Stage-to-Age Match: Erikson's 'identity vs. role confusion' stage is tied to a specific, well-known age range and life period.
This is the fifth of Erikson's eight stages, occurring during adolescence (roughly ages 12–18), when individuals actively explore their identity, values, and beliefs.
Early childhood, young adulthood, and middle adulthood are all governed by DIFFERENT Erikson stages with different central conflicts (like autonomy vs. shame, or intimacy vs. isolation), not identity vs. role confusion.