Eight Markers of Psychological Development According to Erickson (1950)
As we evolve and change, there are universal phases we experience as humans that shape our personalities. How we move from childhood to adulthood ultimately depends on mastering various developmental tasks over time. These “stages” were formally established in 1950 by German psychologist Erik Erickson, who expanded upon Freud’s psychodynamic theory. Since then, the eight stages he outlined have informed much of our understanding of individual progression throughout the lifespan. He posited that at each turning point, we are faced with incorporating our unique selves into our social world. Depending on how we work through them, one will either move forward towards or regress from maturation. All of this ebbs and flows, and no part is static. Stages can overlap, and if you get stuck at one, it will have lasting impacts as you move through others down the road.
What we know now is that development is a non-linear dynamic process that never ends, and we can cycle back to different stages at different points in life.
Erikson’s stages provide a great baseline for developmental progression and regression throughout our lifetime.
So what are these eight official markers?
Starting with infancy, we have Trust vs. Mistrust (1st year of life). During this time, we are completely reliant on our caregivers. Is our environment safe because our emotional and physical needs are being met? If so, this instills hope for the future. If not, we are flooded with suspicion and fear of what’s to come.
Next, we move to early childhood with Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt (1-3 years). You are now a toddler and learning to explore things on your own. Are we given the space to take risks and push boundaries? When we inevitably make mistakes, is someone there to support us? If so, we learn determination through self-reliance. If not, it can lead to low self-esteem and diminished coping capacity.
After this comes Initiative vs. Guilt (3-6 years); as you do things more independently, you have more choices. How we navigate this comes from how empowered we are to make and follow through with our own decisions, thus contributing to our overall sense of purpose. If not, we may feel shame about taking initiative and take a less-active approach to life.
Then we shift into Industry vs. Inferiority as preteens (6-12 years). By this point, you are in school and forming your individuality, determining how to set goals, organizing yourself, and understanding how things work. If the people around us value our accomplishments, we learn to do the same for ourselves and others. If not, we may feel incompetent and unaligned with everyone around us, including ourselves. Neurotypical people tend to have wounds and damaging beliefs about themselves if their learning style is not appropriately nourished during this time.
Next, we roll into adolescence with Identity vs. Role Confusion (12-18 years). This time is a major transition period when we seek the freedom to express who we are outside of our families, to test our limits, and to set our own priorities. If supported and given the space to do this, we gain grounded confidence in our individualism. If not, we can become befuddled by where we truly belong and feel less “at home” in our own bodies.
Later we progress into young adulthood with Intimacy vs. Isolation (18-35 years). Here we see that our dependence on our peers becomes stronger than ever as our sexuality begins to express itself. When we commit to others in different forms of intimate relationships, we learn to give and receive love. If not, we may feel isolated and confused about forming new connections with others.
After this, we will become middle-aged and enter Generativity vs. Stagnation (35-60 years). We may feel a duty to give back to the next generation, as we have important knowledge to share. We also start to reflect on if we have accomplished what we originally set out to do in life. If so, we feel pride in our productivity and fulfillment overall. If not, we may be disappointed and/or discontent with our contributions and close off even more.
Ultimately, we all end late adulthood with Integrity vs. Despair (60+ years). Now is the time to reflect on our life and decide if it was worth it. Do wisdom and integrity empower us? Do we have a few regrets? Is there an understanding and peace around the fact that death is to come, yet a natural part of this process? Are we satisfied with what we are leaving behind? If so, we are generally happy and proud and can appreciate our efforts and achievements. If not, it can lead to self-abandonment, remorse, loss of hope, and fear of the end of life.
To sum it up, who we are is formed in relationships: to self, others, and society at large. This means that how we heal will happen in relationship as well.
Healing yourself relationally is a key aspect of psychotherapy.
If any of these struggles sound relatable, seeking support through group therapy can be incredibly helpful, as it provides real-time opportunities to identify and work through where we feel stuck. It is truly incredible to explore how you relate to others in a curious fashion rather than a harsh one. Maybe you feel disconnected; that is absolutely welcome, and we can explore it. Over time, you may notice different “self-states” arise (we all have multiple self-states) and understand these nuanced parts of yourself more deeply, which may be linked to different stages of development and your life experience. There is something almost mystical about group therapy work. That is why I love it!
Furthermore, we get to do so with others who feel similarly, reminding us that we aren’t alone. The group environment is a powerful and safe space to grow - learn more today by clicking below!