Chapter 2 How and Why People Develop and Learn 25
According to Erikson’s psychosocial development stages, people must suc-
cessfully resolve a psychological and/or social conflict before moving to the next
stage. If they do not, their unsuccessful resolution will affect their future stages
of development. For example, in the first stage, babies must resolve the conflict
of trusting or not trusting others, especially those who care for them. Babies must
learn to trust that they will be fed when they cry and comforted when they need
comforting. If babies do not have their needs met, they will not easily trust
others throughout life. If babies’ needs are met, they will become trusting people
capable of having trusting relationships. Erikson was careful to point out, how-
ever, that there must be a healthy balance for optimal development. If needs are
always met to an extreme, a baby may become overly trusting.
What about the other stages? According to Erikson, the stages continue to
work similarly throughout life. In early childhood, preschoolers face the conflict
of learning to develop initiative by carrying out plans versus taking advantage
of others. For example, a preschooler may come up with a plan to “play school.”
She wants to be the pretend teacher. She also wants her younger sister and neighbor
to play as her students. They go along with her plan, but as she becomes bossy,
they lose interest. The preschooler needs to take the initiative to carry out her
plan to play school. At the same time, she has to learn to make the game enjoy-
able for others. Resolving initiative versus guilt issues are important during this
stage of life and will have lifelong results.
During the elementary school years, children must master important social
and academic skills, 2-3. Erikson calls this conflict industry versus inferiority. By not
keeping up with their peers, children will feel inferior or less important. Again,
Erikson was careful to point out that there must be a healthy balance for optimal
development.
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2-3
Making friends, learning to read, and learning how to add and subtract are just
a few of the important social and academic skills children must learn during
middle childhood.