Register to read the introduction…
Erikson believed that child needed to have an actual achievement experience to develop the sense of competency. Also, the child starts to seek approval of things from society during this stage. (Sharkey, 1997) Encouragement and reinforcement helps the child to have a sense of self-worth and feel industrious. Whereas the opposite, neglect and failure, give the child a sense that he or she is worthless, a feeling of inferiority. If an activity a child feels is demanded in society can’t be completed the child will experience a feeling of worthlessness. For example, if a child is not very athletic and the child feels that it is important in society to be so, the child may feel ashamed. Erikson did believe that some failure is okay in this stage. (McLeod, 2008)The child needs some failure to go along with the accomplishments to maintain an appropriate
