Which psychosocial stage occurs from ages 6 to puberty, characterized by learning to be competent and handling school and peer evaluation?

Which psychosocial stage occurs from ages 6 to puberty, characterized by learning to be competent and handling school and peer evaluation?

• A. Industry vs. Inferiority
• B. Identity vs. Role Confusion
• C. Intimacy vs. Isolation
• D. Generativity vs. Stagnation

Answer: (A)

Erikson’s stage where children learn to be competent through school and feedback from teachers and peers is about industry versus inferiority. In the six-to-puberty period, kids focus on mastering new skills—reading, writing, math, sports, arts—and they measure themselves by how they perform relative to expectations and how others respond. When they experience success and receive positive reinforcement, they develop a sense of industry: a belief that effort leads to achievement and that they can be productive. If they struggle or face continual criticism, they may feel inferior, doubting their abilities and questioning their self-worth. This balance between feeling capable and feeling inadequate shapes motivation and confidence for later challenges. For context, other stages occur at different life periods: adolescence centers on identity, early adulthood on intimate relationships, and middle adulthood on contributing to the next generation.

Erikson’s stage where children learn to be competent through school and feedback from teachers and peers is about industry versus inferiority. In the six-to-puberty period, kids focus on mastering new skills—reading, writing, math, sports, arts—and they measure themselves by how they perform relative to expectations and how others respond. When they experience success and receive positive reinforcement, they develop a sense of industry: a belief that effort leads to achievement and that they can be productive. If they struggle or face continual criticism, they may feel inferior, doubting their abilities and questioning their self-worth. This balance between feeling capable and feeling inadequate shapes motivation and confidence for later challenges. For context, other stages occur at different life periods: adolescence centers on identity, early adulthood on intimate relationships, and middle adulthood on contributing to the next generation.