Psychosocial Development Paper

When I was a young girl, my mother promised to take me with her to pick up my school uniform from the dress-maker. I was very excited and I got ready very quickly. I loved going to places with my mother and it was a Sunday. I enjoyed walking on a Sunday. Going for walks on Sundays meant that I would get to dress up in what I called “going out” clothes at the time. It also meant that if I was persuasive enough I may get an ice cream cake from my mother. As we were about to leave, my aunt came over to our house. She and my mother started talking and before I knew it, I was no longer going with my mother to the dressmaker. My aunt suggested that she go with my mother instead. I was very upset and I refused to stay at home. So I walked behind …show more content…
This is therefore saying that an individual's childhood experiences can influence the type of person they become in the future. According to Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, both biological and environmental factors help to develop personality (Schultz & Schultz, 2012). At the time of this event I was five years old. According to Erikson's theory I would therefore be at the initiative versus guilt stage. At this stage children feel the need to do things on their own. At this stage the “Motor and mental abilities are continuing to develop, and children can accomplish more on their own” (Schultz & Schultz, 2012). Children therefore try to use this power to exert their independence. At age five, I made the decision to go with my mother. I was taking the initiative. It was something that I really anted to do. I was exerting my independence and making a decision of my own. I did not obey the orders of those in authority but instead I did what I wanted to do. Erikson's stages of psychosocial development can either be completed successfully or an individual could fail to complete the stages successfully. If a child successfully completes the stage of initiative versus guilt then they could develop purpose. Purpose involves the courage to envision and pursue goals (Schultz & Schultz, 2012). If this stage is not handled properly by parents then children could develop guilt. This guilt could affect the child's sense of creativity and may make them slow to communicate with others (McLeod, 2013). Children would therefore be afraid to trust their own decisions and due to guilt may start second-guessing whether or not they are making the right decision. This became my reality. I was afraid to communicate with others. I also did not trust my own