Erikson's Psychosocial Development

Erik Erikson’s 8 stages on psychosocial development greatly encompass the experiences through which a person goes through in his lifetime.
Erikson’s first stage of psychosocial development talks about the relationship between a child and his parents. This relationship develops from the time when a child is born to when a child typically turns 2 years old. At this stage, a child’s world is his immediate caretakers i.e. parents (especially the mother), the nanny, custodian, etc. The child measures the rest of the world with the same scale to which he is being treated by his parents. This is a stage where a child is fully dependent on his parents for his basic needs to be met. It is this stage, where a child develops a sense of trust or mistrust with the rest of the world. As long as the child is provided with food, protection, comfort and affection, the child perceives the world with a sense of trust. Should the parents fail to provide any of the above, the child develops mistrust leading to a sense of frustration and lack of confidence.
The second stage refers to ‘autonomy versus shame & doubt’. During this stage, a child is typically between 2 and 4 years old. A sense of autonomy is developed in a child as he improves his motor skills, increases muscle coordination, and gains control over excretory processes, along with doing simple tasks such as taking a shower, dressing, and feeding himself. This self-sufficient autonomous behavior, if promoted, helps the child solve much complex problems on his own later in life. The parents/caregivers still hold a key role at this stage. It is their patience and encouragement that helps a child better learn about his surrounding environment. Now with the ability to walk, special caution must...

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...oubt his capabilities; this being referred to as inferiority by Erikson in this stage.
During the same period of Competence, children tend to discover their special talents. They start developing more interest in activities that will enhance these talents. However, if stopped from these extracurricular activities, children will develop a sense of frustration, lack of motivation and even lose their interest in studies.
Erikson’s fifth stage refers to ‘Identity vs. Role Confusion’ which he terms as fidelity. This is an adolescence period in a child’s life between the ages of 13 and 19 years. At this stage, children are more conscious about their appearance. This is a stage where a child is transitioning from childhood to adulthood. They develop a sense of sexual identity. There is a role confusion initially during this period to know how they fit into the society.