Essay On Erikson's Stages Of Development

Formulating an identity is something everyone goes through. Erik Erikson was a 20th century psychoanalyst who theorised that people go through eight different stages of development that helps determine their own identity (Woolfolk and Perry, 2012). Erikson’s eight different stages of development are 1) Trust versus mistrust, 2) autonomy versus shame and doubt, 3) initiative versus guilt, 4) industry versus inferiority, 5) identity versus role diffusion, 6) intimacy and solidarity versus isolation, 7) generativity versus stagnation, and 8) integrity versus despair. These stages include different conflicts that a person will go through during their lifetime (Woolfolk and Perry, 2012). If a person successfully passes each stage, they will likely not have an identity crisis. However, “accomplishments at later stages depend on how conflicts are resolved in the earlier years” (Woolfolk and Perry, 2012). I will use Erikson’s stages of development to reflect on my own development and my current identity.
I was too young to remember two of these stages, trust versus …show more content…
Based on my own experiences, it does kind of make sense, but I do not feel it is the whole story. I feel that I did not successfully pass the initiative versus guilt stage of life, because it takes a lot of coaxing for me to take initiative for something new. However, because I have successfully passed through the industry versus inferiority stage, I am able to preserve through new and challenging obstacles in my life, once I have found the confidence to do so. Erikson also believed that identity is something that is always evolving, even after adolescence (Sokol, 2009). One thing that I find impacts my identity are the people I surround myself