Discussion question: Erikson’s stages of adulthood include young adulthood, middle adulthood, and maturity. Please provide an example of each stage, including the main task of each. Classmate response: During young adulthood, the sixth stage of psychosocial development according to Erikson is intimacy versus isolation. This stage is believed to be during ages 18-40 (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016). The major focus of this stage is forming intimate relationships, where individuals begin exploring longer commitments with others outside the family. Intimacy will mean more than sex but the closeness felt toward another person. For example, telling a secret to a close friend (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016). The middle adulthood stage of development is between ages 40-65 and Erikson called generativity versus stagnation. This stage is where adults give back to the community by raising their children, being involved in activities, being productive at work and develop a sense of the bigger picture (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016). An example of this stage would be juggling being a parent, a spouse, and working a full-time job. The eighth stage of Erikson’s theory occurs between ages 65 and death, and is called ego versus integrity and despair. This stage focuses on reflecting whether an individual has accomplishments in their life. Bitterness and despair sets in if they feel as though they haven’t accomplished what they wanted to accomplish. (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016). Productivity in this stage slows down and people often tend to focus on enjoying retirement and traveling. An example would be a retired couple buying an RV and deciding to travel across the U.S.