Child Development
Humans are born with basic capabilities and distinct temperaments, however, everyone goes through dramatic changes along the way to adulthood, and while growing old (Erikson's pp). According to psychologist Erik H. Erikson, every individual passes through eight developmental stages, called psychosocial stages, and each stage is characterized by a different psychological 'crisis,' which must be resolved by the individual before he or she can move on to the next stage (Erikson's pp). However, if the person cope with a certain crisis in a maladaptive manner, then the outcome will result in more struggles with that particular issue later in life (Erikson's pp). Erikson believed the sequence of the stage are set by nature and it is within these set limits that nature works its ways (Erikson's pp).
The first stage, infancy, involves the crisis in this stage is trust verses mistrust, stage two, the toddler stage involves the crisis of autonomy verses doubt, and refers to the age of 1 to 2, stage 3, age 2-6, involves the crisis of initiative verses guilt, stage 4, ages 6 to 12, involves the crisis of competence verses inferiority, stage 5, ages 12 to 18 involves the crisis of identity verses role confusion, stage 6, ages 19 to 40 involves the crisis of intimacy verses isolation, stage 7, ages 40 to 65, involves the crisis of generativity verses stagnation, and stage 8, ages 65 to death, involves the crisis of integrity verses despair (Erikson's pp).
If a stage is managed well, the individual will carry away a certain virtue or psychosocial strength which will help him or her through the rest of the stages of life (Eric pp). However, if the individual does not do so well, then his or her future development may be endangered (Eric pp).
Work Cited
Eric Erikson.
http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/erikson.html
Erikson's Eight Stages of Human Development
http://psychology.about.com/library/weekly/aa091500a.htm
