Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development.
In tracing the course of social 
development, some theorists have considered how the challenges of society and cul-
ture change as an individual matures. Following this path, psychoanalyst Erik Erik-
son developed one of the more comprehensive theories of social development. 
Erikson (1963) viewed the developmental changes that occur throughout life as a 
series of eight stages of psychosocial development; of these, four occur during child-
hood.  Psychosocial development  involves changes in our interactions and under-
standing of one another as well as in our knowledge and understanding of ourselves 
as members of society.
Erikson suggests that passage through each of the stages necessitates the resolu-
tion of a crisis or confl ict. Accordingly, Erikson represents each stage as a pairing of 
the most positive and most negative aspects of the crisis of that period. Although 
each crisis is never resolved entirely—life becomes increasingly complicated as we 
grow older—it has to be resolved suffi ciently to equip us to deal with demands made 
during the following stage of development. 
psychosocial development
Develop-
ment of individuals’ interactions and 
understanding of each other and of 
their knowledge and understanding of 
themselves as members of society.
feL82795_ch12_378-435.indd Page 403 7/31/10 12:52 AM user-f465
feL82795_ch12_378-435.indd Page 403 7/31/10 12:52 AM user-f465
/Users/user-f465/Desktop
/Users/user-f465/Desktop

---

404 Chapter 
12 
Development
In the fi rst stage of psychosocial development, the
 trust-versus-mistrust 
stage 
(ages birth to 1½ years), infants develop feelings of trust if their physical 
requirements and psychological needs for attachment are consistently met and 
their interactions with the world are generally positive. In contrast, inconsistent 
care and unpleasant interactions with others can lead to mistrust and leave an 
infant unable to meet the challenges required in the next stage of development.
In the second stage, the