While observing my son playing with his peers today, I reflected on child development and how children from each generation end up the same way through life. I was brought back to my days as a graduate student and a paper I wrote about Erik Erikson’s eight phases of psychosocial development.

From infancy to maturity, Erikson proposed that personality develops in a strict sequence via eight phases of psychosocial development. The individual goes through a psychological crisis at each level, positively or negatively impacting their personality development.

My two-and-a-half-year-old kid is at stage 2: autonomy vs. guilt and uncertainty. It astounds me that, despite growing up in a digital environment that is much different from my own, he works hard to protect his individuality, just as I did.

Erikson’s 8 phases are compulsory reading for everybody who works with children. A list of all 8 steps, and a brief commentary, can be found below.

Stage 1. Trust vs. Mistrust (Hope): These phrases pertain to the idea that the purpose of infancy (the period between birth and 18 months) is to build a fundamental trust or feeling of trust in the world.

Stage 2. Autonomy vs. Doubt (Will): Because children have a simultaneous impulse to grasp on and let go at this age (18 months to three years), authoritarian parenting can make children feel helpless and mistrust their skills.

Stage 3. Initiative vs. Guilt (Purpose): Because children’s movement and verbal abilities are still developing at this age (ages three to six), they might become more aggressive and active in examining their social and physical settings.

Stage 4. Industry vs. Inferiority Purpose (Competency): At this phase (age six to twelve), experiencing success allows individuals to have a sense of efficiency, accomplishment, entrepreneurial spirit, and, in general, good thoughts about themselves and their talents. 

Stage 5. Identity vs. Role Confusion (Fidelity): People’s major question at this phase (ages 12 to 18) is about their identity.

Stage 6. Intimacy vs. Isolation (Love): A person learns how to share life’s aspects with another individual during their young adulthood (18-40).

Stage 7. Generativity vs. Self-Absorption (Care): A person’s interest in shaping and directing the next generation grows around middle age (40-65).

Stage 8. Ego Integrity vs. Despair (Wisdom): Individuals in their late adulthood (65 above) reflect on their lives and understand that their lives have been their concern and must accept responsibility for their acts. Those who regret prior life decisions are depressed.

Do you believe these stages accurately depict human development?