Erik Erikson believed that individual development takes place in a social context. He
believed that development is a lifelong process. His theory contains eight stages of
development that occur at different points in an individuals life. At each stage, the
individual has, what he believed as, a developmental crisis. Developmental crises are
issues in the stage that must be dealt with in order to move on to the next stage. Each stage
offers an outcome as to what will happen if the crisis is not resolved.
Incomplete development of one stage can effect later development. Eriksons
developmental model can be used to determine when it is appropriate for an individual to
learn how to use computers. The model can also help determine what computer skills are
appropriate for each stage.
Eriksons first stage of development is trust versus mistrust. This stage occurs from birth
until about one year. During the first year of life infants rely on others for their basic needs.
Infants must learn to rely and trust their caregivers to provide for them. If the infants needs
are met, then the he or she will develop a secure attachment to the caregivers and learn to
trust his or her environment. If the infants do not pass this stage, then they will likely
mistrust others and the things in their environment. The infant will either view the world as
supportive or unsupportive. For successful completion of this stage, parents should aid in
the developmental process by responding consistently to the needs of the infant. During
this stage of development, teaching computers is not a possibility. Children in this stage
have not yet reached the ability to use a computer.
Eriksons second stage of development is autonomy versus shame and doubt. This stage
occurs from age one to about age three. The child learns to talk, walk, and do things for
him or herself. Self-control and self-confidence begin to develop. Successful passage
through this stage results in independence and confidence when relating to others. If the
child is not successful in this stage, he or she will doubt him or herself and feel a sense of
shame about him or herself. Parents should encourage children to do things for themselves.
Parents should allow children to feed themselves, dress themselves, and make choices on
their own. They should also give them opportunities to display self-control through toilet
training. Overprotective and disapproving parents may cause the child to feel ashamed of
