IN-HOUSE TRAINING

ERIKSON’S THEORY OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
PROPOSES THAT PEOPLE PASS THROUGH A SERIES OF
STAGES CENTERED ON SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
AT EACH POINT IN A PERSON’S LIFE HE OR SHE FACES A DEVELOPMENTAL CONFLICT
THAT MUST BE RESOLVED. THOSE WHO FAIL TO MASTER THESE CHALLENGES WILL CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE.

Erikson’s Stages of
Psychosocial Development

Approximate age

Stage

Description of Task

Adolescence (teens into 20’s)

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Teenagers work at refining a sense of self by testing roles and then integrating them to form a single identity, or they become confused about who they are.

Young Adult (20’s to early 40’s)

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Young adults struggle to form close relationships and to gain the capacity for intimate love, or they feel socially isolated.

Middle Adult (40’s to 60’s)

Generativity vs. stagnation

The middle-aged discover a sense of contributing to the world, usually through family and work, or they may feel a lack of purpose.

Late Adult (60’s and up)

Integrity vs. despair

When reflecting on his or her life, the older adult may feel a sense of satisfaction or failure.

IN-HOUSE TRAINING

POSITIVE SELF

emotional

COMMUNICATION

Erikson’s Stages ofPsychosocial Development

Erikson’s Stages of
Psychosocial Development