| Approximate Age | Freud (Psychosexual) | Erikson (Psychosocial) |
|---|---|---|
| Birth to 1 year | Oral Stage | Trust vs. Mistrust |
| The lips, tongue, and gums are the focus of pleasurable sensations in the baby’s body, and sucking and feeding are the most stimulating activities. | Babies either trust that others will care for their basic needs, including nourishment, warmth, cleanliness, and physical contact, or develop mistrust about the care of others. | |
| 1-3 years | Anal Stage | Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt |
| The anus is the focus of pleasurable sensations in the baby’s body, and toilet training is the most important activity. | Children either become self-sufficient in many activities, including toileting, feeding, walking, exploring, and talking, or doubt their own abilities. | |
| 3-6 years | Phallic Stage | Initiative vs. Guilt |
| The phallus, or penis, is the most important body part, and pleasure is derived from genital stimulation. Boys are proud of their penises; girls wonder why they don’t have one. | Children either want to undertake many adult-like activities or internalize the limits and prohibitions set by parents. They feel either adventurous or guilty. | |
| 6-11 years | Latency | Industry vs. Inferiority |
| Not really a stage, latency is an interlude during which sexual needs are quiet and children put psychic energy into conventional activities like schoolwork and sports. | Children busily learn to be competent and productive in mastering new skills or feel inferior, unable to do anything as well as they wish they could. | |
| Adolescence | Genital Stage | Identity vs. Role Confusion |
| The genitals are the focus of pleasurable sensations, and the young person seeks sexual stimulation and sexual satisfaction in heterosexual relationships. | Adolescents try to figure out “Who am I?” They establish sexual, political, and vocational identities or are confused about what roles to play. | |
| Adulthood | Freud believed that the genital stage lasts throughout adulthood. He also said that the goal of a healthy life is “to love and to work.” | Intimacy vs. Isolation Young adults seek companionship and love or become isolated from others because they fear rejection and disappointment. |
| Generativity vs. Stagnation | ||
| Middle-aged adults contribute to the next generation through meaningful work, creative activities, and raising a family, or they stagnate. | ||
| Integrity vs. Despair | ||
| Older adults try to make sense out of their lives, either seeing life as a meaningful whole or despairing at goals never reached. |