Practice Question
The client reports difficulty understanding where they fit in the world, has prejudices, and has had only a few short-term relationships. Which stage of Erikson's theory of Psychosocial Development is this client currently working through?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Intimacy/isolation
Rationale:
💎 The stage of intimacy vs isolation occurs in young adulthood, when the primary developmental task is forming deep, committed relationships with others.
💎 A person at this stage must have a relatively stable sense of self before they can achieve true intimacy, and difficulty forming lasting relationships suggests struggles with intimacy.
💎 The client’s report of having only a few short-term relationships indicates challenges in establishing enduring emotional connections, a hallmark problem in this stage.
💎 Their difficulty understanding where they fit in the world suggests leftover identity work, but in Erikson’s theory this often becomes evident as relationship instability during the intimacy stage.
💎 Because the core conflict here involves connection vs isolation, this presentation best fits intimacy vs isolation, not the earlier childhood stages.
Inferiority/industry
💎 The industry vs inferiority stage occurs in school-aged children (approximately 6–12 years) and centers on developing competence and achievement in school and tasks.
💎 During this stage, children focus on learning skills, meeting expectations, and gaining a sense of pride in their accomplishments.
💎 Difficulty here would present more as problems with school performance, feeling inadequate, or avoiding tasks, not primarily as relationship instability in adult life.
💎 The scenario describes prejudices and brief relationships, which are more related to adult interpersonal functioning than to early school achievement.
💎 Therefore, this option does not match the client’s described concerns, making it an incorrect stage for this presentation.
Integrity/inferiority
💎 Erikson’s actual later-life stage is integrity vs despair, not “integrity vs inferiority,” so this option reflects an incorrect pairing of terms.
💎 The integrity stage occurs in older adulthood, when individuals reflect on their life, seeking a sense of wholeness and acceptance of their experiences.
💎 Clients at this stage commonly report themes like life review, regrets, acceptance, or despair, not necessarily difficulty fitting in socially in the present.
💎 The client in the question appears to be dealing with current role and relationship difficulties, which does not align with the late-life focus of integrity vs despair.
💎 Because the age-related focus and the pairing of terms are inconsistent with Erikson’s theory, this option is not appropriate.
Autonomy/shame
💎 The autonomy vs shame and doubt stage occurs in toddlerhood (about 1–3 years) and focuses on developing independence in basic tasks, such as toileting and self-care.
💎 Difficulties in this stage present as excessive doubt, dependence, or shame about personal abilities, not as complex adult relationship patterns.
💎 The client’s challenges with identity in the world and unstable relationships are too advanced and abstract to represent a toddler-level conflict.
💎 Autonomy issues might manifest later as general low confidence, but Erikson’s framework specifically links adult intimacy problems to the intimacy vs isolation stage.
💎 Therefore, this option does not fit the client’s developmental conflict, making it incorrect.
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This question is from Examplify PN NJ Eve Mental Health Exam 2025 – Teterboro Evening which contains 49 questions.
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From Exam
Examplify PN NJ Eve Mental Health Exam 2025 – Teterboro Evening
49 Questions
View Full Exam Start PracticingQuestion Details
- Category: LPN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: 💎Examplify-PN
- Domain: 🤦🏼♀️ Mental Health-PN
- Answer Choices: 4