Erik Erikson: Lifespan Development and Adolescent Challenges

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Erik Erikson's 8 stages of psychosocial development, adolescent challenges, coping strategies, and time management.

Erik Erikson

A German-American developmental psychologist born on June $15, 1902$, and died on May $12, 1994$, who coined the term Lifespan Development.

Conflict

A turning point during which an individual struggles to attain some psychological quality.

Personality

All the relatively stable and distinctive styles of thought, behavior, and emotional responses that characterize a person’s adaptations to surrounding situations.

Psychosocial Theory

Erikson’s theory that personality develops in a series of predetermined stages where conflicts act as turning points in life.

Trust

Established in Stage $1$ (Birth to $18$ months) when babies are given adequate warmth, touch, love, and physical care by dependable and reliable parents.

Mistrust

Caused by inadequate or unpredictable care and by cold, indifferent, and rejecting parents during the first $18$ months of life.

Autonomy

The ability to do things for oneself, such as body control and making choices, occurring between $18$ months and $3$ years.

Shame and Doubt

Feelings of inadequacy caused by overprotective or ridiculing parents during the toddler years (Stage $2$).

Initiative

Reinforced when parents give children ($3$ to $5$ years) freedom to play, use imagination, and ask questions.

Guilt

Occurs if parents criticize, prevent play, or discourage a child’s questions during the preschool years (Stage $3$).

Industry

A sense of competence developed between ages $6$ and $12$ when a child is praised for productive activities.

Inferiority

A weak sense of self that occurs if a child's efforts are regarded as messy or inadequate during school age (Stage $4$).

Identity

The organization of individual drives, abilities, beliefs, and experience into a consistent image of self during adolescence ($12$ to $20$ years).

Role Confusion

Failure to establish an individual identity separate from the family, also known as ego diffusion.

Intimacy

The ability to care about others and share experiences with them during young adulthood ($20$ to $25$ years).

Isolation

A feeling of being alone and uncared for in life, occurring if one fails to develop strong relationships in Stage $6$..

Generativity

An interest in guiding the next generation and contributing to society during middle adulthood ($25$ to $65$ years).

Stagnation

Occurs when an individual in middle adulthood is only concerned with their own needs, comforts, and material possessions.

Integrity

Developed in late adulthood ($65$ to death) when people look back and feel they have lived richly and responsibly.

Despair

A feeling of regret, bitterness, and heartache when previous life events are viewed as failures in old age.

Adolescence

The age between adulthood and childhood where individuals are often torn between adult responsibilities and childhood desires.

Substance Abuse

A challenge for adolescents often triggered by peer pressure, risk-taking behavior, family influence, or low self-esteem.

Aggression

A concern especially with adolescent boys due to hormonal changes, muscle growth, and increased vulnerability.

Significant Other (Social Psychology)

A person who guides, takes care of, protects, rewards, and punishes a child during primary socialization.

Significant Other (Sociology)

Any person with a strong influence on an individual’s self-concept.

Time Management

The process of organizing and planning how to divide time between different activities to increase effectiveness and productivity.

Eisenhower Matrix

A strategy for productivity that categorizes tasks as Urgent (needs immediate attention) vs. Important (contributes to long-term goals).