Which stage involves reflecting on life and achieving a sense of wholeness?

• A. Integrity vs Despair
• B. Generativity vs Stagnation
• C. Identity vs Confusion
• D. Trust vs Mistrust

Answer: (A)

Reflecting on life and achieving a sense of wholeness happens in the final stage of Erikson’s psychosocial development, in late adulthood. In this stage, people look back over their life story, assess their actions and relationships, and decide whether they feel their life has been meaningful and complete. When this reflection leads to acceptance and a sense of completion, ego integrity emerges, bringing a feeling of wisdom and peace. If the review is dominated by regrets and perceived unfulfilled goals, despair can take hold, marked by bitterness and a fear of death.

The other stages focus on different life tasks: generativity versus stagnation centers on contributing to others and guiding the next generation, typically in middle adulthood; identity versus confusion involves forming a stable sense of self during adolescence; trust versus mistrust is about foundational trust in caregivers during infancy.