Eriksons Summary Sheet

Erickson offered a basic framework for understanding the needs of young people in relation to
the society in which they grow, learn and ultimately make their contribution. Erikson's
psychosocial theory emphasized the emergence of the self, the search for identity, the individual
relationships with others and the role of culture throughout life.
Stage

Basic
Conflict

Important
Event(s)

Outcome

Infancy
(birth to 18 months)

Trust vs.
Mistrust

Feeding

Children develop a sense of trust when caregivers provide reliability,

care, and affection. A lack of this will lead to mistrust.

Toilet
Training

Children need to develop a sense of personal control over physical skills

and a sense of independence. Success leads to feelings of autonomy,
failure results in feelings of shame and doubt.

Early Childhood
(2 to 3 years)

Autonomy vs.
Shame and
Doubt

Preschool
(3 to 5 years)

Initiative vs.
Guilt

School Age
(6 to 11 years)

Industry vs.
Inferiority

Adolescence
(12 to 18 years)

Young Adults
(19 to 40 years)

Identity vs.
Role
Confusion
Intimacy vs.
Isolation

Exploration

Children need to begin asserting control and power over the

environment. Success in this stage leads to a sense of purpose.
Children who try to exert too much power experience disapproval,
resulting in a sense of guilt.

School

Children need to cope with new social and academic demands. Success
leads to a sense of competence, while failure results in feelings of
inferiority.

Social
Connections

Relationships

Young adults need to form intimate, loving relationships with other

people. Success leads to strong relationships, while failure results in
loneliness and isolation.

Work and
Parenthood

Work and Parenthood - Adults need to create or nurture things that will
outlast them, often by having children or creating a positive change that
benefits other people. Success leads to feelings od usefulness and
accomplishment, while failure results in shallow involvement in the
world.

Generativity

Middle Adulthood
(40 to 65 years)

Maturity
(65 to death)

vs.
Stagnation

Ego Integrity
vs. Despair

Social Relationships - Teens need to develop a sense of self and

personal identity. Success leads to an ability to stay true to yourself,
while failure leads to role confusion and a weak sense of self.

Reflection of
Life

Older adults need to look back on life and feel a sense of fulfillment.
Success at this stage leads to feelings of wisdom, while failure results in
regret, bitterness, and despair.

For the context of this assignment we have chosen to focus on the first six stages of development
as they focus on the ages that will affect how we as teachers conduct ourselves.

So, what does this all mean?

Children go through the first three stages before they are old enough to attend school,
but that does not necessarily mean that those stages are completely behind them. As teachers
we have to be aware that we will face all of the stages previous to the school age because children
are entering an extremely new environment.
This means that teachers will have to establish a relationship of trust with each student,
promote autonomy and industry, and reinforce the values and virtues that they have hopefully
developed before entering school. It is crucial for teachers to get to know each individual in
order to understand and meet the learning needs of each student. Creating a positive learning
environment where students feel safe to share and participate is essential to promoting a feeling
of trust with and between students.
Teachers also need to make sure they are challenging their students, but scaffolding
and scaling their lessons in order to ensure that students have the opportunities they need to
succeed, thereby promoting autonomy and reinforcing confidence. Those students who are
struggling to develop autonomy and industry are especially in need of encouragement from the
teacher because it is likely that they are not getting a great deal of support from home.

If teachers are able to create a classroom community students will have a better chance
to form positive relationships with the students and teacher, and will therefore be more likely to
avoid developing insecurities, shame, and a negative sense of self. This is a crucial foundation
for later stages in life as students begin to develop more complex relationships and eventually
work towards intimacy and love.