Developing Initiative

The most widely known theory of life-span development, the Psychosocial Stages, was formulated by Erik Erikson (1963). He looked at the psychological needs of the individual, conflicting with needs of society. Erikson proposed that at each stage there is a developmental task, or a challenge, that is normative for that period of life. There is an opportunity for steaming ahead, or a danger point for psychological derailment.