Question

Difficulty: MediumDevelopmental Stages and Transitions

A school nurse is observing a 7-year-old student participating in classroom and recreational activities. According to Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, which behavior indicates that the student is successfully navigating the primary developmental task for their age group?

  1. Working diligently to complete a complex craft project and eagerly displaying it to the teacher.Answer
  2. B
    Engaging in parallel play alongside classmates using identical toys without directly interacting.
  3. C
    Conversing with an imaginary companion while playing alone in the classroom reading corner.
  4. D
    Expressing significant distress and preoccupation regarding their physical appearance differing from peers.

Answer

Working diligently to complete a complex craft project and eagerly displaying it to the teacher.
According to Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, a 7-year-old is in the stage of Industry versus Inferiority (typically ages 6 to 12). During this stage, children develop a sense of competence by learning new skills, completing tasks, and seeking recognition or praise for their achievements. Working diligently on a project and eagerly displaying it perfectly demonstrates the successful development of 'industry'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the client's age group based on the given chronological age.
The client is 7 years old, placing them in the school-age developmental category (typically ages 6 to 12).
Developmental milestones are evaluated based on age-specific normative data.
2
Determine the relevant psychosocial stage according to Erikson's theory for this age group.
The school-age stage corresponds to Erikson's stage of Industry versus Inferiority.
Matching the age to the theoretical framework is necessary to predict or evaluate expected behaviors.
3
Analyze the options to identify which behavior reflects the characteristics of Industry versus Inferiority.
Completing a complex project and seeking recognition reflects 'industry' (a sense of competence and achievement).
The correct answer must directly demonstrate the successful acquisition of the stage-specific task.

Key Concept

Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development: Industry vs. Inferiority
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