Erikson’s Developmental Stages

STAGE	BASIC CONFLICT	CHARACTERISTICS
Infant	Trust vs. Mistrust	Needs maximum comfort with minimal uncertainty to trust himself/herself, others, and the environment.
Toddler	Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt	Works to master physical environment while maintaining self-esteem.
Preschool	Initiative vs. Guilt	Begins to initiate, not imitate, activities; develops conscience and sexual identity.
School Age	Industry vs. Inferiority	Tries to develop a sense of self-worth by refining skills.
Adolescent	Identity vs. Role Confusion	Tries integrating many roles (child, sibling, student, athlete, worker) into a self-image under role model and peer pressure.
Young Adult	Intimacy vs. Isolation	Learns to make personal commitment to another as spouse, parent, or partner.
Middle Adulthood	Generativity vs. Stagnation	Seeks satisfaction through productivity in career, family, and civic interests.
Late Adulthood	Integrity vs. Despair	Reviews life accomplishments, deals with loss and preparation for death.

Adapted from:

SimplePsychology.com. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html

CHARACTERISTICS