Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPsychosocial StagesWhy This Stage MattersExamplesImpact of This StageEncouraging KidsBuilding ConfidenceNext in Psychosocial Development GuideIdentity vs. Role Confusion in Psychosocial Development
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Table of Contents
Psychosocial Stages
Why This Stage Matters
Examples
Impact of This Stage
Encouraging Kids
Building Confidence
Next in Psychosocial Development Guide
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Industry versus inferiority is the fourth stage ofErik Erikson’s theory ofpsychosocial development, which occurs after the third stage ofinitiative versus guilt. The fourth stage occurs during childhood between the ages of six and 11. It’s that period of a child’s life when they acquire new skills, build their confidence, and figure out what they are good at.
The industry vs. inferiority stage is all about building skills and confidence. It’s full of trial and error, but it’s an important part of growing up. It’s when kids begin to figure out that they can actually do things—whether it’s playing a sport, learning an instrument, or getting good grades. How kids manage this period of development helps set the stage for how they’ll deal with challenges and successes later in life.
When kids get the support and tools they need to work through this stage, they develop feelings of usefulness and a strong sense of self-worth. But what happens if kids don’t get the support they need? Without the ability to master skills and gain positive feedback, they may leave this stage with a sense of worthlessness or inferiority.
At a GlancePsychosocial Conflict:Industry vs. InferiorityMajor Question:“How can I be good?“Basic Virtue:CompetenceImportant Event(s):School
At a Glance
Psychosocial Conflict:Industry vs. InferiorityMajor Question:“How can I be good?“Basic Virtue:CompetenceImportant Event(s):School
Verywell / Nusha Ashjaee
Understanding Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages
According to Erikson’s psychosocial theory, people progress through a series of stages as they develop and grow. His theory outlines a roadmap for how people grow socially and emotionally from childhood through adulthood.
Unlike many otherdevelopmental theories, Erikson’s addresses changes that occur across the entire lifespan, from birth to death.
Psychosocial theory focuses on social and emotional factors that influence an individual’s psychological growth.During each of the eight stages, a person faces a different psychosocial crisis.
In order to resolve the crisis, children and adults are tasked with mastering the developmental skills unique to that stage. Erikson theorized that mastering these skills contributes to lifelong well-being.
Failing to master these critical tasks, however, can result in social and emotional struggles that last a lifetime.
The following are all eight of Erikson’s psychosocial stages:
Why Industry vs. Inferiority Matters
Like other psychosocial stages, industry vs. inferiority leads to the development of important skills that set the tone for the future. How this stage plays out helps determine how people approach problems and cope with success or failure.
While many people think of economics or manufacturing when they hear the wordindustry, the term also applies to how an individual functions.
Industry refers to hard work. Someone who is industrious, for example, works at developing and mastering their skills to achieve something.
During stage four, a child is learning various emotional and social skills. It’s important that their parents or caregivers support them as they face new challenges and make attempts to navigate these challenges on their own.
In order for a child to feel industrious, they need to feel that they are capable and competent. Without the opportunities to develop new skills, they may end up feeling inadequate or that they just don’t measure up.
Is It Confidence or an Inferiority Complex?
Social World Expands
During the earlier stages, a child’s interactions centered primarily on caregivers, family members, and others in their immediate household. As the school years begin, the realm of social influence increases dramatically.
Kids are no longer hanging out primarily with parents and other family members. They’re increasingly involved in sports, friend groups, classrooms, teams, and other social events. They are also expected to cooperate, collaborate, listen, compete, and share.
Friends and classmates play a role in how children progress through the industry versus inferiority stage.
Through proficiency at play and schoolwork, children are able to develop a sense of competence and pride in their abilities. By feeling competent and capable, children are able to also form a strongself-concept.
In other cases, kids may perceive that they are not quite as capable as the other kids, which can result in feelings of inadequacy.Kids who struggle with friendships or feel that they are behind their peers may end up feeling like they don’t measure up.
Skills Are Evaluated
At earlier stages of development, children were largely able to engage in activities for fun and to receive praise and attention.
Once school begins, actual performance and skill are evaluated. Grades and feedback from educators encourage kids to pay more attention to the actual quality of their work.
Children who struggle to develop this sense of competence may emerge from this stage with feelings offailureand inferiority. This can set the stage for later problems in development.
People who don’t feel competent in their ability to succeed may be less likely to try new things and more likely to assume that their efforts will not measure up under scrutiny.
Examples of Industry vs. Inferiority
The following are examples of common occurrences during childhood that would build a child’sindustriousnessor confidence:
The following scenarios illustrate how a child may be left with feelings ofinferiority:
How Industry vs. Inferiority Affects Self-Esteem
According to Erikson, this stage is vital in developingself-confidence.Kids who do well and are encouraged in school and other activities are more likely to develop a sense of competence and confidence.
When a child is supported during this stage, they develop a greater sense ofself-esteem. Self-esteem is linked with many benefits, including:
Children who struggle in school and other activities and aren’t supported in developing their unique skills and abilities may be left with feelings of inadequacy and inferiority—both of which contribute to levels oflow self-esteem. Low self-esteem is linked with difficulties such as:
If you or a loved one are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
If you or a loved one are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
Encouraging Confidence
At this stage, it is important for both parents and teachers to offer support and encouragement. However, adults should be careful not to equate achievement with acceptance and love.
Unconditional loveand support from adults can help all children through this stage, but particularly those who may struggle with feelings of inferiority.
Even if children struggle in some areas of school, encouraging kids in areas in which they excel can help foster feelings of competence and achievement.
You may try the following:
Building Your Confidence
If you’ve had childhood experiences that left you with a greater sense of inferiority than industry, there’s no need to panic. There are plenty of ways to develop your self-esteem and feel more confident in your day to day life:
Talk to a ProfessionalA mental health professional, such as atherapist, may help you reframe your belief that you’re inferior or unworthy. A therapist may work with you to uncover the root causes of your negative beliefs, and help you establish new goals and new perspectives to help you reach them.
Talk to a Professional
A mental health professional, such as atherapist, may help you reframe your belief that you’re inferior or unworthy. A therapist may work with you to uncover the root causes of your negative beliefs, and help you establish new goals and new perspectives to help you reach them.
Takeaways
It’s important to note that the psychosocial theory is just that—atheory.It’s not productive or accurate to think of yourself or your child as having “failed” a stage. Remember, humans are adaptable. The psychosocial stages may simply be a useful tool in understanding a child’s needs at different ages, and what parents can do to encourage them.
If you feel that you didn’t develop skills or feel confident as a child, it’s OK. As an adult, you can still develop skills and learn to feel confident and capable.
Stage 5: Identity vs. Confusion
8 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Issawi S, Dauphin VB.Industry versus inferiority. In: Zeigler-Hill V, Shackelford TK, eds.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer International Publishing; 2020:2244-2247. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_593Chen PY, Ho WC, Lo C, Yeh TP.Predicting ego integrity using prior ego development stages for older adults in the community.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(18):9490. doi:10.3390/ijerph18189490Storage D, Horne Z, Cimpian A, Leslie SJ.The frequency of “brilliant” and “genius” in teaching evaluations predicts the representation of women and African Americans across fields.PLoS ONE.2016;11(3):e0150194. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150194National Research Council (US) Panel to Review the Status of Basic Research on School-Age Children.Self-Understanding And Self-Regulation In Middle Childhood. Development During Middle Childhood: The Years From Six to Twelve.American Psychological Association.Self-esteem.Nguyen DT, Wright EP, Dedding C, et al.Low self-esteem and its association with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in Vietnamese secondary school students: A cross-sectional study.Front Psychiatry.2019;10. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00698Portilla XA, Ballard PJ, Adler NE, Boyce WT, Obradović J.An integrative view of school functioning: transactions between self-regulation, school engagement, and teacher-child relationship quality.Child Dev.2014;85(5):1915-31. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12259Budin WC.Building confidence.J Perinat Educ. 2017;26(3):107-109. doi:10.1891/1058-1243.26.3.107
8 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Issawi S, Dauphin VB.Industry versus inferiority. In: Zeigler-Hill V, Shackelford TK, eds.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer International Publishing; 2020:2244-2247. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_593Chen PY, Ho WC, Lo C, Yeh TP.Predicting ego integrity using prior ego development stages for older adults in the community.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(18):9490. doi:10.3390/ijerph18189490Storage D, Horne Z, Cimpian A, Leslie SJ.The frequency of “brilliant” and “genius” in teaching evaluations predicts the representation of women and African Americans across fields.PLoS ONE.2016;11(3):e0150194. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150194National Research Council (US) Panel to Review the Status of Basic Research on School-Age Children.Self-Understanding And Self-Regulation In Middle Childhood. Development During Middle Childhood: The Years From Six to Twelve.American Psychological Association.Self-esteem.Nguyen DT, Wright EP, Dedding C, et al.Low self-esteem and its association with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in Vietnamese secondary school students: A cross-sectional study.Front Psychiatry.2019;10. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00698Portilla XA, Ballard PJ, Adler NE, Boyce WT, Obradović J.An integrative view of school functioning: transactions between self-regulation, school engagement, and teacher-child relationship quality.Child Dev.2014;85(5):1915-31. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12259Budin WC.Building confidence.J Perinat Educ. 2017;26(3):107-109. doi:10.1891/1058-1243.26.3.107
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Issawi S, Dauphin VB.Industry versus inferiority. In: Zeigler-Hill V, Shackelford TK, eds.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer International Publishing; 2020:2244-2247. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_593Chen PY, Ho WC, Lo C, Yeh TP.Predicting ego integrity using prior ego development stages for older adults in the community.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(18):9490. doi:10.3390/ijerph18189490Storage D, Horne Z, Cimpian A, Leslie SJ.The frequency of “brilliant” and “genius” in teaching evaluations predicts the representation of women and African Americans across fields.PLoS ONE.2016;11(3):e0150194. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150194National Research Council (US) Panel to Review the Status of Basic Research on School-Age Children.Self-Understanding And Self-Regulation In Middle Childhood. Development During Middle Childhood: The Years From Six to Twelve.American Psychological Association.Self-esteem.Nguyen DT, Wright EP, Dedding C, et al.Low self-esteem and its association with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in Vietnamese secondary school students: A cross-sectional study.Front Psychiatry.2019;10. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00698Portilla XA, Ballard PJ, Adler NE, Boyce WT, Obradović J.An integrative view of school functioning: transactions between self-regulation, school engagement, and teacher-child relationship quality.Child Dev.2014;85(5):1915-31. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12259Budin WC.Building confidence.J Perinat Educ. 2017;26(3):107-109. doi:10.1891/1058-1243.26.3.107
Issawi S, Dauphin VB.Industry versus inferiority. In: Zeigler-Hill V, Shackelford TK, eds.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer International Publishing; 2020:2244-2247. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_593
Chen PY, Ho WC, Lo C, Yeh TP.Predicting ego integrity using prior ego development stages for older adults in the community.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(18):9490. doi:10.3390/ijerph18189490
Storage D, Horne Z, Cimpian A, Leslie SJ.The frequency of “brilliant” and “genius” in teaching evaluations predicts the representation of women and African Americans across fields.PLoS ONE.2016;11(3):e0150194. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150194
National Research Council (US) Panel to Review the Status of Basic Research on School-Age Children.Self-Understanding And Self-Regulation In Middle Childhood. Development During Middle Childhood: The Years From Six to Twelve.
American Psychological Association.Self-esteem.
Nguyen DT, Wright EP, Dedding C, et al.Low self-esteem and its association with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in Vietnamese secondary school students: A cross-sectional study.Front Psychiatry.2019;10. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00698
Portilla XA, Ballard PJ, Adler NE, Boyce WT, Obradović J.An integrative view of school functioning: transactions between self-regulation, school engagement, and teacher-child relationship quality.Child Dev.2014;85(5):1915-31. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12259
Budin WC.Building confidence.J Perinat Educ. 2017;26(3):107-109. doi:10.1891/1058-1243.26.3.107
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