Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development

Erikson explained eight stages of psychosocial development, from infancy to adulthood.  During each stage, the person experiences a psychosocial crisis which could have a positive or negative outcome for personality development. That means psychological needs of the individual conflicting with the needs of society .

Erikson's eight stages are:

·         Stage 1: Trust versus mistrust (birth to 1 year)

·         Stage 2: Autonomy versus shame and doubt (1 to 2 years)

·         Stage 3: Initiative versus guilt (3 to 5 years)

·         Stage 4: Industry versus inferiority (6 to 11 years)

·         Stage 5: Identity versus role confusion (12 to 18 years)

·         Stage 6: Intimacy versus isolation (19 to 40 years)

·         Stage 7: Generativity versus stagnation (41 to 64 years)

·         Stage 8: Integrity versus despair (65 years to death)

 

1. Trust vs. Mistrust

Trust vs. mistrust is the first stage in Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. This stage begins at birth continues to approximately 18 months of age. During this stage, the infant is uncertain about the world in which they live, and looks towards their primary caregiver for stability and consistency of care.

If the care the infant receives is consistent, predictable and reliable, they will develop a sense of trust which will carry with them to other relationships, and they will be able to feel secure even when threatened.

If the care has been inconsistent, unpredictable and unreliable, then the infant may develop a sense of mistrust, suspicion, and anxiety. In this situation the infant will not have confidence in the world around them or in their abilities to influence events.

 

 

2. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Autonomy versus shame and doubt is the second stage of Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development. This stage occurs between the ages of 18 months to approximately 3 years. According to Erikson, children at this stage are focused on developing a sense of personal control over physical skills and a sense of independence. 

 

If children in this stage are encouraged and supported in their increased independence, they become more confident and secure in their own ability to survive in the world.

If children are criticized, overly controlled, or not given the opportunity to assert themselves, they begin to feel inadequate in their ability to survive, and may then become overly dependent upon others, lack self-esteem, and feel a sense of shame or doubt in their abilities.

3. Initiative vs. Guilt(3 to 5 years)

Initiative versus guilt is the third stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. During the initiative versus guilt stage, children assert themselves more frequently through directing play and other social interaction.

During this period the primary feature involves the child regularly interacting with other children at school. Central to this stage is play, as it provides children with the opportunity to explore their interpersonal skills through initiating activities. The children develop a sense of initiative and feel secure in their ability to lead others and make decisions.

 

4. Industry vs. Inferiority(6 to 11 years)

Erikson's fourth psychosocial crisis, involving industry (competence) vs. Inferiority occurs during childhood between the ages of five and twelve.

Children are at the stage where they will be learning to read and write, to do sums, to do things on their own. It is at this stage that the child’s peer group will gain greater significance and will become a major source of the child’s self-esteem. Some failure may be necessary so that the child can develop some modesty. Again, a balance between competence and modesty is necessary. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of competence.

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5. Identity vs. Role Confusion (12 to 18 years)

During this stage, adolescents search for a sense of self and personal identity, through an intense exploration of personal values, beliefs, and goals. During adolescence, the transition from childhood to adulthood is most important. Children are becoming more independent, and begin to look at the future in terms of career, relationships, families, housing, etc. The individual wants to belong to a society and fit in.This is a major stage of development where the child has to learn the roles he will occupy as an adult.

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Erikson claims that the adolescent may feel uncomfortable about their body for a while until they can adapt and “grow into” the changes. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of reliability. Fidelity involves being able to commit one's self to others on the basis of accepting others, even when there may be ideological differences.

6. Intimacy vs. Isolation(19 to 40 years)

Intimacy versus isolation is the sixth stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. This stage takes place during young adulthood between the ages of approximately 18 to 40 yrs. During this stage, the major conflict centers on forming intimate, loving relationships with other people.

During this stage, we begin to share ourselves more intimately with others. Successful completion of this stage can result in happy relationships and a sense of commitment, safety, and care within a relationship. Avoiding intimacy, fearing commitment and relationships can lead to isolation, loneliness, and sometimes depression. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of love.

7. Generativity vs. Stagnation

 This stage takes place during during middle adulthood (ages 40 to 65 yrs).

Psychologically, generativity refers to "making your mark" on the world through creating or nurturing things that will outlast an individual. During middle age individuals experience a need to create or nurture things that will outlast them, often having mentees or creating positive changes that will benefit other people.

At this stage of life, individuals are pulled in all directions with work, family obligations, and children. Depending on their individual situation, they may be taking care of ailing or elderly parents, still raising children, or facing an empty nest. These are moments of great change and transformation. This stage of life can open doors to individuals’ sense of belonging and contribution to the next generation.”. 

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8. Ego Integrity vs. Despair(65 years to death)

Ego integrity versus despair is the final stage of Erik Erikson’s stage theory of psychosocial development. This stage begins at approximately age 65 and ends at death. Individuals who reflect on their life and regret not achieving their goals will experience feelings of bitterness and despair.

 

As we grow older (65+ yrs) and become seniour citizens, we tend to slow down our productivity and explore life as a retired person.

Wise people are not characterized by a continuous state of ego integrity, but they experience both ego integrity and despair. Thus, late life is characterized by both integrity and despair as alternating states that need to be balanced.

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Improve your personality

THE CONCEPT OF PERSONALITY- 

DEFINITION: “Personality is the unique  pattern of characteristic thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that distinguishes one person from another and that persists over time” 

According to Allport’s ‘personality is the dynamic organization within the individual.

It is a  product of both biology and environment, it remains fairly consistent throughout life

Different Dimensions   of Personality

The Big Five personality traits, also known as the five-factor model (FFM). These five factors are assumed to represent the basic structure behind all personality traits. 

They were defined and described by several different researchers during multiple periods of research. The "big five" are broad categories of personality traits. They were defined and described by several different researchers during multiple periods of research

1. Extraversion: This trait includes characteristics such as excitability, sociability, talkativeness, assertiveness and high amounts of emotional expressiveness.

 Extraversion is a measured by how energetic, sociable and friendly person. Extraverts are called as a ‘people’s person’ because they can know drawing energy from being around others directing their energies towards people and the outside world.

1. Extroverts enjoy being around people and larger social groups. They are a happy in workplace environment, they are an efficient, team worker and even allowing space for others to cooperate.  
2. Extroverts also enjoy talking a lot;

2. Agreeableness: 

Agreeableness is one of five dimensions of personality described as the Big Five. This personality dimension includes attributes such as trust, altruism, kindness, affection, and other pro-social behaviors. Agreeableness is a personality trait that can be described as cooperative, polite, kind, and friendly. People high in this prosocial trait are particularly empathetic, showing great concern for the welfare of others, they are the first to help those in need. 

 

3. Conscientiousness:. Conscientiousness is a fundamental personality trait. Those people possess Conscientiousness personality trait; they are reflecting the tendency to be responsible, organized, hard-working, goal-directed, and to follow to norms and rules.

Common features of this dimension include high levels of thoughtfulness, with good impulse control and goal-directed behaviors, comprises self-control, industriousness, responsibility, and reliability.

 4. Neuroticism: Neuroticism, is typically defined as a tendency toward anxiety, depression, self-doubt, and other negative feelings. Neuroticism is sometimes described as low emotional stability or negative emotionality. Some people are just much more neurotic than others. 

Some self-deprecating comedians and complainers wear their neuroticism as a badge of honor, but in truth, people with neurotic natures are more likely to to anxiety, mood disorders, and additional unfavorable social and emotional outcomes.

5. Openness: People who tend to be high in the trait of openness are more willing to embrace new things, new adventures, experiences, creative endeavors, fresh ideas, and novel experiences. They are open-minded and approach new things with curiosity and tend to seek out novelty. They are also very good at thinking about and making connections between different concepts and ideas.

PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT:

Personality development includes activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitate employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations.  It involves formal and informal activities that put people in the role of leaders, guides, teachers, and managers for helping them realize their full potential. Hence, it can be concluded that the process of improving or transforming the personality is called personality development.

 SIGNIFICANCE OR IMPORTANCE OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT:

The scope of personality development is quite broad. It includes knowing how to dress well, social graces, grooming, speech and interpersonal skills.

The key benefits of developing your personality include the following:

 a. Confidence: Personality development gives more confidence to people.   When you know you are appropriately attired and groomed, this makes you less anxious when meeting a person. Knowing the right things to say and how to conduct yourself will increase your confidence.

b. Credibility: Personality development makes people more credible. Credibility is like trust, it takes a long time to build it and it can be lost in a moment. People want to believe in their leaders and have faith that they are the right people to follow. Personal and professional credibility is at the basis of this faith. Personal credibility consists of hon

c. Interaction: Personality development encourages people to interact with others. Social relationships are important ingredients of life. 

d. Leading and Motivating: Personality development enhances the capacity to lead and motivate. A person with a winning personality will be able to motivate better. People are less likely to get bored. 

e. Curiosity: A single wrong word can destroy human relationship. Knowing the right things to say shows both respect and intellectual sophistication. 

f. Communication skills:  Verbal communication skills are also part of personality development; improving your speech will strengthen the impact of your message. Most of the people you see as models of great personality have taken a lot of effort in developing their natural features.

 

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Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Development

Psychologist Sigmund Freud’s model of sexual development proposes a series of stages in which people grow and mature. The pleasure sought by your inborn instincts is focused on sexual desire and gratification, through proper stimulation of each erogenous zone.

According to Freud, every “healthy” child evolves through five different stages:

• Here are the stages by ages:

• Oral: Birth to 18 months
• Anal: 18 months to 3 years
• Phallic: 3 years to 8 years
• Latency: 7 to 8 years to puberty
• Genital: Puberty to adulthood

Each stage is associated with a specific part of the body, or more specifically, erogenous zone. Each zone is a source of pleasure and conflict during its respective stage. “A child’s ability to resolve that conflict determines whether or not they were able to move onto the next stage,” 

The oral stage

• Age range: Birth to 1 year
• Erogenous zone: The mouth

The oral stage is Freud’s first stage of personality development. From birth until about 18 months of age, an infant’s life centers on his mouth. The main task of this stage is to satisfy oral desire by stimulating the erogenous zone of the mouth. Infants are born with a very well-developed sense of taste, and their mouths are the most sophisticated tools they have to explore their world.

Freud’s theory says that things like excessive gum chomping, nail biting, and thumb-sucking are rooted in too little or too much oral gratification as a child.

“Overeating, overconsumption of alcohol, and smoking are also said to be rooted in poor development of this first stage,” she says.

The anal stage

• Age range: 1 to 3 years old
• Erogenous zone: anus and bladder

 Freud’s second stage of personality development is all about the erogenous focus of the anal stage.. The theory says that how a parent approaches the toilet training process influences how someone interacts with authority as they get older.

The phallic stage

• Age range: 3 to 6 years old
• Erogenous zone: genitals, specifically the penis

Freud comes up with his third stage: the phallic stage. The 3- to 5-year-old child is focused on the erogenous stimulation of the genital area. The need for satisfaction soon turns toward our parents, typically the parent of the opposite sex. As sexual satisfaction expands, a child finds himself within the realm of one of Freud’s most controversial and strange contributions to the study of personality, 

For young girls, this meant fixation on the fact that they don’t have a penis, an experience he called “penis envy.”

According to Freud, boys eventually decide to become their fathers — through imitation — rather than fighting them.

Freud called this “identification” and believed it was ultimately how the Oedipus complex got resolved.

Positive relational experiences:

1. the discovery of the sexual differences and the newly found interest for this problem open un a new stage in the process of adult identification. If in the last stages of psychosexual development, the identification was only primary, based on the fusion with the model (usually, the mother), now we can move on to the structured identification. The Ego and the Superego are consolidated using the model given by the same sex parent, trying to conquer the libidinal object (the opposite sex parent).
2. the conditions and components of a structured identification are: cognitive aspects (the perception of similarity), affective aspects (empathy towards the model), volitional (wants to resemble the model) and pragmatic aspects (imitating or adopting the behaviour of the model).
3. the last phase of identification occurs after puberty and it’s called independent identification because the model is followed being guided by personal experiences.

Possible negative consequences: 

• traumatizing experiences that block the change to structured identification (maltreatment, abuse) can cause the fixation of the complexes Oedipus or Electra which favorize the apparition of dysfunctions in the development of the sexual identity and in couple relationships.

The latency stage

• Age range: 7 to 10 years old, or elementary school through preadolescence

With successful resolution of the conflicts of each previous stage, children enter into a more quiet time of psychosexual development called latency. The libido loosens its grip on the personality, and sexual impulses cease to dominate. Kids find more freedom to explore and expand on the skills they’ve gained from each subsequent stage.

Latency lasts from about six years old until puberty. Things cool down, so to speak.”

Freud argued that this is when sexual energy was channeled into industrious, asexual activities like learning, hobbies, and social relationships.

He felt that this stage is when people develop healthy social and communication skills.He believed failure to move through this stage could result in lifelong immaturity, or the inability to have and maintain happy, healthy, and fulfilling sexual and non-sexual relationships as an adult.

Positive relational experiences:

• During this stage, the superego continues to develop while the id’s energies are suppressed. Children develop social skills, values and relationships with peers and adults outside of the family.
• The development of the ego and superego contribute to this period of calm. The stage begins around the time that children enter into school and become more concerned with peer relationships, hobbies, and other interests.
• The latent period is a time of exploration in which the sexual energy repressed or dormant. This energy is still present, but it is sublimated into other areas such as intellectual pursuits and social interactions. This stage is important in the development of social and communication skills and self-confidence.
• The hibernating libido gives rise to an increased interest to other activities that bring pleasure, other than sexual related. There is a marked decrease in interests regarding sexuality and these themes are viewed as taboo.

Possible negative consequences:

• As with the other psychosexual stages, Freud believed that it was possible for children to become fixated or “stuck” in this phase. Fixation at this stage can result in immaturity and an inability to form fulfilling relationships as an adult.

The genital stage

• Age range: 12 and up, or puberty until death
• Erogenous zone: genitals

The last stage in this theory begins at puberty . According to Freud, this is when an individual begins to have strong sexual interest in the opposite sex. The self-centered pleasure-seeking child of earlier stages gives way to a more mature form of satisfaction.

A concern for the pleasure of others begins to shape the direction of psychosexual development, and the child is now open to learning how to engage in mutually satisfying love relationships.

Freud never proposed that all people reach this point of full maturity. It’s more like an ideal, something to strive for, a lifelong project.

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ASSERTIVENESS AND NEGOTIATION SKILLS

What is Assertiveness?

Assertiveness is the ability to honestly express your opinions, feelings, attitudes, and rights, without undue anxiety, in a way that doesn't infringe on the rights of others.

Why Assertiveness Is Important

The ability to be assertive allows someone to make What is Assertiveness?

Assertiveness is the ability to honestly express your opinions, feelings, attitudes, and rights, without undue anxiety, in a way that doesn't infringe on the rights of others.

Why Assertiveness Is Important

1.       The ability to be assertive allows someone to make offers to other people and stand up for themselves or others in a nonaggressive way. 

2.      Individuals who are high in assertiveness don't shy away from defending their points of view or goals, or from trying to influence others to see their side. They are open to both compliments and constructive criticism. People can improve their assertiveness through practical exercises and experience.

3.     From a cognitive standpoint, assertive people experience fewer anxious thoughts, even when under stress.

4.     From a behavioral standpoint, assertive people are firm without being rude.

5.  Assertive people are able to be honest about their thoughts and feelings in a respectful way. 

6.     They actively listen to and are considerate of other people’s perspectives.

7.      Assertive people are able to maintain control over their feelings and admit when they’ve made a mistake.

 

 What are some benefits of being assertive?

• Being assertive offers a number of benefits, ranging from less anxiety and depression to a greater sense of  better relationships. 
• Assertiveness is often associated with higher self-esteem and confidence.

 

How to Be Assertive

1.       Assertive people tend to project confidence.

2.       They maintain eye contact, have good posture, and use body language effectively. 

3.     They are able to express their thoughts and beliefs honestly and reasonably—and they encourage other people to do the same.

4.     Being assertive means speaking up for one’s rights without disrespecting anyone else’s. 

5.     It involves managing stress, solving problems as they arise, and staying calm

6.     Assertive people are able to be honest about their thoughts and feelings in a respectful way. 

7.     They actively listen to and are considerate of other people’s perspectives.

8.      Assertive people are able to maintain control over their feelings and admit when they’ve made a mistake..

 

What are some benefits of being assertive?

Being assertive offers a number of benefits, ranging from less anxiety and depression to a greater sense of agency and better relationships. Assertiveness is often associated with higher self-esteem and confidence.

 

How to Be Assertive

1.       Assertive people tend to project confidence.

2.       They maintain eye contact, have good posture, and use body language effectively. 

3.     They are able to express their thoughts and beliefs honestly and reasonably—and they encourage other people to do the same.

4.     Being assertive means speaking up for one’s rights without disrespecting anyone else’s. 

5.     It involves managing stress, solving problems as they arise, and staying calm

 

 

 

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