Which concept pairs with Erikson's stages in the same way 'sensorimotor' pairs with Piaget and 'oral' with Freud?

Which concept pairs with Erikson's stages in the same way 'sensorimotor' pairs with Piaget and 'oral' with Freud?

• A. Autonomy versus Shame
• B. Industry versus Inferiority
• C. Trust versus Mistrust
• D. Identity versus Role Confusion

Answer: (C)

In infancy, the key task is building a sense of safety and reliability based on caregiver responsiveness. Piaget’s sensorimotor stage (birth to about 2 years) shows infants learning through concrete actions and senses, while Freud’s oral stage (birth to about 18 months) centers on oral gratification. The Erikson stage that matches this same early period is Trust versus Mistrust. When caregivers consistently meet an infant’s needs, the child develops trust that the world is dependable; inconsistent care can lead to mistrust and a belief that others are unreliable. That alignment makes Trust versus Mistrust the best fit. The other stages occur later—Autonomy versus Shame in toddlerhood, Industry versus Inferiority in school-age years, Identity versus Role Confusion in adolescence—and don’t correspond to infancy’s developmental tasks.

In infancy, the key task is building a sense of safety and reliability based on caregiver responsiveness. Piaget’s sensorimotor stage (birth to about 2 years) shows infants learning through concrete actions and senses, while Freud’s oral stage (birth to about 18 months) centers on oral gratification. The Erikson stage that matches this same early period is Trust versus Mistrust. When caregivers consistently meet an infant’s needs, the child develops trust that the world is dependable; inconsistent care can lead to mistrust and a belief that others are unreliable. That alignment makes Trust versus Mistrust the best fit. The other stages occur later—Autonomy versus Shame in toddlerhood, Industry versus Inferiority in school-age years, Identity versus Role Confusion in adolescence—and don’t correspond to infancy’s developmental tasks.