Trust Vs. Mistrust

Trust Vs. Mistrust is the first of Erik Erikson's eight stages of personality. Erikson's theory argues that following a life of warmth and regularity and protection from the outside world while in the mother's womb, the infant is faced with a less secure world. According to Erikson, infants learn to trust when they are cared for in a "consistent and warm manner". If the infant is not cared for and not fed in such a manner, the infant is more likely to develop a sense of mistrust.