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Piaget's Cognitive Theory of Development and Erickson's Theory of Social Development

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Piaget's Cognitive Theory of Development and Erickson's Theory of Social Development

Introduction

Human beings undergo different developmental stages as they transition from childhood

to adulthood. This is according to influential developmental theorists like Erikson and Piaget.

These theorists believe that ages are associated with different stages as children grow. Parents

need to understand these developmental stages as they can help them raise their children without

much difficulty. It can also help them understand developmental crises for each age group and

how each child can resolve them. Mary can use Piaget and Erickson's developmental theories to

raise Tom's children.

Child Aged 3

The child, aged three, is at the preoperational stage of Piaget's developmental phases and

early childhood stage of Erickson's social development stages. During this phase, a child utilizes

symbols to symbolize anything that is not physically there cognitively. It is also when the child

learns to reflect the world through speech and mental pictures cognitively (Mcleod, 2020). Piaget

also notes that a child in this stage demonstrates animism. According to Erickson, a child in this

stage is starting to gain a higher sense of self-control. They are beginning to perform

fundamental actions independently and make simple judgments about what they want (Syed &

McLean, 2017). The development crisis for this age group is the failure of a child to develop full

autonomy. It is an aspect that leaves a child ashamed, and they need to learn to control their

bodily functions to solve the crisis. Therefore, Mary can raise the child aged three by letting

them make decisions and achieve independence.

Child Age 7
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The child, aged seven, is at the early phases of the concrete operational stage and the

school-age stage of Erickson's social development stages. During the concrete operational stage,

the child begins to reason about concrete experiences. They also start to understand

communication and are thinking from specific information to a broader principle (Mcleod,

2020). Piaget also notes that a child loses their egocentrism and starts to mind other people's

perspectives in this stage. According to Erickson, a kid begins to build self-esteem in their

achievements and talents through social relationships at this age. It is a stage in which success

contributes to emotions of competence, and failure leads to feelings of inadequacy (Syed &

McLean, 2017). The developmental crisis for this age group is failure to think logically and fail

to understand others. A child can manage this crisis by resolving it inwardly in their thoughts

rather than physically in the real world. Mary can raise this child by encouraging them and

assisting them in developing a sense of competence and confidence in their abilities.

Child Aged 17

This child is in the last stage of Piaget's developmental phases and adolescence stage of

Erickson's social development stages. In the formal operational stage, a child has entered

adolescence and can accept the structure of a rational argument without regard for its contents

(Mcleod, 2020). During this period, the child has also begun to develop the ability to reason

about abstract ideas and logically test assumptions. According to Erickson, this is the most

turbulent stage of childhood development. It is a stage in which teenagers go through a

developmental crisis in which failures lead to bewilderment and a lack of self-esteem (Syed &

McLean, 2017). Children at this stage can be easily swayed by those with a strong identity and

self-control. To overcome this crisis, kids can explore their freedom and build a sense of self
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through independent exploration. With adequate support and reinforcement, they can arise with a

powerful sense of self and sentiments.

Conclusion

It is always a hurdle for parents raising children of different age groups. This is because

they are at different developmental stages, and a parent needs to raise each child depending on

their stage. Mary's children aged 3, 7, and 8 are at different developmental stages as described by

Piaget's cognitive theory of development and Erickson's social development theory. Learning a

child's behavior at each stage will be crucial to Mary's parenthood. Failure to understand each

child's behavior may lead to poor development as a child grows old.

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References

Mcleod, S. (2020, December 7). Jean Piaget’s Theory and Stages of Cognitive Development.

Simplypsychology.Org. https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html

Syed, M., & McLean, K. C. (2017, April 24). Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development.

https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483392271.n178