An individual's sense of self-importance or self-worth can go a long way in determining their perspective on themselves and the world around them. Erik Erikson, a developmental psychologist, highlights the importance of how the role of society and culture can influence an individual's ego. Erikson's theory of the development of human beings discusses how a person's level of confidence influences his or her ability to solve problems in society. Erikson believed that a person's potential to trust others, or how a person views themselves personally, is influenced by how their trust levels have developed during certain stages of their life (McLeod, Saul) . To expand Erikson's ideas about the development of the human ego, he created a model representing eight developmental stages that occur in a person's life. In this model, the first five stages take place until adulthood and the other three stages take place during and after adulthood. The progression and development of these stages depends on the previous stage (Davis & Clifton, 1995). The first stage in the development of human behavior is trust versus mistrust which occurs from infancy to one year in middle age. At this stage the child is unaware of the new world he has entered, which causes the child to become dependent on his guardian for safety and care. If this child is consistently presented with care and stability, he will develop the ability to trust in future relationships. If the child is successful in human development, when a problem arises, he will solve it with the help of others. However, if the child lacks this ability, this will result in the development of fear. This will lead to… middle of paper… feeling isolated and this can lead to depression. The seventh phase is that between generativity and stagnation, between the ages of forty and sixty-five. This is the time when people are most productive with themselves and their families. Being productive is important for the person to pass on their knowledge to other generations. Failing to be productive can leave you feeling stagnant. The eighth stage is sixty-five years and older. This is the time when people retire and regret the choices they make or are proud of them (Mcleod, Saul). Erikson's theory of human development helped provide ideas and information about the development of these eight stages that influence the trust levels of other individuals. These ideas can help parents teach their children. His theory can help future psychologists research how events at certain ages can influence the way people look at life.