Running Head: ERIKSONS SELF STUDY 1

Danielle McGrew
Eriksons Self Study
Ivy Tech Community College












ERIKSONS SELF STUDY 2

Erik Erikson developed eight stages of psychosocial development that take us through
the different stages of life. Each stage covers a different age group starting from birth to death.
Every stage shows important life changing events that help shape who we are. Each of Eriksons
stages really builds upon the one before; they are all individual stages that intertwine.
Throughout this paper I will cover each of Eriksons stages and how each stage related to my
life. I will be comparing how my life was through each stage and how I was or was not affected
through each stage. (McDevitt, T.M., & Ormrod, J.E., 2010)
Erikson was born on June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt, Germany. He was raised by his single
mother, and never knew is biological father or his mothers first husband. When his mother
remarried to a physician, Dr. Theodor Homberger, the fact that he was not Eriksons biological
father was kept secret from him, which caused him to feel some confusion about who he was
when he found out (Cherry, 2005). The confusion continued into high school where he was
teased for the way he looked. His interest in identity stems a lot from these two events
happening in his life.
When Erikson finished high school he went on to traveling and working with some art,
but with a push from a friend, he went on to study Psychoanalysis, for which he received a
certificate from the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. After this he went on to teaching. While
teaching he met his wife Joan Serson, a dance teacher. They married in 1930 and had three
children together. Erikson moved to the United States in 1933 and was offered a position at
Harvard. At this time he also changed his name from Erik Homberger to Erik Erikson (Cherry,
2005). Erikson died in 1994.
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TRUST vs. MISTRUST
Eriksons first stage of psychosocial development is trust vs. mistrust. This stage occurs
from birth to age one. This stage has a very big effect on infancy, since the child will be learning
who they can or cannot trust. Children in this stage rely on their parents or caregivers for
everything. How the caregiver is with the child can determine if they are trusted or mistrusted
by the child. For example, the mother is the primary caregiver; she feeds, bathes, and comforts
the child when he cries or is sick. This child is going to form a lot of trust towards his mother
and know that he can rely on her. His father has been in and out of his mother life while she
was pregnant and the same since he was born. The child may have a sense of mistrust in the
father because he does not know if his father will be there tomorrow. So when the child is
crying, he may only want his mother, and not his father. This stage is very important for a child
to feel safe and comfortable. (Cherry, 2005)
At this stage I had my mother, father and six-year old sister. We lived in Texas for the
first six months of my life and then we moved to Anderson IN, where we then lived near my
nana and papa as well. I always had attention from someone, and always loved being held by
my family. My mother tells me I was not too excited to be held by people I did not know, and
would cry for my mom, dad or sister (K. Srogi, 2013). As a child my mother says I wanted to be
center of attention, if a picture was being taken I wanted to be in it (K. Srogi, 2013).
I believe that I left this stage with a strength of security. I had so many caregivers that
were always making sure I had what I needed, it made it easy for me to trust them. Having this
many caregivers that I trusted allowed me to leave this stage with a very positive outcome. I
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was able to trust the ones that cared for me, which I believe allowed me to go into the next
stage with confidence.
AUTONOMY vs. SHAME and DOUBT
Eriksons second stage of development is autonomy vs. shame and doubt. This stage
occurs from ages one to three. During this stage children start to learn what they can and
cannot do on their own. They also begin to satisfy their own needs, learning to feed, dress, and
use the toilet on their own. This is an important stage because how parents and caregivers
respond to children can have a major impact. Through this stage parents and caregivers have a
couple of generic responses to children, let them do it on their own and encourage them for
trying, I know if I allow them to try they will make a mess, it is best I just do it for them, or
Why are you not doing this on your own, I should not have to help you. All three of these
thoughts can affect the way child feels about themselves. When a child is encouraged when
they want to try something new they will develop autonomy or a sense of being able to do
things on their own or solve their own problems. When parents or caregivers do not give them
a chance to try or force them before they are ready they may develop shame or doubt in their
own abilities. (McDevitt, T.M., & Ormrod, J.E., 2010)
In this stage I was learning very much. I always wanted to feed and dress myself. My
mother says I would pick out my own clothes and they did not always match, but she would let
me wear them anyways, but partly because I refused to change (K. Srogi, 2013). My mom also
tells this embarrassing but funny story about when I was potty training. I was learning to use
the big potty and of course I wanted to do everything on my own. My mother as she puts it
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was still wiping my bottom when I would finish using the bathroom. This particular time I
wanted to do it by myself, but my mother to me no. We went back and forth, with me arguing
with her, she finally got aggravated but let me just say I did not do it on my own this time. She
sent me to my room and told me not to come out until I could say I was sorry. She says I put up
quite the fight. About three hours go by and my mom had cooled down and I run out of my
room and yell AND IM STILL NOT SORRY and run back to my room (K. Srogi, 2013). Although
neither I nor my mom could tell me if this really affected me, this could be a perfect example of
an event causing me to doubt my abilities.
Even though she would allow me to do it on my own and there were probably many
other times, I do not believe I ever felt shame or doubt in myself. If I did it was not enough to
affect me negatively. From what I was told I was always encouraged to do things on my own.
My mom says I was very independent and even more so when my sister was born (K. Srogi,
2013). I believe that I had a great sense of autonomy through this stage.
INITIATIVE vs. GUILT
Eriksons third stage of development is initiative vs. guilt. This stage occurs from age
three to five. In this stage children begin to show interests in activities they like and a want to
participate in. Children in this stage are focused on play. Play is important during this stage, so
learning through play becomes a focus. While playing children use their imagination, which
allows them to play more independently. If their parents or caregivers encourage them to play,
use their imaginations, and do the activities they enjoy, it will allow the child to develop
initiative but if discouraged guilt can develop. During this stage children also gain a sense of
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purpose. They are also in their preschool years, being in preschool gives children the
opportunity to create goals for themselves as well as working on their social skills. (McDevitt,
T.M., & Ormrod, J.E., 2010)
In this stage I was at home until I turned four, and then went to a daycare/preschool.
Before I went to preschool, I was at home with my younger sister. She was my primary
playmate when I wasnt off playing on my own. In this stage I was learning more and more and
enjoyed it very much. I have been told that I was always very eager to learn and always showing
off the work I had completed or a new skill I had mastered (K. Srogi, 2013). Even with my sister
around I still loved to play independently. My parents very much encouraged play, and even
had a room in our house with our toys, and chalkboard easels. My parents wanted us to be
independent, and not have to depend on them for everything. They wanted me to take
initiative in activities that interested me.
INDUSTRY vs. INFERIORITY
Eriksons forth stage is industry vs. inferiority. This stage occurs from age six to eleven.
In this stage children are eager to please their parents or caregivers. They learn that when they
accomplish something new or complete something they have been working on they can get
positive attention from their parents and caregivers. In this stage children are in elementary
school. During this time they are eager and enjoying mastering new skills and completing goals
to get recognized. Through social interactions, children begin to develop a sense of pride in
their accomplishments and abilities (Cherry, 2005). Academic accomplishments are not the
only thing children will do to get attention, joining sports or clubs are another way to get that
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recognition they strive for. If parents and teachers reward them for their accomplishments then
there will be a sense of industry and if they are punished or feel like they cannot meet their
parents expectations they may feel a sense of inferiority. (Cherry, 2005)
This stage of life for me was tough. At age seven my parents divorced and my mom and
two sisters moved to South Carolina and I stayed with my dad. It was a tough time because I
went from a child with siblings and two parents in the same house, to an only child living with
my dad. I know that not technically how it was but it seemed this way to me at seven years old.
I think being the only child in the house that I wanted to please my dad. He was very strict on
grades even at a young age, but he always rewarded me for good grades.
When I was about eight or nine my date started dating again and eventually remarried.
This was another tough event in my life. Once she moved in, it was no longer just my dad and
me, which was an adjustment. I was now old enough to be given daily chores but was given
an allowance if I completed my chores but even without the reward I loved the good job
Danielle, or I have never seen it so clean. Probably a year after they married I moved to South
Carolina to be with my mom and two sisters.
I now had even more people I could show off too. I was able to bring my school work
home and show my mom and she would put it on the fridge. It was exciting because I knew if
anyone came over they too would see the work I had done. Not long after I moved with my
mom we moved closer to my grandmothers and eventually we all lived together. I loved it
when she was proud of me. It was the best feeling in the world. I would draw her pictures for
her to talk about how good they were. She would want me to draw another but would
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encourage me to draw something I had never done before, or just give me a topic to draw. I
never thought they were that great but she did. I do believe I left this stage with a sense of
accomplishment, even with all the bumps in the road, it just made me work harder.
IDENTITY vs. ROLE CONFUSION
Eriksons fifth stage is identity vs. role confusion. This stage occurs from age twelve to
eighteen. In this stage children try to figure out who they are. They are making the transition
from childhood to adulthood. In this stage most start out experiencing role confusion, they do
not have a sense of who they are. They are trying to learn how to fit in and figure where they
belong. As they go through this stage they may begin to experiment with who they are. Some
will join clubs, change friends, or do things that they would be considered out of their
character. During this stage many struggle with who they are. They may be do whatever they
think is cool, just to fit in or if they do not feel like they fit in at all then it may aid the role
confusion. In Eriksons view, most eventually achieve a sense of identity (McDevitt, T.M., &
Ormrod, J.E., 2010)
This has been the most difficult stage in my life. So much happened during this stage I
do not know how anyone can say they never had role confusion. From a very young age I have
always been told I mothered everyone, felt I had to take care of them, even my dad after they
divorced (W. Srogi, 2013). So in this stage I had my younger sister to look after. My mom
worked away from home and I watched my sister after school. My grandmother was home with
us but I still watched my sister. In 2005 my grandmother passed away and it was the hardest
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thing I have ever gone through. She was like a second mom to me, since at the time she lived
and took care of us while my mother worked.
After that I was very confused about my beliefs. I practice a religion called spiritualism,
and believe in the afterlife, family still being with us even after they pass. Even with believing
what I do, I questioned a lot. After my grandmother passed away my family moved to a town
call Summerville, SC to live with my aunt and uncle. When we (my mom, myself, and my sister)
moved into their house, it was eight of us in a five bedroom house. It worked out and was nice
to be surrounded by family. I started high school not long after we moved there and it was
really hard not to know anyone at all. Luckily I had my cousin and she introduced me to her
friends.
At this point I had met my very first boyfriend. He was three years older than me and
my parents were not too happy about it. I hung out with a lot of older people because he was
older than me. Throughout high school I had a lot of ups and downs with friends of my own.
Major issues where my best friend turned out to be someone I did not know at all. She had
some issues of her own that I never knew about, she was completely hiding it from everyone.
One day she ran away from home with her boyfriend to Ohio. I had no clue he existed in the
sense he was her boyfriend but I was told he had stalked her when she lived in Ohio, and he
started calling her again. When she ran away her mother actually went and got her back from
Ohio but she told her mother that my family knew every detail and helped her get to Ohio.
Seems like a plot out of a teen drama movie, I know. All of this really threw me off. I was
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grieving for a friend that I never really had in a sense. It made me feel like I could not even have
a real friendship after this, is something wrong with me.
I graduated high school in 2010 and a month after I graduated I got engaged to my high
school sweetheart. It was the one of the most exciting moment in my eighteen years of life. I
think after I got engaged it really helped me see who I was and wanted to be. Since he was
older than me, I always felt older than I was. I did not want to go out with friends, or go party.
The year I got engaged, my older sister had my nephew this was other most exciting, and
special moments in my life. He was the first baby to be born and I had a special connection with
him from the moment he was born. My sister struggled through her identity stage, and when
he was first born decided that she was not ready to be a mom. During this time my mom and
I were his primary caregivers. Do not get me wrong she was around, but midnight feedings
were mine or my mothers job. He slept in our room, at the time my mom and I shared.
When I started my first semester in college, my mom took care of him when I was at
school and when I came over I took him so my mom could work. I got into this role of co-parent
with my mom and I do believe this is why I felt so ready to get married and start my own family.
When my nephew was about 6 months old, my sister had straightened up and she became
mom, and a great on at that, but I still have this connection and protectiveness over him. Taking
care of him has been a great event that has allowed me to find myself. It was a tough road to
get to that point of my identity but by the end of this stage I definitely have my identity.
INTIMACY vs. ISOLATION
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Eriksons Sixth stage is Intimacy vs. Isolation. This stage occurs from ages eighteen to
thirty five (approximately).In this stage love and relationships are the most important part. By
this stage identities are usually established, which is an important part of this stage. If a person
does not have a sense of identity it may become hard to have a sense of intimacy. If they have a
sense of identity and ready for the next stage, then they are most likely ready to make
commitments, whether it is marriage, intimate relationships or close friendships. If these
commitments, are made then a sense of intimacy will develop, if not a sense of isolation may
develop. (McDevitt, T.M., & Ormrod, J.E., 2010)
Being 18 and engaged definitely has me in this stage. When we got engaged, we had
already been together for four years. I grew up with him sense I was fourteen when we started
dating. People seemed shocked when I tell them he was the only boyfriend I have ever had and
he is now my husband. We had a very close friendship and romantic relationship when we got
engaged. We were like best friends, I wanted to share all news, good or bad, with him. I got
married at nineteen. It was so exciting and nerve racking at the same time. We knew very early
in our dating relationship that we wanted to get married, but since I was in high school it was
seemed silly sometimes to talk about getting married. I had goals set for myself and he
respected that enough to not push the subject of marriage until I graduated. Now we have
been married for almost two years and we both are definitely ready for the next stage of life.
We feel strongly about starting a new part of our relationship by having children. This decision
was an easy one to make but not everyone agreed, and for a bit of time put a strain on my dad
and my relationship. He felt like I was too young and basically making a foolish decision. Ryan
and I had only been married a year so he felt like we need to discover our relationship first. We
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started trying to have children about six months after we got married, and about six months
into trying I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). This was very hard for me,
and in my head it was going to affect my relationship with my husband because I had read so
much bad stuff about it online. I had trouble even telling him what the doctor had said. We
have worked well through these issues and I think our relationship is even stronger than it was
before. I do believe that when I am out of this stage I will leave with a sense of intimacy. I also
think I was entering this stage before I turned eighteen.
GENERATIVITY vs. STAGNATION
Eriksons seventh stage is generativity vs. stagnation. This stage occurs from age thirty
five to fifty five. In this stage adults get a sense of wanting to contribute to society and future
generations. A lot of times starting a family happens in this stage and they now have something
to contribute to, and are able to bring up and teach their children. In this stage when they are
helping and contributing to society they get a sense of generativity. If they are unable or
unwilling to help others a sense of stagnation may develop. (McDevitt, T.M., & Ormrod, J.E.,
2010)
During this stage lot will have happened. I hope to have started my family, because
having children is something that is important for my husband and me. I plan to be working
hard at building up my career even more. I hope to be in a good neighborhood home to raise
my family and also be close to my other family. It is important that we are able to get together
for family functions. I will be teaching in a kindergarten classroom, and possibly working on
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adding to my degree level. By fifty five I may even be no longer working, but being at home
helping my children with their lives and maybe even helping my children with theirs.
INTEGRITY vs. DESPAIR
Eriksons eighth and final stage in integrity vs. despair. This stage begins at age fifty five
and last throughout the rest of the individuals life. In this they look back on all of their past
experiences and wondering if they led a meaningful life or not. The accomplishments and
regrets of past stages play a big role in this stage. Since this stage is based off every other stage,
it is like a stage of realization or reflection. Individuals in this stage reflect on their past and
realize things they are happy they completed or things they wish they could have done. A sense
of integrity develops if they look back and believe they led a happy life and accomplished
everything what wanted to complete. A sense of despair can occurs if they look back on a life of
disappointment and unachieved goals. (McDevitt, T.M., & Ormrod, J.E., 2010)
All the goals I have set for myself have so far been accomplished and I am setting more
goals for myself every day. I believe that when I get into this stage I will look back on my life
with integrity. I will have had my family, my career and be watching my childrens children
grow. I look back and see memories of people I have lost, or people that have just faded from
my life. Its a sad thing to look back on but those moments have only made me a stronger
person and value life even more. The events of death that happened to me throughout my
younger years has taught me how important family is, and what it truly means. I look forward
to be able to pass down family secrets and memories with my children, their children and so
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on. I honestly can say I hope to look back and never regret any decision because it will have
made me who I am.
Though writing this paper I have seen how important Eriksons stages are for child
development. I was able to see how my life was through each stage and how it helped me set
me up for the next stages. Even through the toughest parts of my life, it still had an effect on
the following stages. Also but writing this paper it makes me very excited to see what my life
will be like during the stages I have not actually been through yet. I think that Erikson had a very
good sense of what children go through as well as what you go through as adults.










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Resources
Cherry, K. (n.d.). Stages of psychosocial development psychosocial development in preschool,
middle childhood, and adolescence. Retrieved from
http://psychology.about.com/od/psychosocialtheories/a/psychosocial_2.htm
Cherry, K. (2005, November 22). psychology.about.com . Retrieved from
http://psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers/p/bio_erikson.htm
Srogi. K, personal communication, Feburary12, 2013.
Srogi. W. personal communication, Feburary12, 2013.
McDevitt, T.M., & Ormrod, J.E. (2010). Child Development and Education (4th ed.). Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson