Human development is a complex and lifelong process. Developmental psychologists Robert Havighurst and Erik Erikson offered two influential yet distinct frameworks to explain how individuals grow and adapt through life. While Havighurst emphasized developmental tasks that people must master at different stages, Erikson focused on psychosocial conflicts that shape personality.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
The preschool years—roughly ages 3 to 6—are marked by a surge in curiosity, imagination, and social interaction. This is the period Erik Erikson identified as the third stage of psychosocial development: Initiative vs. Guilt.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
Erik Erikson's psychosocial development theory proposed that throughout our lives, we encounter certain crises that contribute to our psychosocial development. He presented these crises as 8 stages of psychosocial conflicts, often known as the 8 Erikson stages.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
As children enter elementary school, the world expands beyond the home. Classrooms, peers, assignments, and evaluations become central to their daily lives. This shift marks a new psychosocial challenge in Erik Erikson’s theory of development : the stage of Industry vs. Inferiority, typically occurring between the ages of 6 and 12.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters