Who proposed eight stages of psychosocial development?

• A. Freud
• B. Piaget
• C. Kohlberg
• D. Erikson

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is who mapped out a stage-based view of how social and emotional development unfolds across the lifespan. Erik Erikson is the theorist who proposed eight psychosocial development stages, each stage presenting a central conflict that shapes personality as a person moves from infancy to old age. The stages progress from Trust vs Mistrust in infancy, Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt, Initiative vs Guilt, Industry vs Inferiority, Identity vs Role Confusion, Intimacy vs Isolation, Generativity vs Stagnation, to Integrity vs Despair in later life, with success in each stage helping to build a cohesive sense of self and well-being. This framework differs from Freud’s psychosexual stages, Piaget’s cognitive development stages, and Kohlberg’s moral development stages, which cover different domains of growth.