Erikson's Developmental Stages With Values

Erikson’s Eight Stages of Human Development

Stage Value Age Favorable/Unfavorable Outcome

1. Trust vs. Mistrust ---------- Hope ----- to 18 months -----Sensory distortion/Withdrawal

2. Autonomy vs. Shame ------Will Power ---to 3 years -------Impulsivity/Compulsion

3. Initiative vs. Guilt --------- Purpose -------to 6 years -------Ruthlessness/Inhibition

4. Industry vs. Inferiority ----Competence ---6 to 12 yrs ------ Narrow Virtuosity/Inertia

5. Identity vs. Identity -------- Fidelity -------13 to 20 yrs ------- Fanaticism/Repudiation

Confusion

6. Intimacy vs. Isolation ----- Love ---------- 20-35 yrs --------- Promiscuity/Exclusivity

7. Generativity vs. ----------- Care ----------- To retirement ----- Overextension/Rejectivity

Self-Absorption

  1. Integrity vs. Despair ------ Wisdom ------- Retirement --------- Presumption/Despair

**** Erikson maintains that developmental delays or conflicts can be resolved if:

****They are understood

****Given the appropriate opportunity to resolve them

BEHAVIOR EXPRESSIONS OF A SENSE OF TRUST AND MISTRUST

Characteristic Behaviors of People

who have a High Sense of Basic Trust

Characteristic Behaviors of People

who have a Low Sense of Basic Trust

Are able to ask others for help or emotional support without overdoing it.

Tend to have trouble asking others for help or emotional support.

Are inclined to believe that others will come through for them, unless there is good reason not to believe that.

Are inclined to believe that others will not come through for them, even when there is no reason to believe that.

Start with the assumption that people are generally good.

Start with the assumption that people are generally bad or evil.

Tend to focus on the positive aspects of others ’ behavior.

Tend to focus on the negative aspects of others ’ behavior.

Tend to behave in a relatively disclosing and open manner when around others.

Tend to behave in a relatively guarded and closed manner when around others.

Find it relatively easy to receive (favors, compliments, gifts, etc.) from other people, but prefer a balance of giving and receiving.

Find it rather difficult to receive (favors, compliments, gifts, etc.) from other people, and find it easier to be the giver than the taker.

Have no trouble sharing their possessions, the “ things ” in their lives, with other people.

Have problems sharing their possessions, the “ things ” in their lives, with other people.

Are not particularly fearful of disclosing themselves, even their more negative qualities, to themselves or other people.

Are very hesitant about disclosing themselves, particularly their negative qualities, to other people.

Tend to have a generally optimistic world view without being Pollyannaish or unrealistic about it.

Tend to have a generally pessimistic world view, even when things are going well.

Are inclined to believe that other people know what is best for themselves, even though they may privately feel differently about others ’ choices.

Are inclined to believe that other people usually do not know what is best for themselves, and prefer to tell others what to do.

Implicit Attitude:

- You ’ re O.K.

- Life is generally fair and good to me.

- I ’ m willing to share what I have.

Implicit Attitude:

- You ’ re not O.K.

- Life is generally unfair and unkind to me.

- I ’ m not wiling to share what I have.

BEHAVIORAL EXPRESSION OF A SENSE OF AUTONOMY, SHAME AND DOUBT

Characteristic Behaviors of People

who have a Sense of Autonomy

Characteristic Behaviors of People

who have a Sense of Shame and Doubt

Like to make their own decisions, particularly about matters important to them.

Prefer being told what to do, rather than making their own decisions.

Are unable to say no to requests made of them without feeling guilty.

Have problems saying no to requests made of them.

Are inclined to express themselves in terms of what they “ will ” do or “ want ” to do.

Are inclined to express themselves in terms of what they “ should ” do or “ ought ” to do.

Tend to resist being dominated by people wanting to control them.

Tend to allow themselves to be dominated by others, even though they may not like it.

Are able to work well by themselves or with others, depending on the situation.

Are not comfortable working by themselves, particularly when they know work will be judged or evaluated.

Are inclined to get on with what needs to be done and remain task-persistent until finished.

Have trouble getting started with what needs to be done; procrastination may be a key feature of their personality.

Can work easily with either open-ended or structured work assignments, although they may prefer more open-endedness.

Have problems working with open-ended work assignments, preferring more structure and direction.

Are able to listen to their own inner feelings when deciding what is right or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate.

Have difficulty listening to their own inner feelings when deciding what is right or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate.

Tend to feel relatively un-self-conscious and at ease when in group situations.

Tend to feel uneasy and self-conscious, even embarrassed, when in group situations.

Tend to want a certain amount of order and organization in their lives to reinforce feelings of personal control and self-approval.

Tend to want things “ just so ” as one way of avoiding others ’ disapproval and criticism.

Implicit Attitude:

- I think I can do it.

- This is what needs to be done.

- I have something of value to offer.

Implicit Attitude:

- I don ’ t think I can do it.

- Tell me what needs to be done.

- I have little of value to offer.


BEHAVIORAL EXPRESSIONS OF A SENSE OF INITIATIVE AND GUILT

Characteristic Behaviors or People

who have a Sense of Initiative

Characteristic Behaviors of People

who have a Sense of Guilt

Prefer to get on with what needs to be done to complete the task at hand.

Tend to postpone, put off, put aside, and generally procrastinate starting.

Like accepting new challenges now and then.

Are inclined to resist new challenges.

Tend to be fast self-starters.

Tend to be slow self-starters

Tend to be effective leaders when in that position.

Tend to be ineffective leaders when in that position.

Tend to set goals and then set out to accomplish them.

May set goals, but have problems getting them accomplished.

Tend to have high energy levels.

Tend to have low energy levels.

Have a strong sense of personal adequacy.

Have a weak sense of personal adequacy.

Seem to enjoy “ making things happen. ”

Prefer to remain in the background, preferring not to stir things up.

Are able to emotionally appreciate the idea that initiative begins and ends with the person, not the production it generates.

May try to outrun their guilt with a tireless show of accomplishment, believing that efficient production may compensate for being a deficient person.

Have a balanced sense of right and wrong without being overly moralistic.

Tend to focus moralistically on those things in life that are “ wrong. ”

Implicit Attitude:

- I will start now.

- I enjoy new challenges.

- This is what needs to be done and I will do it.

Implicit Attitude:

- I will start tomorrow.

- I prefer sticking with what I know.

- This is what needs to be done, but who will do it?


BEHAVIORAL EXPRESSIONS OF A SENSE OF INDUSTRY AND INFERIORITY

Characteristic Behaviors of People

who have a Sense of Industry

Characteristic Behaviors of People

who have a Sense of Inferiority

They enjoy learning about new things and ideas.

They do not particularly enjoy learning about new things and ideas.

They reflect a healthy balance between doing what they have to do and what they like.

They tend to concentrate mostly on what they believe they have to do, neglecting what they like to do.

They reflect strong curiosities about how and why things work the way they do.

They are not terribly curious about why and how things work.

They enjoy experimenting with new combinations, new ideas, and arriving at new synthesis.

They prefer staying with what they know; new ways do not attract them so much as do proven ways.

They are excited about the ideas of being producers.

They tend to be threatened, even guilty, about the idea of being producers.

They like the recognition that producing things brings, which reinforces their sense of industry.

They would like the recognition that production brings, but their sense of inferiority stands in the way.

They develop a habit of work competition through steady attention and persevering diligence.

They have problems taking pride in their work, believing it not worth it.

They take criticism well and use it to improve their performance.

They take criticism poorly and use it as a reason to stop trying.

They tend to have a strong sense of persistence.

They tend to have a weak sense of persistence.

Implicit Attitude:

- I ’ m a pretty good learner.

- Being a producer excites me.

- I ’ ll work hard to succeed.

Implicit Attitude:

- I ’ m not a very good learner.

- Being a producer frightens me.

- I ’ ll work hard to avoid failing.


BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS OF A SENSE OF IDENTITY

AND IDENTITY CONFUSION

Characteristic Behaviors of People

who have a Sense of Identity

Characteristic Behaviors of People

who have a Sense of Identity Confusion

They have a stable self-concept that does not easily change.

They tend to have an unstable self-concept marked by ups and downs.

They are able to combine short-term goals with long-range plans.

They tend to set short-term goals, but have trouble establishing long-range plans.

They are less susceptible to the shifting whims of peer pressure influences.

They are more susceptible to the shirting whims of peer pressure influences.

They tend to have reasonable high levels of self-acceptance.

They tend to have rather low levels of self-acceptance.

They are able to make decisions without undue wavering and indecisiveness.

They are apt to have trouble making decisions, fearing that they will be wrong.

They tend to be optimistic about themselves, others, and life in general.

They tend to have a somewhat cynical attitude about themselves, others, and life in general.

They tend to believe that they are responsible for what happens to them, good or bad.

They tend to believe that what happens to them is largely out of their hands; a matter of fate or breaks.

They are able to seek self-acceptance directly by being their own person.

They are inclined to seek self-acceptance indirectly by being what they believe others want them to be.

They are able to be physically and emotionally close to another person without fearing a loss of self.

They are inclined to have trouble being physically and emotionally close to another person without being either too dependent or too separate.

They tend to be cognitively flexible; their sense of self does not depend on being “ right. ”

They tend to be cognitively inflexible; their sense of self resides heavily on being “ right. ”

Implicit Attitude:

- I am this kind of person ...

- I ’ m not perfect, but I ’ m still O.K.

- I can accept your shortcomings because I can accept my own.

Implicit Attitude:

- I am not sure who I am as a person.

- I should be much better/more than I am.

- I have trouble accepting your shortcomings, just as I have trouble accepting my own.

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