Erik Erikson’s 8 Stages of Developmental Crises
1. Trust vs. mistrust: Development of a sense of trust in the world based on basic needs being met.
2. Autonomy vs. doubt: Development of self-control and self-confidence based on encouragement and limit setting without rejection and blame for failure to meet demands.
3. Initiative vs. guilt: Testing of personal power through exploration and manipulation of the environment based on encouragement and tolerance, rather than overprotection from or punishment for exploration.
4. Industry vs. inferiority: Desire to complete productive work and master developmental tasks of childhood based on success experiences and recognition of progress.
5. Identity vs. role diffusion: Attempt to answer “Who am I?” and achieve a satisfying sense of identity based on personal success and satisfaction combined with peer acceptance.
6. Intimacy vs. isolation: Ability to relate intimately with another person based on self disclosure and satisfying experiences with intimate others.
7. Generativity vs. stagnation: Act of caring extended beyond a single person to future generations based on a satisfying personal life and freedom from self-preoccupying pressures.
8. Integrity vs. despair: Adjustment to aging and death with a sense of satisfaction about the past.
Resolving Developmental Crises
The positive resolution of a developmental crisis is based on consistent experiences that encourage and support such a resolution. Match the following types of experiences with the crisis in which they would have the most impact. Then indicate whether the experience would support a positive or a negative resolution of the crisis.
Crisis Resolution______
A. Trust vs. mistrust + Positive Resolution
B. Autonomy vs. shame and doubt - Negative Resolution
C. Initiative vs. guilt
D. Industry vs. inferiority
E. Identity vs. role confusion
____ a. When a student finally completes a complex and involved science project, the teacher criticizes him for taking so much time.
____ b. The babysitter loudly bangs pots together and the baby cries with fear. She continues to do this so that the baby will not be
afraid of loud noises.
____ c. When the baby is hungry and cries, his mother feeds him.
____ d. When a student wants to pour water in a clay bowl, which he has made, the teacher lets him because she tries to let
students carry out their own ideas.
____ e. Little Susan wants to feed herself, but her mother, annoyed by the mess her daughter creates, insists on feeding the child
herself.
____ f. Students in Mrs. Jones’s class decide to sell candy to make money for the local muscular dystrophy association. Mrs. Jones
praises the children for this project, even though it means considerable work for her.
____ g. Mrs. Ross purchases tennis shoes with Velcro closings, rather than shoe laces, so that her children can take their own shoes
off and put them on themselves.
____ h. Mr. Shumard allows his seniors in government class the opportunity to discuss not only the current events of the day, but
also the views and opinions regarding those current events.
____ i. Claire built a boat of cardboard and wood. When Claire decided to sail her boat, the Big Dipper, in the lake, her parents gave
the launching of her boat the same fanfare and attention that they gave to the launching of the model boat her father built.
____ j. Mrs. Clark, the 11th-grade English teacher, is all business. She believes that classroom time should be spent on lessons and
not discussion of students’ feelings about the meaning of the poem to their lives. Therefore, her class time is spent telling the
students the appropriate interpretations of the plays and poems.