Basic Trust vs. Basic Mistrust is the stage of the infant. After birth, we slowly familiarize our environment, eventually knowing that if Mother walks away, she will be back. Teething brings conflict as biting, the only relief, causes Mother to shy away. But if all goes well, we maintain ourselves against feelings of separation. If not, neuroses may develop, even schizo-depressive states.
Although there is a surfeit of instructional material covering literature reviews, there seems to be a dearth of materials focusing primarily on examples. Some students don’t need step-by-step instructions, just a well-written example to work from. This e-book is intended merely to offer guidance, and not to substitute for content. Consult your manual (or your instructor) for current guidelines.
Intimacy vs. Isolation is the stage of the young adult according to Erikson’s “Eight Ages of Man.” During this stage, we are eager to fuse our identities with others. Those unsure of their identities may avoid this fusion.
If everything goes well, he or she will reach “true intimacy.” If something hinders this progress that person may isolate him- or herself from closeness with others.