Erik Erikson was a Danish theorist famous for his work regarding the eight stages of psychosocial development of human beings (Cote & Levine 2002, p. 91).
The first of these stages is ‘trust versus mistrust’ (birth -1 year of age) which he termed and developed in 1963 (Ziegler 2005, p. 51). This suggests that once trust is established, the ego strength of hope in an infant will develop, resulting in the basis of successful future relationships throughout adulthood (Engler 2009, p. 154) and ‘form a cornerstone for all manifestations of faith later in life’ (Peterson 2010, p. 51).
This exercise will (firstly) endeavour to explain how the first stage of Erikson’s theory relates to the development of attachment between the infant and their parent. Secondly, some strategies that could help parents develop that secure attachment with their child will be explored. There is a conflict that arises within this first stage of ‘trust versus mistrust’.In this stage the struggle is between two opposite personality characteristics within the infant (ie. trust and mistrust).
This conflict is resolved by the child’s ego (Cuthbertson 2010), which can determine either a positive or negative outcome. In order for the infant to achieve a healthy socio-emotional identity each stage must be achieved successfully (Thomas 1985, p. 236). The essence of Erikson’s theory is whether or not an infant can trust their world (Engler 2009, p.
154).How this occurs is through the experiences in which the infant has been subjected to and how the main caregiver (usually the mother), responds to the infants needs (Erikson 1963, p. 249). Infants are completely dependent on their caregivers, so it is vital for the infant’s needs to be met sufficiently and efficiently (Gowen & Nebrig 2002; Erikson 1963; Ziegler 2005). The level of trust that emerges in this first year of life will not only play a large role in their emotional development but also, lay the foundation for Erikson’s next developmental psychosocial phases (Ziegler 2005, pp. 122-130).
Neglecting and being unresponsive to the infant’s cues is where the ‘mistrust’ can be established and consequently, the infant views their world as hostile and volatile. Psychosocial development can be hindered, which in turn can have negative effects on future relationships (Ziegler 2005, p. 125). Therefore, forming a strong and healthy affectionate bond, known as a secure attachment between the infant and parent is crucial (Grant 2010).There are 4 main types of attachment: secure attachment (where the child is confident to explore their own world - the most favourable of all attachment forms), resistant attachment (the child will stay close to the parent and will not venture out), avoidant attachment (the child will avoid the parent as they feel it is not a ‘safe haven’ for them) and disorganised attachment (the child will alternate between resistant and avoidant attachments) (Gowen & Nebrig 2002, pp. 17-18).
The contributing factors that can affect the quality of attachment include the environment, such as the condition of the home.Issues of safety, sanitation, and parental situations (eg. mental illness/substance abuse) can all put secure attachments at risk. Without adequate care regarding these issues the infant may not feel as if his/her needs are being met (Gowen & Nebrig 2002, p. 40). Other issues such as the parent’s knowledge of normal sleep patterns for a baby, the awareness of known cognitive development issues with their infant and the effects of post natal depression, are all significant when establishing a secure attachment between infant and caregiver.
Being informed on the after effects of childbirth is certainly of the upmost importance (Dalton 2001). An infant’s temperament is also a deciding factor in the type of attachment acquired. The three temperaments are; easy, difficult and slow- to- warm- up (Peterson 2010, p. 131).
The main caregiver experiencing an infant whose temperament is difficult may find it strenuous to form a secure attachment. Grant (2010) postulates that this may be due to the caregiver not being aware of the fact that temperaments are mostly genetically based, which in turn, can lead to misunderstandings such as “this baby doesn’t like me”.A report by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) showed that socio-economic and cultural background all play a part in influencing temperament. It was found that children from ethnic backgrounds were more likely to display the difficult temperament as were children who are born into less advantaged families - for example, those without ‘more years of education and more skilled/professional types of employment’ (AIFS 2000).
This subsequently leads to the shaping of the bond and all the other factors ‘intertwine as counterparts’ (Maier 1978, p. 84) in the development and quality of attachment.Understanding that an infant’s psychosocial development begins with both ‘nature and nurture’ (Gowen & Nebrig 2002, p. 34), many strategies can be derived for parents who are in need of support in effectively securing a positive attachment with their infant. Gowen and Nebrig (2002, p.
85) suggest ‘tuning into the baby’s need for consistency and predictability’ for infants aged 0-3 months, as they find this very comforting as well as swaying, swaddling and soft eye gazing.For infants aged 3-7 months, attention is now on the primary caregiver (Grant 2010) and various playful and calming activities such as ‘peek-a-boo’, singing, pulling faces, talking in silly voices and soothing lullabies, baby massage and talking in ‘motherese’, that is speaking in soft low to high voice while looking in the infant’s eyes (Gowen & Nebrig 2002, p. 29), all play a part in securing a healthy bond.Offering parents the appropriate pamphlets, providing internet resources such as Child and Youth Health or access to counselling services such as the Parent Helpline are simple methods which can be helpful for parents who need assistance in forming this bond. By bestowing this knowledge upon the caregivers, it is letting them know they are not alone and educating them on the importance of having a securely attached infant. This is critical because the degree of trust felt by the baby can be determined in this early stage, which serves as a foundation for future bonding experiences (Maier 1978, p.
94).Conclusion Erikson’s first psychosocial stage of ‘trust versus mistrust’ and how it relates to the development of attachment between infant and parent has shown that, in order for the infant to trust their world, they first need to develop a secure and positive attachment with a caregiver. Once this has been successfully accomplished the infant will have completed the first phase and the ego will have developed the strength of hope. This consequently influences future developments.However, if the attachment established is of a negative nature (eg.
a disorganised attachment), this can lead to the infant feeling ‘mistrust’ of their world – thereby hindering this step and possibly the subsequent stages of Erikson’s theory. Distinguishing this, it can be recognised that in order for an infant to trust, there must first be a secure bond. The strategies discussed here attempt to ensure the promotion of positive attachment. It is, however, ultimately the decision of the caregivers as to how they choose to parent.
Overall, it is the belief of Erikson that the formation of a secure and positive attachment between parent and infant be established in order for a healthy psychosocial development. Erikson (1963, p. 249) stated: ..
. let it be said here that the amount of trust derived from the earliest infantile experience does not seem to depend on absolute quantities of food... but rather on the quality of the maternal relationship..
. this forms the basis in the child for a sense of identity which will later combine a sense of being “alright” of being oneself
