Kristi's mother finds four-year-old Kristi in the kitchen, mixing up a muffin mix and making a marvelous mess! Kristi announces, "Surprise! I'm making dinner!" Kristi's mother squelches her desire to yell at Kristi and with great control says, "Oh, how nice! Can I help?" She responds in this way because she has been studying Erik Erikson's theory in her psychology class and she knows that Kristi's behavior is typical of a child in the stage of

Question

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Kristi's behavior is characteristic of a child in the initiative versus guilt stage of Erik Erikson's theory. This stage occurs between the ages of three to six and is characterized by a desire to take on tasks and explore the environment. Kristi's desire to make dinner is an example of her initiative and desire to take on responsibility. Kristi's mother's response is also in line with the theory as she encourages Kristi's initiative rather than squelching it, which could lead to feelings of guilt.

Kristi's Mother Finds Four-Year-Old Kristi in the Kitchen, Mixing Up