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Critics of Erik Erikson psychosocial theory
Critics of Erik Erikson psychosocial theory
Critics of Erik Erikson psychosocial theory
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Many theories have been created on how a child develops from many different theorists. Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget are two theorists that based their theory off of the belief that life is a series of stages. Erikson focused on the psychosocial side of development while Piaget focused on the cognitive development. Each theorist has their own beliefs and neither is wrong. Both theories have helped us understand how children development and how to teach them. Erik Erikson developed eight stages of psychosocial development (Gordon & Browne, 2014). Each stage was characterized by an emotional challenge and the stages built upon previous experiences (Gordon & Browne, 2014). His stages of development gave us the term identity crisis which describes …show more content…
Out of the eight stages, the first four play a key role in developing ego identity (Gordon & Browne, 2014). Stage one is trust versus mistrust which occurs between birth and a year (Gordon & Browne, 2014). Erikson describes two levels of trust; the first is that significant adults will be present to meet their needs and the second is that they will believe in their ability to make changes and cope (Gordon & Browne, 2014). The characteristic for stage one is hope (Gordon & Browne, 2014). Stage two is autonomy versus doubt which occurs between 2 years of age to 3 (Gordon & Browne, 2014). In this stage the child learns to manage and control impulses and use motor and mental skills (Gordon & Browne, 2014). Willpower is the characteristic that best goes with stage two (Gordon & Browne, 2014). Stage three is initiative versus guilt which occurs between ages 3 to 5 or 6 years (Gordon & Browne, 2014). During this stage the child develops a sense of purpose and adult interaction is necessary for a positive outcome during this stage of life (Gordon & Browne, 2014). Purpose is best used to describe this stage in Erikson’s theory of development (Gordon & Browne, …show more content…
He believed that children think in different ways from adults (Gordon & Browne, 2014). He developed four stages of cognitive development (Gordon & Browne, 2014). Each stage has a key concept associated with the stage (Gordon & Browne, 2014). All but the last stage are during the early childhood years (Gordon & Browne, 2014). The first stage is sensorimotor which is based on object permanence (Gordon & Browne, 2014). This stage occurs from birth to 2 years of age (Gordon & Browne, 2014). During this stage the child learns about the physical world and gains an understanding that when an object disappears, it still exists (Gordon & Browne, 2014). The second stage is preoperational and based on symbolic play and language (Gordon & Browne, 2014). Ages 2 to 6 or 7 years of age are at this stage of development (Gordon & Browne, 2014). During this stage children develop the ability and capacity to think (Gordon & Browne, 2014). This is when imaginative play develops (Gordon & Browne, 2014). The third stage during early childhood is concrete operational, occurring between ages 6 to 12 (Gordon & Browne, 2014). The basic concept during this stage is reasoning during which children develop the ability to think logically (Gordon & Browne, 2014). This stage helps children carry out actions mentally (Gordon & Browne,
He implemented eight psychosocial stages which includes trust versus mistrust. One example of the specified inclusions are infants. In order to come to a resolution for these feelings of insecurity, infants look towards their care givers for care and stability to fulfill their desired needs. With autonomy versus shame stage, children begin to assert their independence, utilizing their skills otherwise they will end up doubting their abilities. Initiative versus guilt is another stage where pre-scholars develop initiative by devising and carrying out bold plans. These people plan activities, developing a sense of initiative with others therefore feeling secure in their ability to lead and make decisions. The identity versus role confusion stage is noted as Erikson’s most popular. He characterized adolescence as a crucial and critical time of identity development. To achieve a sense of identity some adolescents attempt to define and explore who they are regarding their career choice, religion, political views, sexual orientation etc., figuring out a way to fit into society. According to Erikson, “the adolescent mind is essentially a mind or moratorium, a psychosocial stage between the morality learned by the child, and the ethics to be developed by the adult” (Erikson, 1963, p.245. As they go through the different sexual and
Autonomy vs. shame and doubt is Erikson's second stage of development occurs between the first and third years in life. During this stage children learn to be independent by mastering tasks such as feeding a dressing themselves. If children do not develop autonomy during this stage they will doubt their ability and develop a sense of shame. I lived in one foster home from the time I was one and a half to the time my parents adopted me at age three. I believe that I developed during this stage just as well if not better than children who are biological or who are adopte...
I am a firm believer that as a child, there are stages you go through to become the person you are today. Many theorists have developed their own propositions as to how we are who we are and why. Jean Piaget, a swiss psychologist, was one of the few who believed that all individuals progress through a set of fixed stages of cognitive development. Cognitive development is the building of thought processing or in simpler words known as remembering, problem solving, and decision making. He believed that you not only increase knowledge in every stage, but that your ability to understand increases as well. Piaget focused his research mostly on the change in cognition from childhood to adulthood using the stages Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete
He called this the sensorimotor period. There are six sub-stages in the sensorimotor stage. The first sub stage is simple reflex. This is an involuntary reaction that happens without the use of any thought. For example, when a baby sucks on something that is put into their mouth or when a baby jumps when startled by a loud noise. The second sub-stage is primary circular reactions. This reaction occurs at the age of one to four months old. This is when babies start to coordinate separate actions into single actions, when a baby puts their thumb in their mouth to suck on it. The Third sub-stage is secondary circular reaction and occurs between the ages four to eight month old. In this stage children become aware of things beyond their own body and start reacting to the outside world. The fourth sub-stage is called coordination of secondary circular reactions, and this is when the baby is eight months old to a year. The baby begins to develop goal directed behavior. For example, reaching for their bib at feeding time. Substage five is tertiary circular reactions and happens between the ages twelve to eighteen months.The child begins to discover new things by experiment. The sixth substage is the beginning of thought and is between the ages of eighteen months and two years. This is when a child will start to remember things such as events that have happened in their
82). As human beings, we are constantly encountering and resolving conflict events, which Erikson called developmental crisis. The approach we take to resolve these crises depends on the influences that are around us and the actions that we take. After examining each stage and my experiences with each one, I feel as if I have a better understanding of how I became the person I am today. My parents, family members, teachers, and coaches, along with all of the other people in my life, have helped me to create an identity for myself as I have moved through the stages of psychosocial development. Analyzing Erikson’s theory in this manner has granted me a better understanding of psychosocial development, which will be invaluable for my future career as an
Eric Erikson was one of the most famous theorists of the twentieth century; he created many theories. One of the most talked about theories is his theory of psychosocial development. This is a theory that describes stages in which an individual should pass as they are going through life. His theory includes nine stages all together. The original theory only included eight stages but Erikson‘s wife found a ninth stage and published it after his death. The nine stages include: trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame and doubt, initiative vs. guilt, industry vs. inferiority, identity vs. identity confusion, intimacy vs. isolation, generativity vs. stagnation, integrity vs. despair, and hope and faith vs. despair (Crandell and Crandell, p.35-36)).
The second stage is autonomy verses shame and doubt. This occurs from about 18 months of age to 3 years old. The basic virtue of this stage is will; can they do things on their own or do they require the help of others? Erikson believed that children around this age wanted to develop a greater sense...
Both Piaget and Vygotsky agreed that children's cognitive development took place in stages. (Jarvis, Chandler 2001 P.149). However they were distinguished by different styles of thinking. Piaget was the first t reveal that children reason and think differently at different periods in their lives. He believed that all children progress through four different and very distinct stages of cognitive development. This theory is known as Piaget’s Stage Theory because it deals with four stages of development, which are sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. (Ginsburg, Opper 1979 P. 26).
His theory stated that “children actively construct their understanding of the world and go through four stages of cognitive development”. Each stage being dependent on age and comprising of particular ways of thinking. Through observation of children he developed these four stages, believing that all children go through them consecutively during their lifetime.
The first stage, which happens between birth and 18 months, is trust vs. mistrust. During this stage, an infant is confused about the world being a safe place and wonders if his or her needs will be met. As a result, the infant looks to the primary caretaker for consistent care and hope that his or her needs can be met. Erikson explains that those that receive constant care during this stage will develop a sense of trust. The basic virtue in this stage is hope. The second stage of this theory is autonomy vs. shame and doubt, which happens between 18 months and 3 years. During this stage, there is an increase in mobility and independence. Erikson explains that it is critical to allow the child to explore their limits and allow failure. The basic virtue in this stage is will. Initiative vs. Guilt that happens between 3 and 5 years is the stage that follows. During this stage, children take more initiative to engage with peers. Erikson explains that during this stage if children are given the opportunity to take initiative, they will develop a sense of security in their ability to lead. The basic virtue in this stage is purpose. Industry vs. Inferiority, which happens between 5 and 12 years, emphasizes school and friendships. Erikson believes that during this stage, children will seek approval from others by displaying skills that are valued by others. Additionally, he believes that if
Jean Piaget’s cognitive theory states that a child goes through many set stages in his or her cognitive development. It is through these stages that the child is able to develop into an adult. The first of these stages is called the sensorimotor period in which the child’s age ranges from 0-2 years old. During this sensorimotor period of a child’s development, the child’s main objective is to master the mechanics of his or her own body. Towards the end of this period, the child begins to recognize himself as a separate individual, and that people and objects around him or her have their own existence. The child, however, does not have a sense of object permanence meaning that when an object is taken away, the child no longer believes that that object actually exists. As the child nears the end of this period of development, he may seek an item that has been hidden in the location where he or she last saw it, but does not look elsewhere (Smith). During the preoperational period, which lasts from age 2-7, the child has come a long way in his or her cognitive development since his or her birth. In this period, the child has a very basic understanding of the inner workings of his or her mind and is ready to interact with their environment in a more symbolic way. A limitation during this period is known as egocentrism. The child has a hard time realizing that though there are many other people and things in their world, none of them are more important that the child himself. The child believes that his point of view is the only point of view of the world. This is caused by his inability to put himself in someone’s else’s shoes (Smith). The concrete operational period, spanning between the ages of 7 and 11, is marked by the onset of logic to the young mind. The child is able to mentally manipulate objects and events. In other words, he or she can imagine squashing a clay ball ...
Piaget theorised that children’s thinking goes through changes at each of four stages (sensory, motor, concrete operations and formal operations) of development until they can think and reason as an adult. The stages represent qualitatively different ways of thinking, are universal, and children go through each stage in the same order. According to Piaget each stage must be completed before they can move into the next one and involving increasing levels of organisation and increasingly logical underlying structures. Piaget stated that the ‘lower stages never disappear; they become inte... ...
Jean Piaget is a Switzerland psychologist and biologist who understand children’s intellectual development. Piaget is the first to study cognitive development. He developed the four stages of cognitive development: the sensori-motor stage, preoperational stage, the concrete operational and the formal operational stage. Piaget curiosity was how children cogitate and developed. As they get mature and have the experience, children’s will get knowledgeable. He suggested that children develop schemas so they can present the world. Children’s extend their schemas through the operation of accommodation and assimilation.
Each of the eight stages in Erikson’s theory has its own crisis and achievement period. One stage must be completed successfully in order to move on to the next. If not completed fully, an individual might have an abnormal development and perhaps later return to the stage to try to resolve it, causing disruptions to the person’s normal life responsibilities. Even Erikson talked about this crisis and termed it “Identity Crisis.” However, Erikson stated that most adolescents do eventually achieve a sense of identity and realize who they are, what they want, and where they are headed in
Theorists have expanded our knowledge of psychology, influenced one another to broaden, and built upon each other’s theories to develop their own. One theorist who has built upon previous theorists was Erik Erikson. Erikson developed an eight-stage theory of identity and psychosocial development, which has countless strengths and weaknesses.