Erikson's

Meaning: Erikson's theory proposes that people pass through eight stages across the whole lifespan. Each stage centers on a social crisis between a positive and a negative outcome, and handling it well builds a strength that supports later stages. In approximate order: trust vs mistrust (infancy), autonomy vs shame and doubt (toddler years), initiative vs guilt (preschool), industry vs inferiority (school age), identity vs role confusion (adolescence), intimacy vs isolation (young adulthood), generativity vs stagnation (middle adulthood), integrity vs despair (late adulthood).

On the MCAT: A vignette describes someone's behavior and asks which stage or crisis applies. A teenager trying out different peer groups and career ideas points to identity vs role confusion. A middle-aged person mentoring younger coworkers points to generativity. A child proud of finishing schoolwork points to industry. Questions may also ask you to tell Erikson apart from Freud (psychosexual), Piaget (cognitive) and Kohlberg (moral).

Common confusion: Students blend Erikson with Freud because both are stage theories with conflicts in early childhood. Freud's stages are psychosexual and end around adolescence. Erikson's are psychosocial, shaped by social relationships, and continue into old age. The crisis is also not a pass/fail test: a healthy outcome usually involves a balance, such as mostly trust with some caution, and the ages are approximate.