Eric Eriksons Stages of Psychosocial Development Essay -- Erikson’s Ei

According to Eric Erikson, there are eight different social stages a person must go through as they mature. Each stage has a positive characteristic and a negative characteristic. If positive characteristics are fulfilled then their future will look good. So to what extent can the lack of reinforcement to the positive characteristics of Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development effect you? The effects can be quite horrifying. Especially if all of the stages the only characteristics fulfilled are the negative aspects. Erikson’s first stage was trust verses mistrust and it occurred from zero to 18 months of age. The point of this stage is to establish trust. Erikson believed this was the most important period in a person’s life. Since a baby depends entirely on his/her parents, the care giving plays an important role in the shaping of this stage (Cherry, 2011). If the child successfully develops trust then the child will feel safe and secure in the world, but the lack can lead to thoughts of an inconsistent and unpredictable world (Cherry, 2011). In the business world, the lack of trust can create a whole new problem. The lack of trust can lead to the â€Å"†¦unseen cost in life and business†¦Ã¢â‚¬  as said by Stephen Covey (2006). Lack of trust creates â€Å"†¦hidden agendas and a guarded communication, which slows the decision-making process† (Covey, 2006). When there isn’t trust in a situation, it hinders productivity, innovation (Covey, 2006). The second stage is autonomy verses shame and doubt. This occurs from about 18 months of age to 3 years old. The basic virtue of this stage is will; can they do things on their own or do they require the help of others? Erikson believed that children around this age wanted to develop a greater sense... ...r past with little or no regrets and will be satisfied overall. If a person is unsuccessful in this phase they will feel that they wasted their life and they will only think of regrets. They will feel despair (Cherry, 2011). Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development were complex, but simple. It is something everyone will go through and experiences will always be different. The lack of reinforcement to the positive aspects of his stages can lead to quite a disaster. Surprisingly, previous stages are highly influential to the proceeding stage. The lack of reinforcement to the positive aspects of his psychosocial stages can have a very devastating effect on a person. This is because the effects built up rather than taking the place of one another. The effects are quite horrifying, but with the right environment, experiences and beliefs, everything can go well.