Which stage is associated with reflecting on life and determining if it has been meaningful?

Which stage is associated with reflecting on life and determining if it has been meaningful?

• A. Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt
• B. Identity vs Role Confusion
• C. Integrity vs Despair
• D. Initiative vs Guilt

Answer: (C)

In Erikson’s psychosocial development framework, the stage where people reflect on their life and judge whether it has been meaningful occurs in late adulthood and is called integrity vs despair. At this point, individuals look back over years of experiences, relationships, and choices to decide if their life feels coherent and worthwhile. If they perceive a meaningful, satisfying life, they develop integrity—a sense of wholeness, acceptance, and wisdom that life has had purpose. If they focus on regrets or unresolved regrets, they may experience despair, feeling that life was wasted or incomplete and often facing anxiety about aging and death. This contrasts with earlier stages, where the focus is on building autonomy, initiative, and a sense of self, rather than evaluating life as a whole.

In Erikson’s psychosocial development framework, the stage where people reflect on their life and judge whether it has been meaningful occurs in late adulthood and is called integrity vs despair. At this point, individuals look back over years of experiences, relationships, and choices to decide if their life feels coherent and worthwhile. If they perceive a meaningful, satisfying life, they develop integrity—a sense of wholeness, acceptance, and wisdom that life has had purpose. If they focus on regrets or unresolved regrets, they may experience despair, feeling that life was wasted or incomplete and often facing anxiety about aging and death. This contrasts with earlier stages, where the focus is on building autonomy, initiative, and a sense of self, rather than evaluating life as a whole.