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March 29, 2003
Mary (age 3) hasn't been doing well with potty training, and when she wets the bed again, her mom gets angry and yells at her. In Erikson's 2nd stage, autonomy versus shame and doubt, the crisis is between gaining a strong sense of independence (autonomy) or being shameful and doubtful in your own self-control. -
October 3, 2007
Mary (age 8) does well in school, with reading being her strongest suit. Her teacher commends her for her advanced reading ability. Erikson's 4th stage is industry versus inferiority; the crisis is between feeling confident in one's own skills and skin, or feeling insecure and constantly inferior to others. -
June 15, 2017
Mary (age 17) listens to her parents talk about the major options they believe is best for her in the future. She lets them down easy and tells them what she really wants to pick as her major in college. Erikson's 5th stage, identity versus identity confusion, describes the crisis between being true to oneself and knowing what you want from life versus being unsure and being confused over your true self.