Erik Erikson's Psychological Theory

Stage 1 Basic Trust versus MistrustBirth through Age 1

At birth, an infant begins to, hopefully, bond with its caregivers and develop a trusting relationship with them if he or she is properly taken care of. Dr. C. George Boeree describes this trust as follows: "If the proper balance is achieved, the child will develop the virtue hope, the strong belief that, even when things are not going well, they will work out well in the end. One of the signs that a child is doing well in the first stage is when the child isn't overly upset by the need to wait a moment for the satisfaction of his or her needs: Mom or dad don't have to be perfect; I trust them enough to believe that, if they can't be here immediately, they will be here soon; Things may be tough now, but they will work out. This is the same ability that, in later life, gets us through disappointments in love, our careers, and many other domains of life. "[1]

Some infants, unfortunately, are not taken care of and are neglected. These infants develop mistrust. If an infant develops mistrust then that infant would not be sure if they were going to be fed or let to go hungry. This further feeds the mistrust in the infant. Unfortunately this mistrust stays with an infant as they grow. It is much harder to try to gain the trust of a mistrusting child later in life, as that child has already had a terrible start in life. A mistrusting adult may give up on life completely as they do not have the ability to see a brighter future for themselves. They may even pass on mistrust to their children later if they do not break the cycle that their infancy started with.

Autonomy versus Shame and DoubtThis stage is typically from around 18 months through 3 years.