Who developed the eight psychosocial stages of development?

The eight psychosocial stages of development were developed by Erik Erikson, a developmental psychologist. Erikson's theory outlines how individuals navigate specific challenges and conflicts at different life stages, from infancy through adulthood. Each stage presents a psychosocial crisis that contributes to the development of psychological qualities and influences one’s personal and social identity.

For instance, during the first stage, trust versus mistrust, infants learn to trust their caregivers based on the reliability and affection they receive. Successfully resolving these crises leads to healthy psychological development and a stronger sense of self, while failure can result in difficulties later in life.

This framework is significant in understanding human development as it emphasizes the role of social relationships and the impact of societal factors, unlike other theories that may focus more heavily on biological or cognitive aspects of development. The other theorists mentioned, while influential in their own rights, focused on different elements of human growth: Freud on psychosexual stages, Piaget on cognitive development, and Kohlberg on moral development.