enas
ser
t
t
hems
elv
esmor
efr
equent
ly.Theybegi
ntopl
anact
ivi
ties
,makeupgames
,andi
nit
iat
e
act
ivi
tieswi
thot
her
s.Ifgi
vent
hisoppor
tuni
ty,chi
ldr
endev
elopas
ens
eofi
nit
iat
ive,
andfeels
ecur
eint
hei
rabi
li
tyt
oleadot
her
sandmakedeci
sions
.Conv
ers
ely,i
fthi
s
t
endencyi
ssquel
ched,ei
thert
hroughcr
iti
cis
morcont
rol
,chi
ldr
endev
elopas
ens
eof
gui
lt.Theymayfeell
ikeanui
sancet
oot
her
sandwi
llt
her
efor
eremai
nfol
lower
s,
l
acki
ngi
nsel
f-i
nit
iat
ive.

Indus
tryv
s.Infer
ior
ity.Fr
omages
ixyear
stopuber
ty,chi
ldr
enbegi
ntodev
elopa
s
ens
eofpr
idei
nthei
raccompl
ishment
s.Theyi
nit
iat
epr
oject
s,s
eet
hemt
hrought
o
compl
eti
on,andfeelgoodaboutwhatt
heyhav
eachi
eved.Dur
ingt
hist
ime,t
eacher
s
pl
ayani
ncr
eas
edr
olei
nthechi
ld’
sdev
elopment
.Ifchi
ldr
enar
eencour
agedand
r
einfor
cedfort
hei
rini
tiat
ive,t
heybegi
ntofeeli
ndus
tri
ousandfeelconfi
denti
n
t
hei
rabi
li
tyt
oachi
evegoal
s.Ift
hisi
nit
iat
ivei
snotencour
aged,i
fiti
sres
tri
ctedby
par
ent
sort
eacher
,thent
hechi
ldbegi
nst
ofeeli
nfer
ior
,doubt
inghi
sownabi
li
ties
andt
her
efor
emaynotr
eachhi
spot
ent
ial
.

Ident
ityv
s.Rol
eConfus
ion.Dur
ingadol
escence,t
het
rans
iti
onfr
omchi
ldhoodt
o
adul
thoodi
smos
timpor
tant
.Chi
ldr
enar
ebecomi
ngmor
eindependent
,andbegi
nto
l
ookatt
hefut
urei
nter
msofcar
eer
,rel
ati
ons
hips
,fami
li
es,hous
ing,et
c.Dur
ingt
his
per
iod,t
heyexpl
orepos
sibi
li
tiesandbegi
ntofor
mthei
rowni
dent
itybas
edupont
he
out
comeoft
hei
rexpl
orat
ions
.Thi
ssens
eofwhot
heyar
ecanbehi
nder
ed,whi
ch
r
esul
tsi
nas
ens
eofconfus
ion(
“Idon’
tknowwhatIwantt
obewhenIgr
owup”
)about
t
hems
elv
esandt
hei
rrol
eint
hewor
ld.

Int
imacyv
s.Is
olat
ion.Occur
ringi
nYoungadul
thood,webegi
ntos
har
eour
sel
vesmor
e
i
nti
mat
elywi
thot
her
s.Weexpl
orer
elat
ions
hipsl
eadi
ngt
owar
dlongert
erm
commi
tment
swi
ths
omeoneot
hert
hanafami
lymember
.Succes
sfulcompl
eti
oncan
l
eadt
ocomfor
tabl
erel
ati
ons
hipsandas
ens
eofcommi
tment
,safet
y,andcar
ewi
thi
na
r
elat
ions
hip.Av
oidi
ngi
nti
macy,fear
ingcommi
tmentandr
elat
ions
hipscanl
eadt
o
i
sol
ati
on,l
onel
ines
s,ands
omet
imesdepr
ess
ion.

Gener
ati
vit
yvs
.St
agnat
ion.Dur
ingmi
ddl
eadul
thood,wees
tabl
ishourcar
eer
s,s
ett
le
downwi
thi
nar
elat
ions
hip,begi
nourownfami
li
esanddev
elopas
ens
eofbei
ngapar
t
oft
hebi
ggerpi
ctur
e.Wegi
vebackt
osoci
etyt
hroughr
ais
ingourchi
ldr
en,bei
ng
pr
oduct
iveatwor
k,andbecomi
ngi
nvol
vedi
ncommuni
tyact
ivi
tiesandor
gani
zat
ions
.By
fai
li
ngt
oachi
evet
hes
eobj
ect
ives
,webecomes
tagnantandfeelunpr
oduct
ive.

EgoInt
egr
ityv
s.Des
pai
r.Aswegr
owol
derandbecomes
eni
orci
tizens
,wet
endt
o
s
lowdownourpr
oduct
ivi
ty,andexpl
orel
ifeasar
eti
redper
son.Iti
sdur
ingt
hist
ime
t
hatwecont
empl
ateouraccompl
ishment
sandar
eabl
etodev
elopi
ntegr
ityi
fwes
ee
our
sel
vesasl
eadi
ngas
ucces
sfull
ife.Ifwes
eeourl
ivesasunpr
oduct
ive,feelgui
lt
aboutourpas
ts,orfeelt
hatwedi
dnotaccompl
ishourl
ifegoal
s,webecome
di
ssat
isfi
edwi
thl
ifeanddev
elopdes
pai
r,oft
enl
eadi
ngt
odepr
ess
ionand
hopel
ess
nes
s.