According to Erik H. Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, although the formation of a person's personality is a lifelong, continuous process, it can be divided into eight distinct stages, each with its own characteristics. These eight stages of life can be seen as predetermined steps in people's lives with psychological tasks, and each stage also represents a crisis or challenge. The key to healthy psychological development is the successful resolution of the crisis in each stage of life, as crisis is an inherent part of development, i.e. an opportunity to move on to a higher psychological level. It indicates that the personality can no longer function as effectively as before, but that we need to redefine certain operational frameworks and working methods and answer certain questions for ourselves. Failure to resolve the crisis or postponing the search for a solution, on the other hand, can lead to various psychological problems, such as anxiety disorders. It is therefore worthwhile to identify from time to time the stage of life whose characteristics currently apply to us and to become aware of the life task that befits us on this basis, preparing ourselves to experience the developmental crisis.
The eight stages and their possible outcomes:
It follows from the above that cycles also include critical periods during which efforts must be made to gradually expand and acquire the abilities that appear at a given level over the years. We „enter” a new stage of development when physical maturation, mental operations and relationship characteristics together show a typically new pattern.
1. stage: infancy (0-1 year)
The crisis is the development of trust and the experience of mistrust. In the case of a favourable outcome, the infant's trust and optimism are strengthened by the closeness and love of the parents. During infancy, the child learns how to receive and take (and the infant also teaches the mother to give!). If the mother and child are in tune with each other, a bond of trust develops and thus trust is experienced; if not, distrust develops.
2. stage: early childhood (1-3 years)
The crisis is organised around autonomy, shame and doubt. If the life task is resolved favourably, the child develops self-control and a sense of conformity, but if the outcome is unfavourable, the child's behaviour shows that they are overly preoccupied with themselves and prone to compulsive behaviour. During early childhood, voluntary control of muscle function becomes possible, and the child can experience that they are an autonomous being independent of their mother.
3. age group: play age (3-6 years)
The crisis revolves around the initiative or feelings of guilt. In the case of a favourable outcome, competent child behaviour develops in terms of planning and implementing independent actions. An unfavourable outcome – which does not allow the child to exhibit the aforementioned behaviours – increases the likelihood of guilt and psychosomatic illnesses. According to Freud, in preschool age, conflict and guilt can be resolved if the child identifies with the parent of the same sex.
4. Age group: primary school age (6 years old to puberty)
The crisis revolves around feelings of performance or inferiority. In the case of a favourable outcome, feelings of intellectual, physical and social competence appear in the child's emotional world, while in the case of an unfavourable outcome, feelings of inferiority and negative self-esteem tendencies are reinforced. School age is a period of performance: healthy children enjoy being active, productive and creative, but if they are unable to experience this, they develop feelings of inferiority.
5. age: adolescence
The most significant crisis is the development of identity or experiencing role confusion. In the case of a favourable outcome, the young person develops a unified, independent self-image. In the case of an unfavourable outcome, however, identity diffusion or even a turn to criminality may occur. According to Erikson, adolescence is, according to Erikson, the most important and critical stage of life. The identity crisis often lasts a long time, ending in young adulthood. During this period, adolescents grapple with puberty and the uncertainties of adulthood, integrating everything they have brought with them from previous periods.
6. Age: young adulthood.
A typical crisis is achieving intimacy or isolation. In the case of a favourable outcome, a close, lasting, intimate relationship and career commitment will develop, while in the case of an unfavourable outcome, social isolation will often occur and loneliness will become a frequent feeling. Young adulthood is a period of mature mate selection, when we move beyond our „self-centred” phase.
7. Age: adulthood.
A crisis is an experience of creative ability or stagnation. A favourable outcome is characterised by increased concern for family, society and the future. An unfavourable outcome is characterised by dissatisfaction with one's performance to date, which may even necessitate a change of career. In adulthood, mature individuals are preoccupied with having children, caring for them and experiencing the need to do so. Those who do not have this opportunity gradually become narrow-minded and miserable.
8. stage: mature adulthood.
The crisis of this period revolves around integrity or despair. In the case of a favourable outcome, a feeling of satisfaction with life emerges, as well as an awareness of the idea of death. In the case of an unfavourable outcome, despair, increased fear of death and dissatisfaction ensue.
According to Erikson, personality development is a journey through life in which individuals face „trials” (similar to the heroes in fairy tales). Development does not mean avoiding difficulties, but rather making efforts to solve them, a process that involves the development of new skills and abilities. Based on this, a crisis is a period of difficulty in development, in fact a kind of „normative crisis”, the encounter with which is an inevitable condition of development. The outcome of crises can be positive or negative, and if they remain unresolved, they can have an impact on later life. This theory of development or crisis helps us understand why child development can be uneven and why we see setbacks in people's personality development. (For example, during a period of crisis, the performance of children – and adults – may decline.) It is important that in a supportive, patient environment, normative crises are usually resolved and the personality is enriched and expanded with new, learned and acquired skills during maturation.
Source: Erikson, E. (1957): The Eight Stages of Human Development.
