Reflection On Erik Erickson's Eight Stages Of Development

Erik Erikson studied children practices for numerous years until finally realizing that children and adults develop throughout the years through eight stages called the developmental crisis (Pastorino & Doyle-Portillo 378). He noticed that in many cultures, humans progressed in a similar manner where in each stage, their environment and their reactions to the atmosphere created a variety of personality characteristics. Depending on how they responded, the trait could either be healthy or unhealthy to their social life. In my psychology class, we took a quiz to evaluate what trait we most likely possess in each stage. By adding up the points on a scale, we were able to understand why we act in certain ways according to Erickson’s psychosocial …show more content…
This is generally when a midlife crisis occurs because a person becomes aware of their mortality. If they feel like they have achieved something and contributed to society, they have accomplished generativity. If they experience stagnation, the adult will possess a sense of failure and they will try to participate in activities that will help them regain a sense of identity. Out of nine possible points, I earned seven points in the generativity versus stagnation stage. I believe I am not old enough to fully experience this stage, although, so far in my life, I feel like I have contributed to society. The last stage in Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development is integrity versus despair and it occurs at the end of a person’s life span. Since I am only seventeen years old, this stage did not apply to me or my peers. Overall, my test scores varied among each stage, although, I was closer to the positive trait most of the time. By taking the quiz, I learned a lot about myself and how I was raised to become trusting and exhibit independence. The results may change as I grow older, although, they are the core to my current and future beliefs and