Psychosocial Theory Comparison Paper

At the present moment, there are a range of theories that are concerned with an aspect of psychological development, such as cognitive, psychosocial, and so forth. However, none of these theories on their own explain the entirety of development across the lifespan. Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Theory and Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory are two theories that can be combined to observe how a human being develops from birth to death. By discussing these concepts in detail, one will be able to observe how they work together to ultimately provide a holistic understanding on the matter.

Cognitive development is defined as the “changes in the products or processes of the mind over time.” (Sommerville, 2010). Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist who

Each stage corresponds with an approximate age range, and has at least one key accomplishment that an individual achieves before moving on to the next. These describe the major milestones in terms of cognitive development. In the sensorimotor stage, the infant learns the concept of object permanence, or knowing that an object still exists even when it cannot be seen, heard, or touched (McLeod 2015). Children in the ensuing pre-operational stage gain the ability to perceive a situation from another perspective, in the accomplishment of decentring. Moreover, with the understanding of transformation, they recognise that objects can change form, such as an ice cube melting into water, however, they are incapable of explaining why this occurs (Grivas et al., 1992). Following the pre-operational stage, children progress to the concrete operational stage. Piaget considered this third stage to be a pivotal moment in cognitive development as it marks the beginning of logical thought. Building upon their previous understanding of transformation, children grasp the idea of conservation, which states that regardless of how the physical characteristics of an object change, its

It draws upon the foundations of psychoanalysis, which was created by Sigmund Freud. In each stage, the individual is faced with a conflict between their psychological needs and the needs of society, resulting in either a positive or negative outcome (McLeod, 2015). While the final outcome can be altered by later experiences, Erikson argued that a balance of both, leaning more towards the positive rather than negative, was optimal in order to develop a healthy personality (Davis & Clifton, 1995). Erikson’s theory is divided into eight distinct stages that span from infancy through to old age. The first four stages take place within childhood – trust versus mistrust, autonomy versus shame or doubt, initiative versus guilt, and industry versus inferiority. During adolescence, teenagers face a crisis called identity versus role confusion. Erikson (1968) describes this stage as “a turning point of increased vulnerability and heightened potential”. He placed great importance on this stage as the personality of an individual changes and develops greatly throughout this time (McLeod, 2015). After that comes the stage of intimacy versus isolation during young adulthood, followed by generativity versus stagnation in adulthood (Fleming, 2004). Finally, the eighth stage of integrity versus despair occurs in the