Final answer:
Erik Erikson's final developmental stage of life involves the challenge of integrity versus despair. Ethel, at 80, looking back on her life with regret, is experiencing despair, as Erikson describes for some individuals in late adulthood reflecting on their life with a sense of wasted opportunities and failure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Erik Erikson's Developmental Stage in Late Adulthood
According to Erik Erikson, the renowned developmental psychologist, the final stage of life is characterized by the challenge of integrity versus despair. Individuals like Ethel, who is 80 years old and has experienced significant loss, may reflect on their lives and feel a sense of regret for unresolved accomplishments or unresolved relationships. This can lead to feelings of despair, which is Erikson's term for the struggle faced in late adulthood when an individual feels that their life has been wasted and is marked by a sense of failure.
In the context given, Ethel's experience of looking back on her life with a lot of regret, especially after losing her husband and having infrequent visits from her children, aligns with Erikson's notion of despair. People who are unable to overcome this feeling may focus on what 'could have,' 'should have,' or 'would have' been, leading to bitterness, depression, and a sense of failure at this developmental stage.