Question

As Tabitha nears her 60th birthday, she has become more and more afraid of growing old and losing her "looks." Because of this, she has decided to take all she can from life "before I have nothing left." As a result, Tabitha has been buying clothes and going on expensive vacations. She has stopped volunteering as a Big Sister and spends little time with her children and grandchildren. Erikson would likely describe Tabitha as:

Answer 1

Erikson would likely describe Tabitha as stagnant.

The stage Tabitha is in is described by Erikson as the "Generativity vs. Stagnation" stage. This stage is for those in their 40s to mid-60s and can either be generative (contribution to society or caring for others) or stagnant (feeling as if they are not contributing to the world).