Final answer:
Erik Erikson's sequence of psychosocial development dictates that individuals must achieve intimacy before moving into the period of generativity. In his stages, intimacy versus isolation precedes generativity versus stagnation, and in late adulthood, individuals face integrity versus despair. The correct option is b.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development and asks specifically about the prerequisite for moving into the period of generativity. According to Erikson's developmental sequence, one must have achieved intimacy before reaching the generativity stage. Generativity versus stagnation is the seventh stage in Erikson's model and relates to adults in their middle age who are looking to contribute to the world (e.g., through raising children or productive work). Before reaching this stage, however, Erikson posits that during early adulthood, individuals face the challenge of intimacy versus isolation, where the goal is to develop deep personal relationships after having established a clear sense of personal identity.
Further, in the late adulthood period, the final stage of development according to Erikson is known as integrity versus despair. This is when individuals reflect on their lives and either come to a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, developing a strong sense of integrity, or they might be suffused with regret and despair if they feel they have failed to achieve their life goals and resolve the existential questions of their existence.