Erik Erikson's 8 Stages of Psychosocial Development
Stage 4: Latency
Age: Elementary and Middle School Years --
6 to 12 years
Conflict: Industry vs. Inferiority
Important Event: School
Description:
"In this stage children are learning to see
the relationship between perseverance and the pleasure of a job completed"
(Woolfolk,
1987).
The important event at this stage is attendance at school. As a
student, the children have a need to be productive and do work on their
own. They are both physically and mentally ready for it. Interaction with
peers at school also plays an imperative role of child development in this
stage. The child for the first time has a wide variety of events to deal
with, including academics, group activities, and friends. Difficulty with
any of these leads to a sense of inferiority.
Elements for a positive outcome:
It is essential for the child at this stage
to discover pleasure in being productive and the need to succeed. The child's
relationship with peers in school and the neighborhood become increasingly
important.
Elements for a negative outcome:
Difficulty with the child's ability to move
between the world at home and the world of peers can lead to feeling of
inferiority.
Examples:
In this stage children want to do productive
work on their own. Students are able to water class plants, collect and
distribute materials for teacher, and keep records of forms for teacher.