Erikson's Stages of Human Development

Developmental psychologist Erik H. Erikson ( 1902-1994) was best known for his theory on social development of human beings, and for coining the phrase identity crisis.

The theory describes eight stages through which a healthily developing human should pass from infancy to late adulthood. In each stage the person confronts, and hopefully masters, new challenges. Each stage builds on the successful completion of earlier stages. The challenges of stages not successfully completed may be expected to reappear as problems in the future.

(Approx. ages) Stage & Psychosocial crisis	Significant relations	Psychosocial modalities	Psychosocial virtues	Maladaptations & malignancies
(0-1) Infant Trust vs mistrust	Mother	to get, to give in return	hope, faith	sensory distortion withdrawal
(2-3) Toddler Autonomy vs shame and doubt	Parents	to hold on, to let go	will, determination	impulsivity compulsion
(3-6) Preschooler Initiative vs guilt	Family	to go after, to play	purpose, courage	ruthlessness inhibition
(7-12) School-age child Industry vs inferiority	Neighborhood and school	to complete, to make things together	competence	narrow virtuosity inertia
(12-18) Adolescent Ego-identity vs role-confusion	Peer groups, role models	to be oneself, to share oneself	fidelity, loyalty	fanaticism repudiation
(20-45) Young adult Intimacy vs isolation	Partners, friends	to lose and find oneself in a another	love	promiscuity exclusivity
(30-65) Middle aged adult Generativity vs self-absorption	Household, co-workers	to make be, to take care of	care	overextension rejectivity
(50+) Old adult Integrity vs despair	Mankind or "my kind"	to be, through having been, to face not being	wisdom	presumption despair

Erikson's ideas on how we grow up as create identities is in contrast to Freud's, who proposed sexual motives behind our behaviour.

Read about Freud's Stages of Psychosexual Development here

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