Erick has described psychosocial development as the development that takes place in an individual’s lifespan. These changes control an individual’s behavior and perception of issues in the environment. At every stage in life, there is psychological and social behavior change. The following are the psychological stages as discussed by Erick.
1)Infancy stage.
This is the age between birth and 18 months. At this stage, children tend to form personal relation with those who care for him. The child is likely to give more trust to those who take of him. The child learns from the things around him has the ability to identify strangers. At this stage, the child gives complete trust to the mother and the caretaker. The child may also mistrust people if they do not treat him right. A good example is when the child is injected, he would hate anybody who appears or behaves like a doctor. Also, they may easily be enticed with sweet and play things like dolls and toys. The child feeds on virtually everything around him including the unhygienic items.
2) Early childhood stage (2-3 years)
The child appears more independent and shows some physical skills. He can play with things around them. This stage is sometimes referred to as toilet training. The child frequently plays with his faeces due to ignorance. At this stage, the child behaves selfishly inhibits a feeling of autonomy. When he cannot be autonomous, the child may feel ashamed. It is at this stage that the child forms his characters.
3) Pre-school stage (3-5)
This is the stage that the child learns and understands his environment. He becomes inquisitive and asks everything around him. The child can start to imitate what others say and do. The child has the sense of belonging and can identify his close relatives and mention his name. The child is initiative and can transform anything into play thing. When such a child is disapproved, he may feel guilty and hide from other members of the family.
4) School age ( 6-11).
This is the time the child has to combine school activities and social affairs at home. The demand at school may reduce the social activities like playing. When the child realizes the demand at school, he may opt for antisocial behaviors like hating school or making noise in class. Such behavior may not necessarily that the child is indiscipline. The child may also develop a spirit of competition with other children. If he succeeds, the child would feel more competent but when he fails, he may feel inferior before other children.
5) Adolescent stage (12-18 years)
This stage varies from one child to another. The child is changing from childhood to adulthood. He feels a sense of personal belonging. He may more confident and try his hands on thing that are actually beyond his ability. When the teen fails to achieve a goal set, he may feel frustrated and even get confused.
5) Young Adulthood (19-40).
The young adult feel more independent to join social groups and attract friendship. They also attract the opposite sex. When they succeed to get strong relationship and love from the opposite sex, they feel satisfied. Failure to be loved and to love, he may feel loneliness and association. At this stage, the person generally strives to prove that he is a successful person.
6) Maturity stage
This is the last stage in life. The older people look back into the failure and successes in their life. This stage may be full of regrets or pride, depending on how much one has achieved in life.
Work Cited
Nevid, Jeffrey. “Psychology: Concepts and Applications”. London: Cengage Learning, 2008, p. 349. Print.
Robert. Cavanaugh, John. “Human Development: A Life-Span View”. London: Cengage Learning, 2010, p. 172. Print.
