Erikson, felt that there was plenty of room for growth throughout a persons' life.

The theory was based on 8 stages where successes and failures may develop throughout one's life, each stimulated by the needs of society.

Upon successful completion of each stage, a person develops characteristic strengths, or "virtues".

These strengths can allow the person to find continued development as they move through the stages of life.

At this stage the child is uncertain about the world they live in. They look to their parents for consistent care and stability. If this is received the child will develop trust and a sense of security which can lead to the virtue of HOPE. this is gained through the TRUST the child has that when a new crisis arrives people will be there for support. If consistent care is not provided this can lead to fear, suspicion and mistrust.

As they grow, children begin to assert their independence by leaving the parent’s side and making personal choices about what to eat or what to wear. It is critical that children are able to explore the limits of their abilities in an encouraging environment. The parent should be supportive and patient to allow the child to do tasks for themselves thus teaching a child to ask for help when needed. The positive outcome is independence or developing their own personal will. The negative outcome can be that they start to feel inadequate in their ability to survive and lack the self-esteem. needed. They may feel shame or doubt instead of confident and independent.

During this stage a child needs to regularly interact with other children, play, initiate and plan activities and develop interpersonal skills. The child will ask a lot of questions which should be encouraged and celebrated. The virtue developed here is gaining purpose in what they do and the choices they make. If questions are squelched and overly criticized then they feel guilt and feel like they are annoying other people. This could lead to the child becoming a follower instead of having their own drive and self-purpose. Some guilt and boundaries are necessary though, in order to encourage self-control.

This stage, that begins with entering school and ends with the onset of puberty, is defined by the child searching for their own competence. Teachers become very important during this stage while they develop a greater sense of self-esteem. They work to gain approval from authorities by developing skills that are valuable within their social structure. The virtue they can obtain is pride along with confidence if the child is encouraged and their personal initiatives are reinforced. If they do not get those supports they may feel inferior and may not reach their full potential. Conversely, some failure may be necessary to encourage and develop modesty and balance.

This is considered to be one of the most important roles in this theory as it is where the child becomes more independent. They are assessing their future regarding family, career and relationships. They want to feel like they fit in and belong to some part of society. The child has to learn rules that they will ultimately apply as an adult. Body image becomes important because of all the changes that happen at this age. The child will discover their future possibilities based on outcomes from identity exploration. Failure to do so can result in the inability to choose to a take a risk on a desired field of work or the lack of feeling adequate enough to explore career/relationship possibilities. The child may experience some role confusion. The virtue found here is fidelity - where the child can see herself as unique, even as an integrated person, as they are trying to identify who they are. Failure can lead to role confusion, rebellion and feelings of unhappiness.

During this stage of young adulthood; intimacy, love and long-term commitments develop. Completion in this stage can lead to comfortable relationships and a sense of commitment, care and safety. Failure can exhibit itself in the individual through loneliness, isolation, unhappiness or depression along with the inability to form relationships.

In this stage of life, the person may feel like they have given back to society through raising their children, being productive in the workplace or aiding with community activities and organizations. Here they develop a sense of care for others and are concerned with the welfare of others. If they do not achieve those objectives they feel stagnant or unproductive.

The virtue that expresses itself during this final stage is having the sense of wisdom that comes from feeling like one’s life was productive when reminiscing on their past. When contemplating back on the life the person led one must feel that they did accomplish what they wanted in life. It they feel that they were unproductive it can lead to despair or dissatisfaction upon death. Success in this stage is the wisdom that allows one to look back at their life with a sense of closure and completeness and accept death without trepidation.