Infancy Through Erickson's Eight Stages of Development

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The first eighteen months of life is filled with rapid changes for parents and infants across every aspect of human development. At the stage of infancy the influence of a positive attachment can enrich an infant’s behavioural development (Peterson 2010, pp.140-150). Erikson (1968 cited in Peterson 2010, p.51) theorises that to mould a positive attachment an infant must achieve a balance of the psychosocial stage of ‘trust versus mistrust’. The achievement of this stage combined with the infant’s environment, social arena, and how infants see themselves as individuals is dependent on a positive attachment. With an understanding of Erikson’s theory and knowledge of attachment principles a nurse can help parents achieve this stage of infancy. This essay will concentrate on how having an understanding of Erikson’s theory can help nurses when advising positive attachment strategies to parents. And also reflect on how parents can achieve a positive attachment with a nurse’s intervention. Erikson assembled eight stages of human development that ‘remain within the proper rate and proper sequence which govern the growth of personality’ (Erikson 1959, p. 52). In other words, a person cannot advance to the next stage of development without achieving a resolution of conflict with the one before. The first stage of ‘trust versus mistrust’ (Peterson 2010, p. 51) is between birth to eighteen months and is described as a time of potential ‘crisis’ for an infant (Erikson 1959, p, 50). During this stage an infant battles with inner conflict which is slowly developed into a balance between sense of self and trust in others. Caregivers have the responsibility to guide infants toward a successful resolution of conflict so they are competent to advance to Erikson’s next stage of ‘autonomy versus shame and doubt’ (Peterson 2010, p. 51). It is important to also define positive

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