Five major theories of human development are described, compared, and evaluated
ID: 3493014 • Letter: F
Question
Five major theories of human development are described, compared, and evaluated in Chapter 2. These are the psychoanalytic theories of Freud and Erikson; the behaviorism of Pavlov and Skinner and the social learning theory of Bandura; epigenetic theory; Piaget's cognitive theory; and Vygotsky's sociocultural theory. Although each theory is too restrictive to account solely for the tremendous diversity in human development, each has made an important contribution to developmental psychology. To help clarify your understanding of the major developmental theories, this exercise asks you to focus on the similar, contradictory, and omplementary aspects of the five theories 1. Which of the major developmental theories are stage theories? Which are not?Explanation / Answer
Theories of Development
Sigmund Freud’s Theory of Personality
Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development
Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust
Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt
Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority
Stage 5: Identity vs. Role Confusion
Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation
In young adulthood, people face the challenge of developing intimate relationships with others. If they do not succeed, they may become isolated and lonely.
Stage 7: Generativity vs. Self-Absorption
As people reach middle adulthood, they work to become productive members of society, either through parenting or through their jobs. If they fail, they become overly self-absorbed.
Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair
In old age, people examine their lives. They may either have a sense of contentment or be disappointed about their lives and fearful of the future.
Theories of Development
Erikson’s theory is useful because it addresses both personality stability and personality change. To some degree, personality is stable, because childhood experiences influence people even as adults. However, personality also changes and develops over the life span as people face new challenges. The problem with Erikson’s theory, as with many stage theories of development, is that he describes only a typical pattern. The theory doesn’t acknowledge the many differences among individuals.
Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
Piaget proposed that children go through four stages of cognitive development:
Stage 1: Sensorimotor Period
Stage 2: Preoperational Period
Example: Suppose a researcher gives a three-year-old girl two full bottles of juice. The girl will agree that they both contain the same amount of juice. But if the researcher pours the contents of one bottle into a short, fat tumbler, the girl will then say that the bottle has more. She doesn’t realize that the same volume of juice is conserved in the tumbler.
Piaget argued that children are not capable of conservation during the preoperational stage because of three weaknesses in the way they think. He called these weaknesses centration, irreversibility, and egocentrism:
Talking Tables and Dancing Dishwashers
Stage 3: Concrete Operational Period
Furthermore, children become less egocentric during this stage as they start to consider simultaneously different ways of looking at a problem.
Stage 4: Formal Operational Period
CRITIQUES OF PIAGET’S THEORIES
Although Piaget made important contributions to the research on cognitive development, his theory has come under attack for several reasons:
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development
Level 1: The Preconventional Level
Level 2: The Conventional Level
Level 3: The Postconventional Level
CRITIQUES OF KOHLBERG’S THEORIES
Research supports key parts of Kohlberg’s theory. People do tend to progress in order through Kohlberg’s stages, and cognitive and moral development do affect each other. However, critics of Kohlberg’s theory have two main concerns:
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development
Stage Conflict Faced Typical Age Range Major Challenge(s) 1 Trust vs. mistrust First year of life Having basic needs met, attaching to people 2 Autonomy vs. shame and doubt 1–3 years Gaining independence 3 Initiative vs. guilt 3–6 years Acting in a socially responsible way 4 Industry vs. inferiority 6–12 years Competing with peers, preparing for adult roles 5 Identity vs. role confusion Adolescence Determining one’s identity 6 Intimacy vs. isolation Early adulthood Developing intimate relationships 7 Generativity vs. self-absorption Middle adulthood Being productive 8 Integrity vs. despair Old age Evaluating one’s lifeRelated Questions
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