Rachel is about to retire from her successful job as a high school teacher. She has several grandchildren who are now in college, and she is excited about picking up some hobbies in her newfound free time. Erikson would argue that Rachel is most likely experiencing intimacy. stagnation. integrity. generativity.

Erikson’s final stage of psychosocial development is Integrity versus Despair, which typically occurs in later adulthood. At retirement—and with her children grown and grandchildren in college—Rachel is now in a phase where she is likely to reflect on her past, assess her life’s accomplishments, and strive for a sense of fulfillment and wholeness. This reflective process, accompanied by the evaluation of a life well-lived, is central to achieving integrity. To briefly consider the alternatives: • Intimacy typically develops in young adulthood. • Generativity versus stagnation occurs during middle adulthood and involves contributing to the next generation. Although Rachel’s career as a teacher contributed to generativity, her current stage of life is more about reflecting on those contributions. • Stagnation refers to a failure to find productivity and meaning during midlife. Given that Rachel is stepping into retirement and likely reflecting on her life’s work while looking forward to new hobbies and opportunities, Erikson would argue that she is most likely experiencing integrity.