Erik Erikson's theory of initiative versus guilt captures the emotional and social changes of early childhood. A healthy sense of initiative depends on exploring the social world through play, forming a conscience through identification with the same-sex parent, and receiving supportive child rearing. In this discussion we will explore these concepts further.

As you create your discussion post, consider the following:

What are some of the activities that children ‘play' to learn about the world around them? How should parents foster these important ‘play' activities? Do you see this among the children around you or within the media (television advertisements, movies, etc.)?

By the end of this discussion, you will be able to:

Describe Erikson's stage of initiative versus guilt, noting the major personality changes of early childhood.

Complete the following:

After toddler-hood, young children have a new sense of purposefulness and are eager to join in the world around them. Answer the following questions in your discussion: What is Erikson's stage of initiative versus guilt? What personality changes take place during this stage? What are some of the new tasks, activities, and discoveries that children are eager to tackle? How is ‘play' used throughout this stage? Please provide examples to illustrate your points. Be sure to include in your response information from the textbook or other psychology-specific sources.

Evaluation Criteria

Initial Discussion Post

We ask that your initial post should be at least 250 words and must substantively integrate the assigned readings from the module with proper APA style formatting. You may use additional sources and materials as long as they are relevant to the discussion and cited properlLY WITH APA FORMAT.