Comparing Piaget And Erikson's Theories Of Cognitive Development

It is a mystery of life that no two individuals are exactly the same. Children grow and develop in a basic sense similarly and rather predictably; however, there are so many variations on what would be considered “normal” development and growth. When expecting, parents devour books on infant and child development with information based upon the theories and studies by developmental psychologists such as Piaget and Erikson. Piaget’s theories of cognitive development emphasized interaction with the physical world believing that the nature of those interactions change with age and experience while Erikson taught that each stage of development is characterized by a psychosocial crisis of two conflicting forces. (Papalia, Martorell, 2014). Parents

At infancy children begin developing self-awareness and consciousness. Hormonal changes coincide with evaluative emotions. “The ability to regulate emotion develops across early childhood and largely originates with parents operating as external regulators of children’s emotional reactions” states childhood emotional development researchers Meghan B. Scrimgeour, Elizabeth L. Davis, and Kristin A. Buss (p. 103). “This supportive scaffolding may enable children to avoid becoming over aroused in emotionally evocative situations” (Scrimgeour, Davis, Buss, 2016, p. 203). Early in development the cerebral cortex becomes functional and the frontal lobes interact with the limbic system (Papalia, Martorell, 2014). My linguistics were developing first with crying, cooing, and babbling as most children. At eleven months, my first holophrase was “dada”, which is typical as a first word spoken. I would point to my dad and say it when he was walking in the door. Soon after that, my telegraphic speech developed and I was saying things such as “don’t say me no”. My pictorial competence developed slower with little ability to differentiate shapes such as a triangle and a square. I was slower to warm up in certain situations; however, I was independent and secure in my attachment. The biggest change in my life as a toddler came when I was three when my sister was born. My parents took me to “big sister classes” to prepare me for the household change. When she was born I adapted well as I was prepared for her arrival in our home. I told everyone she was “my baby” and I was very protective of