Erikson and Freud are two of the few theorists who have developed a lifespan approach to development. Freud’s approach to development was psychosexual while Erikson’s was psychosocial. Even though Freud’s theory is better known, Erikson’s theory remains a leading and very much applied model in personality and developmental psychology today.
When considering these two stage-oriented theories, you can directly compare the majority of their stages. Matched in the following table:
Approximate Age |
Freud’s Stages of Psychosexual Development
|
Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial development
|
Infancy (Birth to 1 year) |
Oral stage
|
Trust versus mistrust
|
Early childhood (1–3 years) |
Anal stage
|
Autonomy versus doubt
|
Preschool (3–6 years) |
Phallic stage
|
Initiative versus guilt
|
School age (7–11 years) |
Latent period
|
Industry versus inferiority
|
Adolescence (12–18 years) |
Genital stage
|
Identity versus role confusion
|
Young adulthood (19–40 years) |
Intimacy versus isolation
|
|
Middle adulthood (40–65 years) |
Generativity versus stagnation
|
|
Older adulthood (65–death) |
Integrity versus despair
|
When considering Erikson’s eight stages of development, the way a person moves through each stage directly affects their success in the next stage. Their personality is being built and shaped with each stage. At each stage, there is a turning point, called a crisis by Erikson, which a person must confront.
Observe or interview two different people, each at a different stage of development. For a third observation, take a look at yourself and the stage that you are in (this stage must be different from your other two observations).
Record your observations on the Development Template
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