Looking back on life and resolving regrets belongs to which stage?

Looking back on life and resolving regrets belongs to which stage?

• A. Integrity vs. Despair
• B. Generativity vs. Stagnation
• C. Identity vs. Role Confusion
• D. Industry vs. Inferiority

Answer: (A)

Looking back on life and resolving regrets is tied to Erikson’s stage in late adulthood where the focus is reviewing one’s life and making peace with it. In this stage, developing integrity means feeling a sense of completeness and acceptance about how one has lived, even if there were flaws, while despair arises if the life is seen as wasted or full of unaddressed regrets. So resolving regrets is a hallmark of attaining integrity, making this the best fit. The other stages occur earlier in life: Generativity vs. Stagnation centers on guiding and contributing to the next generation in middle adulthood; Identity vs. Role Confusion is about forming a stable sense of self during adolescence; Industry vs. Inferiority involves developing competence during the school years.

Looking back on life and resolving regrets is tied to Erikson’s stage in late adulthood where the focus is reviewing one’s life and making peace with it. In this stage, developing integrity means feeling a sense of completeness and acceptance about how one has lived, even if there were flaws, while despair arises if the life is seen as wasted or full of unaddressed regrets. So resolving regrets is a hallmark of attaining integrity, making this the best fit.

The other stages occur earlier in life: Generativity vs. Stagnation centers on guiding and contributing to the next generation in middle adulthood; Identity vs. Role Confusion is about forming a stable sense of self during adolescence; Industry vs. Inferiority involves developing competence during the school years.