Ramos, Elainne Grace U.
Salcedo, Marielle Adrianne
Salvador, Marie Genevieve M.
FA#2 Embodiment of the Eight Stages
1. Trust VS Mistrust
My specific experience of the first stage of Psychosocial Stages of Personal Development which
is Trust VS Mistrust, is when I started to get familiar with the people surrounds me. According to
Erik Erikson, the person behind the theory, this stage is the most important because this is where
a person shapes his/her view of the world, and a person who wants to analyze the surrounding
he’s/she’s living people around him/her plays a major role. Babies tend to find comfort and care
that is why the first one he/she could trust is his/her mother since she was the one who was there
ever since a baby was born.
When I was a baby, though I do not think that I still remember every single detail of my infancy,
I am sure that I am too dependent on the one who was taking care of me, which is my parents. As
the day passes from the moment my mother gave birth to me, I got to interact with other people
and that is when I started to familiarize them so that I could build my trust in them. I learned to
respond whenever someone is trying to communicate with me, and I think it is a big help for a
baby to trust someone when people try to talk to them gently and do soft gestures towards them
because otherwise the baby would feel scared and it will be hard for him/her to build the trust.
Trust VS Mistrust stage is important because if a child learns to trust at a very young age it may
help him/her to have a strong foundation of trust. After all, aside from being socially connected to
other people, it will also help his/her emotional development. Trust makes a child feel safe and
secured that is why he/she must succeed in this stage so that he/she would have a better view of
the world as well as the with people he’s/she’s interacting with.
2. Autonomy Vs Shame and Doubt
The second stage of Psychosocial Stages of Personal Development is Autonomy VS Shame and
Doubt. According to Rik Erikson this stage is when the child begins to develop a sense of personal
independence and control. Kids in this stage of development were able to do things independently,
such as gaining more control over food preferences, choosing what clothes they are going to wear,
their toy preference. Children at this stage are more focused on developing a greater sense of self–
independence.
I remember when I was in kindergarten, I want to use my two-wheeler bag which was given to
me by my Mom because I don’t want to carry all of my pieces of stuff using a backpack and also,
I find it cool and at the same time it’s more comfortable for me using it. My parents agreed and
allowed me to use it. And on that day, I feel happy and confident going to school carrying my two–
wheeler bag.
This stage also serves as an important building block for the future development of a child, it
motivates provides opportunities for the child to be more independent and try to control things
successfully to gain more confidence. This kind of situation suits this psychosocial stage because
it is stated that the 5-year-old me were able to choose and become more independent in choosing
what bag will I going to use and the feeling that I gained when I completed this stage.
3. Initiative Vs Guilt
The third stage of Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is Initiative versus Guilt.
According to him this stage occurs during the preschool years, between the ages of 3 and 5. through
the Initiative versus Guilt, kids starts to assert their control and power over their environment by
playing and other social interaction.
I think I started to be in this stage during my preschool days, although I barely remember it, I
know that this was the days I slightly stop being dependable to my parents. As a kid, I start
exploring, deciding and trying things on my own. Specifically, before I play with other kids I
always asking myself if I should play with them or is it worth it to interact with them. Also
whenever we have some activities in school, I tend to focus only on the activities that was really
interesting to me or was enjoyable to me.
It is necessary to assert children to begin controlling and having power over the environment by
taking initiative by accomplishing tasks, facing challenges, and planning activities. It’s important
to help kids in making right decisions and encourage them to explore. Guardians who are
