S ' N O S K I R E K I R E L A R O M F O S E G A ST T N E M P O

ERIK ERIKSON'S
STAGES OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
ERIK ERIKSON (1902 1994)–
WAS THE GERMAN FOUNDER OF
THE PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORY
WHO LATER BECAME AN
AMERICAN CITIZEN, TEACHING
AT BERKELEY AND HARVARD.
ERIKSON BELIEVED THAT
EACH STAGE OF LIFE IS“
ASSOCIATED WITH A SPECIFIC
PSYCHOLOGICAL STRUGGLE.”
• ERIKSON S THEORY STATES’
THAT HUMAN BEINGS GO
THROUGH MANY STAGES,
GENERALLY BASED ON AGE, AS
THEY ADD TO THEIR
PERSONALITY. ERIKSON
ALSO STATED THAT THESE
ITEMS WILL HAPPEN IN THIS
ORDER AND THAT CHILDREN
WILL LEARN ONE OR THE
OTHER.

MAJOR FEATURES OF
THEORY
• TRUST VS MISTRUST (BIRTH -
1 ½ YEARS)
• AUTONOMY VS SHAME/DOUBT
(2 - 3 YEARS)
• INITIATIVE VS GUILT (4-5
YEARS)
• INDUSTRY VS INFERIORITY
(6-11 YEARS)
• IDENTITY VS ROLE
CONFUSION (12-18 YEARS)
• INTIMACY VS ISOLATION
(18-35 YEARS)
• GENERATIVITY VS
STAGNATION (35-65 YEARS)
• INTEGRITY VS DESPAIR (OVER
65 YEARS)

MAJOR FEATURES OF
THEORY
•ACCORDING TO ERIKSON, CHILDREN S’
PERSONALITY DEVELOPS WITHIN THESE
STAGES, AND PERSONALITY TRAITS ARE
ESTABLISHED WITHIN THEM.