What occurs if a child does not resolve necessary conflicts in Erikson's developmental stages?

According to Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, each stage presents specific conflicts that the individual must resolve in order to develop a healthy personality and acquire basic virtues. If a child does not successfully resolve the conflicts inherent to a particular stage, they may carry the unresolved issues into later stages of development. This can manifest as difficulties or characteristics related to that earlier stage, regardless of the child's chronological age.

For instance, if a child struggles with trust versus mistrust and does not resolve that conflict effectively, they may continue to exhibit issues related to trust in relationships throughout their life. This lingering effect underscores the importance of resolving each stage's conflict, as failure to do so can lead to challenges that impact the individual’s emotional health and social relationships in the future. Therefore, displaying characteristics of an earlier stage, regardless of age, accurately reflects the continuity of psychosocial development emphasized in Erikson's theory.