Introduction to Erikson's 8 Stages

Erikson's theory consist of eight stages of development. Each stage ischaracterized by a different conflict that must be resolved by the individual.When the environment makes new demands on people, the conflicts arise. "Theperson is faced with a choice between two ways of coping with each crisis, anadaptive, or maladaptive way. Only when each crisis is resolved, which involvesa change in the personality, does the person have sufficient strength to dealwith the next stages of development"(Schultz and Schultz, 1987). If aperson is unable to resolve a conflict at a particular stage, they will confrontand struggle with it later in life.