Development Throughout the Lifespan

Erikson and Freud are two of the few theorists who have developed a lifespan approach to development. Freud's approach to development was psychosexual while Erikson's was psychosocial. Even though Freud's theory is better known. Erikson's theory remains a leading and very much applied model in personality and developmental psychology today. When considering these two stage-oriented theories, you can directly compare the majority of their stages. These are matched in the following table: Approximate Age Freud's Stages of Psychosexual Development Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial development Infancy (Birth to 1 year) Oral stage Trust versus mistrust Early childhood (1-3 years) Anal stage Autonomy versus doubt Preschool (3-6 years) Phallic stage Initiative versus guilt School age (7-11 years) Latent period Industry versus inferiority Adolescence (12-18 years) Genital stage Identity versus role confusion Young adulthood (19-40 years)