Erikson's stages of development

Feeding

Children develop a sense of trust when caregivers provide reliabilty, care, and affection. A lack of this will lead to mistrust.

Toilet Training

• Children need to develop a sense of personal
• control over physical skills and a sense of independence. Success leads
• to feelings of autonomy, failure results in feelings of shame and doubt.

Exploration

• Children need to begin asserting control and power
• over the environment. Success in this stage leads to a sense of
• purpose. Children who try to exert too much power experience
• disapproval, resulting in a sense of guilt.

School

• Children need to cope with new social and academic
• demands. Success leads to a sense of competence, while failure results
• in feelings of inferiority.

Social Relationships

• Teens need to develop a sense of self and personal
• identity. Success leads to an ability to stay true to yourself, while
• failure leads to role confusion and a weak sense of self.

Relationships

• Young adults need to form intimate, loving
• relationships with other people. Success leads to strong relationships,
• while failure results in loneliness and isolation.

Work and Parenthood

• Adults need to create or nurture things that will
• outlast them, often by having children or creating a positive change
• that benefits other people. Success leads to feelings of usefulness and
• accomplishment, while failure results in shallow involvement in the
• world.

Reflection on Life

• Older adults need to look back on life and feel a
• sense of fulfillment. Success at this stage leads to feelings of wisdom,
• while failure results in regret, bitterness, and despair.