The Erikson Life Cycle Stages (Luterman, 2008)

Trust vs. Mistrust:

When caregivers are reliable, babies develop trust; if not, they feel mistrust.

-The infant realizes that the world is a safe place, needs are met, and there is consistency and order.

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt:

Encouraged independence builds autonomy, while overcontrol causes shame and doubt.

-The child develops a sense of personal power and of having some control over the world.

-Speech and language begin to develop.

Initiative vs. Shame and Guilt:

Support for trying new things fosters initiative, but criticism creates guilt.

-The child learns to be assertive and take risks.

-Moves into the larger adult society in an intrusive manner

-Develops an insatiable curiosity, which manifests itself through asking questions

-Parents help the child acclimate to the adult world without limiting initiative.

-Psychopathology stemming from this stage may lead to numerous psychosomatic diseases.

Industry vs. Inferiority:

Success in learning leads to industry, while repeated failure breeds inferiority.

-Equipped with a sense of trust, the child is ready to learn formal skills through school and society.

-The child acquires the tools needed to assume adulthood.

-A sense of inadequacy may develop if the family and/or school fail to prepare and capitalize on the child's abilities; these feelings could persist into adulthood if unresolved.

Identity vs. Role Confusion:

Exploring values forms identity, but uncertainty leads to role confusion.

-Erikson viewed adolescence as negotiating the complex issue of identity, during which teens establish freedom and independence from the family and then establish a social role in later stages.

-Parents are viewed as the first role models yet may embarrass the teen; younger siblings have parents and older siblings as role models, which helps; adolescents from single-parent homes use outside sources to help develop identity.

-Failure to establish identity leads to gender and role confusion.

Intimacy vs. Isolation:

Building close bonds results in intimacy, while fear of closeness causes isolation.

-The life cycle does not end after adolescence; adulthood is not static but is fraught with crises, making growth a continuous process.

-Young adults are independent and self-governing and they establish new ties to the world that will evolve into additional primary relationships and an occupation.

-Adults with a fragile identity do not enter into intimate relationships for fear of losing self, and/or they try to fuse with another person to establish identity through that individual; intimate, loving relationships allow both individuals to maintain their own identities.

-The work environment must include balance between identity and feeling a part of the company or work setting; a person with a fragile ego is fearful of being consumed by the workplace and fails to commit.

-An individual with little sense of identity often overcommits and merges personal identity with work identity.

-Failure to solve the intimacy crisis often leads to feelings of isolation and alienation.

Generativity vs. Stagnation:

Helping others brings generativity, but self-absorption leads to stagnation.

-Generativity is the desire to teach and share knowledge and skills with others, especially the young.

-This stage is characterized by productivity and creativity; adults forego their own personal needs for the care of others.

-Becoming a parent does not necessarily equal generativity, as parents who have not resolved issues with intimacy and identity will remain self-absorbed and narcissistic.

-Generativity enriches the individual and society; when this fails to happen, stagnation occurs.

Ego Integrity vs. Despair:

Reflecting with pride creates integrity, while regret brings despair.

-This is the age of wisdom and detachment for adults who have successfully negotiated the previous seven stages. Individuals in this stage can see human problems in their entirety in the face of approaching death, and they are able to love in the deepest sense.

-Adults with ego integrity do not fear death; they see it as an integral part of the life cycle.

-Growing old does not guarantee wisdom; some individuals fear death and are mired in despair.