Erikson's stages of psychosocial development were developed by Erik Erikson, and describe eight developmental stages through which a healthily developing human should pass from infancy to late adulthood. In each stage the person confronts, and hopefully masters, new challenges. Each stage builds on the successful completion of earlier stages. The challenges of stages not successfully completed may be expected to reappear as problems in the future. Note: While Erikson first identified eight stages of development, later students of Erikson added two more to further refine Adolescence and Adulthood.

Infancy (Birth-12 Months)

• Psychosocial Crisis: Trust vs. Mistrust
• Main question asked: "Is my world predictable and supportive?"
• Central Task: Receiving care
• Positive Outcome: Trust in people and the environment
• Ego Quality: Hope
• Definition: Enduring belief that one can attain one’s deep and essential wishes
• Developmental Task: Social attachment; Maturation of sensory, perceptual, and motor functions; Primitive causality.

Younger Years (2-3 Years)

• Psychosocial Crisis: Autonomy vs. Shame & doubt
• Main question asked: "Can I do it by myself? Or will I always need assistance" This question becomes important with the child and toilet training and how the parents react to the child's newfound independence
• Central Task: Imitation
• Positive Outcome: Pride in self; Assertion of will in the face of danger
• Ego Quality: Will
• Definition: Determination to exercise free choice and self-control
• Developmental Task: Locomotion; Fantasy play; Language development; Self-control

Early Childhood (3-5 Years)

• Psychosocial Crisis: Initiative vs. Guilt
• Main question asked: "Am I good or am I bad?"
• Central Task: Identification
• Positive Outcome: Able to initiate activities and enjoy learning
• Ego Quality: Purpose
• Definition: Courage to imagine and pursue valued goals
• Developmental Task: Sex-role identification; Early moral development; Self-esteem; Group play; Egocentrism

Middle Childhood (6-10 Years)

• Psychosocial Crisis: Industry vs. Inferiority
• Main question asked: "Am I successful at what I do or am I worthless?" How a child does at school becomes important in development
• Central Task: Education
• Positive Outcome: Acquire skills for and develop competence in work; Enjoy achievement
• Ego Quality: Competence
• Definition: Free exercise of skill and intelligence in completion of tasks
• Developmental Task: Friendship; Skill learning; Self-evaluation; Team play things.

Adolescence (12-18 Years)

• Psychosocial Crisis: Identity vs. Role Confusion
• Main question asked: " Who am I? Where am I going in life?" An identity crisis generally happens at this stage because of the changes in an individual. Those changes are physical and cognitive
• Central Task: Peer group
• Positive Outcome: A strong group identity; Ready to plan for the future
• Ego Quality: Loyalty
• Definition: Ability to freely pledge and sustain loyalty to others
• Developmental Task: Physical maturation; Emotional development; Membership in peer group; Sexual relationships

Early Adulthood (18-34 years)

• Psychosocial Crisis: Intimacy vs. Isolation
• Central Task: Caregiving
• Positive Outcome: Form close relationships and share with others
• Ego Quality: Love
• Definition: Capacity for mutuality that transcends childhood dependency
• Developmental Task: Stable relationships; Child rearing; Work etc.

Middle Adulthood (35-60 Years)

• Psychosocial Crisis: Generativity vs. Stagnation
• Main question asked "Will I produce something of value with my life?"
• Central Task: Creativity
• Positive Outcome: Nurturing children or helping the next generation in other ways
• Ego Quality: Care
• Definition: Commitment to and concern for family and community
• Developmental Task: Nurture close relationships; Management of career and household; Parenting

Later Adulthood (60 years-Death)

• Psychosocial Crisis: Ego integrity vs. despair
• Central Task: Introspection
• Positive Outcome: A sense of fulfillment about life; A sense of unity with self and others
• Ego Quality: Wisdom
• Definition: Detached yet active concern with life in the face of death
• Developmental Task: Promote intellectual vigor; Redirect energy to new roles and activities; Develop a point of view about death

Developmental psychology | Human development | Social philosophy

Teorie Erika Eriksona | Stufenmodell der psychosozialen Entwicklung | תאורית השלבים של אריקסון | Eriksonove veky človeka