Comparing Piaget And Erikson's Research

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The theories of Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson discuss how individuals develop throughout their lifetime; however, both differ on whether the developing conscious mind or intra/interpersonal communication is most important for an individual’s development. Jean Piaget’s theory states that individuals undergo 4 distinct cognitive development stages that begin from when we are first born till adulthood (Santrock, 2018, p.19). As individuals progress through each stage, they will acquire increased cognition regarding the world around them; beginning with interpreting the world via their sensorimotor process (i.e., vision and hearing) and ending with the ability to think for one self and create independent, abstract thoughts (Santrock, 2018, p.19). Erik Erikson’s theory, states that our development is formed by psychosocial conflicts that begin the day we are born and end on the day we die (Santrock, 2018, p.19). In Erikson’s 8 staged theory, an individual must undergo/overcome a …show more content…

If an individual fails to complete a particular stage, this will negatively affect how an individual interacts with the world. Out of the two theories, I believe Erikson’s theory has a much greater influence on our development. In my opinion, the intrapersonal thoughts derived through interpersonal interactions will carry the biggest ramifications on how an individual interacts with the world. If an individual lives in an environment that is negative, the likelihood this individual will view themselves positively will be unlikely. The benefits derived from Erikson’s theory can be observed in the cases of identity formation and mental health rehabilitation. According to Para (2008), the

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