IntroductionDevelopmental psychology is the scientific study of the changes that occur in humans throughout the lifespan. Development begins from childhood to old age. Childhood is a time of considerable change, but people also continue to slowly grow and develop into adulthood. It is a continuous process with a predictable sequence. These developmental changes can be influenced by genetic factors, environmental factors, and maturation factors. There are three types of changes related to human development: physical development, cognitive development, and psychosocial development. The choice of the members of our group focuses on the psychosocial development of early childhood. Early childhood includes children aged 3 to 5 years old. Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development is one of the best-known personality theories in psychology. Erik Erikson reinterpreted Freud's psychosexual theory by integrating the social aspect. One of the main elements of Erikson's theory is the development of ego identity. He proposed eight stages, each with two crises (one positive and one negative). At every stage, he believed the human experience was conflict. According to Erik Erikson's Eight Stages of Life, the third stage is initiative versus guilt in early childhood. This means that early childhood has the ability to assert power and control over the world and to show initiative in directing play and communicating with other children. Children who succeed at this stage feel capable of leading others. Those who fail to learn these skills are left with feelings of guilt, doubt and lack of initiative. When an ideal balance between individual initiative and the willingness to work with others is achieved, the ego quality known as purpose emerges....... middle of paper ...... e. If they are constructed in such a way, they will develop negative behaviors and thoughts and vice versa. The saying goes: children are like a white sheet, the mother the father who will shape it.Works Cited1. Kendra Cherry. Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. Early childhood psychosocial development. Retrieved from: http://psychology.about.com/od/psychosocialtheories/a/psychosocial.htm2. Doug Davis and Alan Clifton (1995). Psychosocial theory: Erikson. Psychosocial stage. Retrieved from: http://www.haverford.edu/psych/ddavis/p109g/erikson.stages.html3. Suchitra Ramkumar (2002). Erik Erikson's theory of development: article on the teacher's observations. Journal of Krishnamurti Schools. Problem 6.4. Erikson, E. H., Paul, I. H., Heider, F., & Gardner, R. W. (1959). Psychological Problems (Vol.1). International university press.