Erik Erikson, a psychoanalyst, developed his theory of social development in 1950 (revised in 1963) (MacCoby, 2002). Erikson’s model includes eight distinct stages of psychosocial progression through a life span (Hutchinson, 2015). For instance, each phase contains an age specific tasks which allow them to develop emotionally and socially (MacCoby, 2002). Specifically, when a person meets the challenges of a stage they progress, but if they are unsuccessful, they may difficulty in the following stages (Hutchinson, 2015). ). Erikson’s theoretical model shows how humans grow, change, and adapt throughout a lifetime,
Erikson’s Stages
Stage 1: Basic Trust vs. Basic Mistrust Stage one is from infancy to one years old (Hutchinson, 2015). Infants …show more content…
Shame and Doubt
The Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt stage includes toddlers, one to three years of age. In this phase, toddlers develop self-determination and an increase in motor skills (Hutchinson, 2015). Children at this age want to be self-reliant, so they resist help from others (Hutchinson, 2015). In particular, this stage is known for the “terrible twos”, where toddlers learn to say, “No”. If a youngster fails to meet the challenges in this stage, they will feel shame and learn to doubt themselves (Hutchinson, …show more content…
In a therapeutic setting, a counselor could use Erikson’s theory to identify the phase in which a client failed to complete a growth task and is now having difficulty (Marcia & Josselson, 2013). For instance, a person who did not complete the task of feeling secure, in the future will have trouble developing intimate relationships. Erikson’s model provides a guide to age related tasks which either help or hinder the emotional, social, and/or personality growth of the person (Marcia & Josselson, 2013). Marcia and Josselson (2013), reports Erikson’s model helps therapists to provide clients with practical goals by not only allowing for pathology, but also accounting for personality development in a social
Erikson’s Stages
Stage 1: Basic Trust vs. Basic Mistrust Stage one is from infancy to one years old (Hutchinson, 2015). Infants …show more content…
Shame and Doubt
The Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt stage includes toddlers, one to three years of age. In this phase, toddlers develop self-determination and an increase in motor skills (Hutchinson, 2015). Children at this age want to be self-reliant, so they resist help from others (Hutchinson, 2015). In particular, this stage is known for the “terrible twos”, where toddlers learn to say, “No”. If a youngster fails to meet the challenges in this stage, they will feel shame and learn to doubt themselves (Hutchinson, …show more content…
In a therapeutic setting, a counselor could use Erikson’s theory to identify the phase in which a client failed to complete a growth task and is now having difficulty (Marcia & Josselson, 2013). For instance, a person who did not complete the task of feeling secure, in the future will have trouble developing intimate relationships. Erikson’s model provides a guide to age related tasks which either help or hinder the emotional, social, and/or personality growth of the person (Marcia & Josselson, 2013). Marcia and Josselson (2013), reports Erikson’s model helps therapists to provide clients with practical goals by not only allowing for pathology, but also accounting for personality development in a social