Erik Erikson was a psychologist who studied the different levels or stages of development in people, looking at how social development can influence us cognitively. Erikson’s theory of psychological development focuses on the entire course of a person's life, and divides it into eight distinct stages.
The fifth stage is the adolescent stage, and is identified by identity vs. role confusion. This stage occurs during the teenage years from 12 to 18 years old. This is a time of great physical, mental, and emotional changes within a person. It is at this time that a person needs to develop a certain sense of self in relation to his or her abilities, values, family, relationships, and the greater culture around them.
Teenagers are experimenting during this stage to try and figure out their likes and dislikes. If the person is able to develop that sense of self at this point, they will have a strong personal identity and ability to stay true to themselves; they will have a very solid core both cognitively and socially. If, however, there's any role confusion, then the person might develop an uncertainty of who they are, and what they're doing in life.
The next stage is known as the young adulthood stage and is the time from approximately ages 19 to 40. This stage is characterized by intimacy vs. isolation. As a young adult, individuals are trying to explore personal relationships and develop a strong bond between different people in their lives. This is a bit different from the adolescent stage, which is very internally focused. This stage is very externally focused.
While this formation of intimacy can include marriage, it doesn’t have to. Intimacy might also refer to close friendships or meaningful love in other sorts of ways. It can also mean a reconnection with our families and reestablishing those bonds.
In developing intimacy, the effect on a person psychologically is that they have a strong sense of connection and personal identity. These relationships have an effect on a person’s sense of self and self-esteem. On the other hand, if one fails to develop these kinds of relationships, it could lead to a certain emotional isolation in a person, or a feeling of loneliness or depression as a result of not having people close to them.
The next stage of psychological development is the middle adulthood stage, which occurs between 40 to 65 years of age. This is characterized by generativity vs. stagnation. A person during this stage is concerned with the contributions that they're making to work, community, or the wider world. The person wants to be engaged in productive and creative work, and they are focused on that effect that they're having. They're also very interested in guiding the next generation and might want to take on different teaching or coaching jobs within the community.
If a person falls into stagnation, on the other hand, that person becomes more self-involved during this time. They become concerned with their own needs and comforts, as opposed to the needs and concerns of those around them.
A person that develops a sense of generativity will have feelings of productivity and accomplishment. This positively affects their self-image and their feelings of self-worth. If a person is more internally focused or selfish, they might feel unproductive or uninvolved. This can lead to feelings of bitterness or being trapped in the world around them.
Ego integrity vs. despair is the final stage of life, according to Erikson. This is the late adulthood or elderly stage and takes place from age 65 to death. It's during this time when a person starts to reflect on their entire life. They want to have a sense of fulfillment and acceptance of the things that they've done throughout their life. However, they might have feelings of regret about things that they've done in the past, and feel like their life has been wasted up to that point.
Feelings of success in life can help a person to feel satisfaction and self-respect at this stage. They can feel like they're facing aging and death with dignity, whereas if despair is felt by a person, then they may experience feelings of failure or develop a fear of death.
Source: This work is adapted from Sophia author Erick Taggart.