1. Trust vs.

Mistrust- Infancy (birth-18 months) Infants develop a sense of trust when their caregivers provide reliable, caring, and loving emotions when they are properly taken care of. Infants gain a sense of trust and confidence that he or she will be taken care of in timely fashion. Infants gain a sense of mistrust when he or she has to wait too long for the feeling of comfort from their caregiver. Also, if an infant is handled rough or harsh, the infant may get a feeling of discomfort. The infant may not react positively to their caregiver because there is not enough trust with that particular person. Erik Eriksons Trust vs. Mistrust theory argues that following a life of warmth, regularity, and protection from the outside world while in the mothers womb, the infant is faced with a less secure world. According to Erikson, Infants learn to trust when they are cared for in a consistent and warm manner. If the infant is not cared for properly he or she will develop a sense of mistrust. (Erikson). I honestly do not remember my infancy stage of life. I have been told several stories about my younger days that involve my infant stage. I was born on October 1, 1992 to the proud parents of Steven and Tanya Walden. I was born in Muncie, Indiana at Ball Memorial Hospital. As I was told, my delivery was long and harsh. It took my mom thirty-six and half hours to have me. When I entered the world, I was not breathing. I swallowed a bowel movement while inside my mothers womb, so I was very sick. The doctor actually pronounced me dead at birth. Although I was a sickly baby, I was told I was one of the most beautiful sights my mother had ever seen. My parents were very young when they conceived me. My mother was sixteen, and my father was only seventeen. When my mother told my father about her pregnancy, he decided he was not ready for a baby. He broke up with my mom, and was out of the

picture for the first year of my life. My grandparents stepped in and helped my mom raise me for the first year and many more years to come. My last name was actually Stewart for the first year of my life. Finally, my parents got back together and my father stepped up, and they decided to get married. For the first year of my life, my parents and I lived with my grandparents. As I was told, I was very close with my grandfather. He was so proud to be a grandparenthe took me everywhere. He was a truck driver, and he would bring me home beautiful western outfits from Texas. Also, since my mother was very young, she developed a tight bond with me. I was a very lucky baby. My parents had a great support system to help them a long with learning to take care of an infant. I feel like my infancy reflects trust because I was always taken care of properlyI was very loved.

2. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt- Early Childhood (2-3 years) In this stage, children develop a sense of self-control. They gain control over eliminative functions and their motor abilities. According to about.com, Children need to develop a sense of personal control over physical skills and a sense of independence. (About.com, 2014) Children start noticing their surrounding more in this stage. They also begin potty training, having toy preferences, and focuses on clothing and food selection. These are all discoveries children need to develop a sense of self-control. This stage is all about exploring new things. A toddler with a sense of shame and doubt will feel the complete opposite. They will feel more withdrawn or appear to lack confidence. The child may not want to even try to use the potty. They will tend to stay close and not venture away too far.

Once again, I do not remember much of my life in Eriksons second stage of development. Most people do not remember their life all the way back to when he or she was a toddler. I have been told numerous stories about the way I behaved, and the kind of child I was. I was told that I was a very well mannered, and well-behaved child. My mother told me that I could sit and play with toys on the floor for hours! I also loved to read books. I would sit and entertain myselfI was not a needy toddler at all. Also, when I would go other places, I would not get into things. I was very polite, and I listened to my parents very well. I was told that I was a very intelligent child. Although my parents were very protective of me, I still was a very independent child I loved having the feeling of self-accomplishment. I was told that the only time I ever cried or threw fits was when I had to leave my grandparents house. I can actually remember kicking and screaming when I had to leave their house. I have always been extremely close to my grandparentsI would stay with them every chance I got. It wasnt because I didnt love being around my parents, it was just the fact that I loved staying with my grandparents. Getting me out of their house and into the car after a weekend stay was always a challenge for my parentsI am very close with my grandparents to this very day, and I still enjoy staying with them at the age of twenty-one. At this stage children should begin to feed themselves, wash, and dress themselves. I could do all of these! I never had a sense of doubt, and I was never withdrawn. My mother and father both said I was very self-sufficient. I always wanted to take care of myself. I was very explorative, and I left this stage with a sense of autonomy and accomplishment.

3. Initiative vs. Guilt- Preschool (3-5 years) In this stage, children begin exploring their environment. The child wants to begin to complete his or her own actions. The child is learning to master basic skills. A child with a sense of initiative will begin a task and want to finish it. A child with the sense of guilt will not have the need to complete anything. The child will not see challenges and will hold back and not express who they really are. At this stage, I start to remember a few memories. My little sister was born when I was three. I remember being so happy to become a big sister. My parents told me that I was very jealous of her, and I sometimes was mean to her. They had to watch me around her because sometimes I would take her bottles, pacifiers, etc. My littler sister became my whole world. As she got a little older, we played with each other. We created our own games and kept ourselves busy. My mother and father told me that I was a very smart little girl. I loved to read and learn new things. I was incredibly sweet and loved to be around people. In this stage of my life, I learned simple life tasks. I learned to tie my shoes and ride my bike without training wheels. One thing my mother remembers is that I was terrified of the dark! The funny thing is, I still am today. She said I would always ask her why night time couldnt just stay away, and it always be day time. I still feel this way at the age of twenty-one! I feel like I walked away from this stage with the sense of initiative. I have always been a very independent child; I liked learning new things. I enjoyed completing tasks on my own. With my parents encouragement and support, I accomplished tasks on my own. I made many different choices and was pushed for independence by my parents. I left this

stage with great initiative in doing things for myself and being as independent as I could be! 4. Industry vs. Inferiority- (6-11 years old) At this age children are becoming more aware of themselves as individuals. Children begin to attend school. New social and academic demands begin to arise within the child. Success leads to a sense of feeling accomplished, while failure results in feeling inferiority. When children are made to do things and then praised for their accomplishments, they demonstrate industry. If children are punished or talked down to for their efforts in trying to accomplish something, then they develop a feeling of inferiority. At this stage in my life I wanted to start being more responsible. I wanted to please my parents, teachers, and get along with my peers. I was very active in elementary school. I played volleyball, and I was very active in after school activities. I remember my mother always being involved at my school. Usually a child at this age would not want their parent to be at their school all the time, but I loved it. I loved having my mom at school, in case I ever needed anything. I felt safe. My elementary school report cards were always excellent. I have always struggled in math, so I normally had all As and a B in math. According to Eriksons theory, elementary school years are critical for the development of self-confidence. (Theories of Personality). I remember elementary school being a rough time for me the older I got. I hit puberty, and I was always taller than the boys. When youre that young, the boys dont always appreciate that aspect. I remember walking into my second day of fifth grade. I went to the bathroom and Mother Nature had made its way into my body. I

started my period for the first time. I was terrified! Although, my mother did have the talk with me, I still got scared. Luckily, my teacher was a woman, so she understood and helped me get through the rest of my day. I will never forget that feeling. This incident of this stage definitely made me feel like I was growing up. I was always mature for my age, but I got a sense of being a woman when I started my period. I began to act more like an adult. Now that I am older, it is sad to me that I felt like I had to grow up in the fifth grade. I was only ten years old, and no ten-year-old little girl should have to go through that at such a young age. I did get through the stage demonstrating industry. 5. Identity vs. Confusion- (12-18 year old) In the fifth stage of Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, the primary conflict is centered on achieving a sense of personal identity versus role confusion. Adolescents begin to question who they are, what is important to them, and what sort of person they want to be. (Cherry). In this stage children develop into teenagers. It is the stage where the teenager develops a sense of identity. The teenager will develop a sense of self, and find out who they want to be. I feel like this stage is one of the hardest stages to go through in life.

In this stage I had so much conflict and confusion. I was always more mature than everyone in my class. I played sports, which automatically put me in the cool crowd. I was always a good student; I made good grades. I was one of the students in school who was liked by all the teachers and even most of the other students. I was very involved in middle school, and that lead me to be involved in high school as well. Like most of the girls in my class, I didnt date a lot of boys. I was never really boy crazy like most girls that age. I had one boyfriend from my sixth grade year to my eighth grade year of middle

school, and I thought I was in love! Of course, the relationship with the boy did not workout once we entered high school. But, we managed to still be friends. He is the only boyfriend I ever really had while in school. Once I got to high school, I was very focused on school; the sports and clubs I was in took over my whole life. I was a very good student. I always made excellent grades, and I was well liked by everyone. I definitely had those mixed feelings of how to fit in, I did not always make the right decisions, and I experimented with my friends. My friends and I made decisions that were not always the right one.

Once I got in high school I began finding my true identity. I began dressing differently and wearing make-up. Erikson said, This turning point in human development seems to be the reconciliation between the person has come to be and the person society accepts them to become. (Theories of Personality 8th Edition). At the end of my high school career, I find myself. I realized who I was for the most part, and the person I wanted to be in life. I enjoyed school so much, and I knew I wanted to be a teacher. At first I felt like I wanted to work with older students, but I quickly changed my mind. All through high school I worked at a child care center, and it definitely brought out my love for children. I loved seeing their faces light up when I taught them something new or the love that children show for you when you walk through the door. I had finally found my passion and what I wanted to be. I applied to Ball State University the Christmas break of my senior year, and I was accepted about two months later. The stress of getting into college was over! It was a hard decision to not go away to college; I just did not want to leave my hometown. I wanted to stay at home and keep the job at the childcare center I was working at. This stage in life requires a lot of decision making and

figuring out who you really are! I definitely felt like I entered this stage with identity confusion, but I left the stage have a feeling of identity! I knew who I was, and who I wanted to be!

6. Intimacy vs. Isolation- (19-40 years old)

In this stage a teenager becomes an adult. Graduating high school and entering college can be a rough transition. This is the stage where a persons life really begins! An adult may not technically enter adulthood even if they are in their twenties, thirties, or older. An adult with a sense of isolation finds it difficult to form relationships with people, and is unable to understand what other people are thinking or feeling. (Erik Erikson and the American Psyche). Young adults need to find those love and intimate relationships. Not finding success in life results in isolation and possible loneliness.

I personally have just entered this stage I life. I am twenty-one years old. I honestly feel like this is the hardest stage I have gone through so far. Graduating high school and entering college was the hardest transition of my life. Leaving everything I knew, and all the friends I hung out with was the hardest thing ever! I am starting to figure out my life now, but I often felt alone when I first entered this stage.

I have started my career, and I am currently enrolled in college. I will receive my associates in early childhood in the spring. I will then get a raise at my job and earn a teaching position where I work. I have a teaching spot now, but I cant be considered full time because I do not have my degree yet. I am very excited to get this process done and over with. I plan on going back to Ball State to get my bachelors in early childhood. I

want to minor in some area too, but I am not sure what yet.

I am currently single with no children. I like it this way because I am still young, and I like to be able to do what I want when I want! I have dated a lot more in this stage than the previous stage, but I still have not found my soul mate. I recently got out of a relationship with a guy who I thought was the one. It was my first heartbreak, and I hope I never have to go through that again! I really want to be married and have children one day, and I know I will find that person to share my life with some day. A lot of the people, even some of my friends have already had children or having children. This sometimes upsets me because I feel like I am behind on life. Then I have to try to remember that everyone is different. Not everyone falls in love at the same time. Erickson says, an adult who is capable of intimacy will tend to form close bonds with people and have romantic relationships, eventually leading to marriage. (Erik Erikson and the American Psyche). This fact makes me believe that I will find someone and get married one day. I hope to find my special someone and start a family with him or her one-day. For now, I feel like my role in life is to be a good person and a good friend. I am striving for my degree and plan to further my education after I receive my associates degree. I hope that I will leave this stage with a feeling of intimacy. It is my ultimate goal, and I still have a lot of years to achieve it!

7. Generativity vs. Stagnation- (40-65 years old) Stage seven of Eriksons theory is generativity vs. stagnation. This stage is all about work and parenthood. This stage is the ending goal for the previous stage. In this stage adults generally seek to create things that will outlive them. Adults create new life

(children) to live alongside them for the rest of their lives. Even a positive change that benefits other people will work for this stage. Success leads to feelings of usefulness and accomplishment, while failure results in shallow involvement in the world. (Cherry). The major question in this stage leads to, How can I contribute to the world? Most of the time this leads to people having children and working in their careers. Adults in this stage want to contribute to society by doing things to benefit future generations. Stagnation refers to the failure to find a way to contribute. These individuals may feel disconnected or uninvolved with their community and with society as a whole. (Cherry). Those who fail in this stage and develop stagnation will feel unprotected and uninvolved in the world.

I feel like people in this stage will be set in life. I would expect to have a secure job, a husband, and children. Also, I would hope to be having grandchildren by this stage. I feel like a person of this stage will feel accomplished by having raised their children and working their career. I feel like this might be somewhat a busy stage for some. I hope to still be an active member in my church. I hope that I raise my future children in church, and they continue to raise my future grandchildren in church. I want to be there for my future children and family as often as I can.

I know from my own family members who are in this stage of their life, they are very successful. My parents, aunts, and uncles are in this stage of their life; I feel like they are on the right track to being successful in this stage. I am lucky that I have my own family members to watch and look up to during my life, so that I can be successful when I hit stage seven of my life. I also know that at once I hit this stage in my life, I will not

be able to do all the things I do now. Even though I am nowhere close to this stage, I do have the goal of being successful in this stage, and I am sure I will come out of it with great accomplishment.

8. Integrity vs. Despair- (65-Death)

As we grow older we become to society what is know as seniors. I really hope to reach that age in life. I have many family members who have reached this age, and I feel like I am healthy enough that I have a chance! Older adults need to look back on life and feel a sense of fulfillment. Success at this stage leads to feelings of wisdom, while failure results in regret, bitterness, and despair. (Cherry). This is the time in life where a person can sit back and reflect on life. The person can reflect on what happened or what they did in life. Erikson (1982) proposes that this stage begins when the individual experiences a sense of mortality. (Erikson). In this stage the person may begin to feel a sense of mortality. The person begins to feel like they are reaching the end of their life. I am not saying that as soon as a person reaches this stage in life they are going to die soon. All I am saying is that this is the time in a persons life where reflection on how their life was lived takes place.

I am also not even close to reaching this stage in life yet, but I hope one day I do! As I watch my grandparents hit this age mark, I watch them be live out their successes. They married young, had three beautiful children, have seven grandchildren, and great careers! They are both now recently retired and enjoying their life together being able to stay home and travel when and wherever they want.

I do not want to be that type of person who feels the sense of desperation in this stage. I want to know that I lived my life to the fullest and achieved all I wanted to achieve. I feel like when people reach this stage, they have the thought in their mind about dying. This thought should come because this stage ends at death. Although, there are many people who die before they reach stage two or even three. Some infants die at birth. I mean that this is the stage that if a person makes it this far, they could start being concerned with the thought of dying. At this point in my life, I never want to die. I believe in God, I go to church, and I have a very strong faith. I still do not want to die. I wish everyone could just live-forever and not ever have to die. I know that when I leave this earth I will go to a better place, but I just dont want to take the chance of not being able to be around my family. After researching Erikson, I feel like he thinks much of life is preparing for middle adulthood and the last stage in life is recovering from it all. This stage is the one where you reflect on what has happened in your life. A person develops a feeling of integrity if they feel that they have led a happy, productive life. If a person looks on life as a disappointment, then they have feelings of sadness or despair leaving the stage. In conclusion, Eriksons stages of psychological development focus on the challenges and growths that people face in the different stages of their life. I feel like if a person works hard at making a successful life for themselves, then that person will have a positive attitude and a sense of accomplishment while leaving each stage of Eriksons stages of development.

I feel like I have been given the support and key components to make a successful life for myself. A lot of credit goes to my parents, family and teachers for teaching me right from wrong. Also, the good leadership my parents demonstrate to me on a daily basis helps me know I can achieve whatever I set my mind to. I feel like I will be successful in life and leave each stage with contentment and accomplishment.

References Berns, Roberta. Child, Family, School, Community. 8th ed. Wadsworth, Cencage Learning, 2007, 2010.

Burston, Daniel. Erik Erikson and the American Psyche. Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson, 2007. Print.

Cherry, K. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/library/bl_psychosocial_summary.htm

Erikson, E. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www2.webster.edu/~woolflm/lrerikson.html Hergenhahn, B.R., and Matthew Olson. Theories of Personality (8th Edition).8 ed. Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.

Berk, Laura. Infants and Children. Sixth Edition. Pearson Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. 2008.