Chapter 1. Erikson's Eight Stages

Psychologist Erik Erikson proposed that human development proceeds through eight psychosocial stages, outlined below. Each stage is marked by a developmental task or an emotional crisis that must be handled successfully to allow for healthy psychological growth (information from Erikson and Erikson, 1997). Critics contend that Erikson’s theory does not rest on a solid foundation of scientific evidence, but it provides a useful model for conceptualizing the different phases of human life.