School Counseling National Board Practice Test

In Erikson's psychosocial theory, development unfolds through eight stages, each with a distinct crisis to resolve. The last stage appears in late adulthood and centers on looking back over one’s life. The aim is to achieve ego integrity, a sense that life has been coherent and meaningful, and to accept the choices made along the way as well as the approach of death. When this resolution is achieved, people often feel a sense of satisfaction, wisdom, and peace. If they struggle to integrate their experiences, despair can arise, bringing regret and a feeling that life was wasted. The other stages—forming deep intimate relationships in adulthood, developing a clear sense of self in adolescence, and contributing to the next generation in middle adulthood—occur earlier. So the stage focused on reflecting on one’s life is ego integrity vs. despair.