Question

Annie feels incompetent in many areas in her life. She is fearful of being seen as foolish so she seldom initiates any action. During her preschool years many of her actions were ridiculed by family members and she ultimately withdrew from taking an active stance. According to Erikson, Annie failed to overcome the barriers associated with which of the following stages of development:

A) Trust vs. Mistrust
B) Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
C) Initiative vs. Guilt
D) Industry vs. Inferiority

Answer 1

Annie likely struggled with the Initiative vs. Guilt stage of Erikson's psychosocial development, causing her to feel incompetence and avoid initiating actions due to a fear of ridicule, which dates back to her experiences in her preschool years.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, Annie failed to overcome the barriers associated with the Initiative vs. Guilt stage. During her preschool years, Annie likely received significant criticism and ridicule from family members instead of encouragement when she tried to initiate actions. This potentially stifled her initiative, leading to feelings of guilt and a sense of incompetence, as indicated by her reluctance to initiate activities for fear of appearing foolish.

In the Initiative vs. Guilt stage, typically encountered between the ages of 3 and 6, children learn to assert control and initiative in social interactions and play. Successfully navigating this stage fosters self-confidence and a sense of purpose. Conversely, failure to successfully complete this stage can result in feelings of guilt and a withdrawn personality, as seen in Annie's case.