Erikson's Theory Compare And Contrast Essay
Developmental psychology is continuously being observed and studied by doctors and theorists. Theorists have been exploring developmental stages from birth to adolescence, and from adolescence to adulthood, and over the years these theories are continuing to be modified as more observations and revisions are made. Two well-known theorists who have significantly influenced the field of psychology are Erik Erikson with his psychosocial theory, and Jean Piaget with his cognitive theory. “Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory proposes eight stages of human development. Each stage consists of a unique developmental task that confronts individuals with a crisis that must be resolved” (Santrock, 2016, p. 18). Erikson’s theory is based on the lifespan of a person from birth to adulthood. He believed that people dealt with challenges at each stage of development, and that is what determined the outcome of their lives. “Piaget’s theory states that children go through four stages of cognitive development as they actively construct
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their understanding of the world” (Santrock, 2016, p.19). Piaget’s cognitive development theory differs in that he believed that development only spans from birth to adolescence, not to adulthood, and that children change and adapt based on their cognitive development and adaptation to their surroundings. Seigler and Ellis state “the core theoretical assumption of Piaget’s theory is that children are active thinkers, constantly trying to construct more advanced understandings of the world” (1996, p.211). In comparing the two theories, Erikson’s psychosocial theory personally seems to make the most sense when thinking about development from birth to death.
His thoughts on how development transpires from life challenges speaks to me in terms of growth. When a person has an experience, especially as a child, it challenges them to think and grow. Experiences, or crisis as Erikson would call them, don’t’ stop at adolescence. We continue to grow and understand different things throughout our lifetime, until death. Douvan states “not only adolescence and early childhood drew his attention and theoretical analysis. He opened the whole field of adult development with his addition of tasks that require developmental changes in later adulthood and laid the groundwork for the field of life course development (1996, p.17). Childhood experiences and personality do influence people, even as adults. We are driven by social
motivations. As psychological changes continue to influence our behavior and learning, we can use this knowledge base to better understand how both cognitive and psychosocial theories come into play. Human behavior is skewed not only by our surroundings, but also our influences. Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget took psychological development to the next level to give us some insight and a better appreciation of how humans, child and adult, are influenced by experiences, interactions, and surroundings.
their understanding of the world” (Santrock, 2016, p.19). Piaget’s cognitive development theory differs in that he believed that development only spans from birth to adolescence, not to adulthood, and that children change and adapt based on their cognitive development and adaptation to their surroundings. Seigler and Ellis state “the core theoretical assumption of Piaget’s theory is that children are active thinkers, constantly trying to construct more advanced understandings of the world” (1996, p.211). In comparing the two theories, Erikson’s psychosocial theory personally seems to make the most sense when thinking about development from birth to death.
His thoughts on how development transpires from life challenges speaks to me in terms of growth. When a person has an experience, especially as a child, it challenges them to think and grow. Experiences, or crisis as Erikson would call them, don’t’ stop at adolescence. We continue to grow and understand different things throughout our lifetime, until death. Douvan states “not only adolescence and early childhood drew his attention and theoretical analysis. He opened the whole field of adult development with his addition of tasks that require developmental changes in later adulthood and laid the groundwork for the field of life course development (1996, p.17). Childhood experiences and personality do influence people, even as adults. We are driven by social
motivations. As psychological changes continue to influence our behavior and learning, we can use this knowledge base to better understand how both cognitive and psychosocial theories come into play. Human behavior is skewed not only by our surroundings, but also our influences. Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget took psychological development to the next level to give us some insight and a better appreciation of how humans, child and adult, are influenced by experiences, interactions, and surroundings.