Developmental Theories

and other
Relevant Theories
 Topics
• Developmental Theories and other Relevant
Theories
– Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
– Erikson’s Psycho-Social Theory of Development
– Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
– Vygotsky’s Socio-Cultural Theory
– Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development
– Bronfenbrenner’s Bio-Ecological Theory
 Psychoanalytic Theory
• Describes development as primarily
unconscious (beyond awareness) and heavily
colored emotion.
• Psychoanalytic theorists believe that behavior
is merely a surface characteristic and that the
true understanding of development requires
analyzing the symbolic meanings of behavior
and the deep inner workings of the mind
Freud’s Psychosexual Theory
• Freud believed that personality has
three structures:
▪ Id
▪ Ego
▪ Superego
 Freud’s Psychosexual Theory (cont…)

Id
✓Consists of instincts, which are
reservoirs of psychic energy
✓Totally unconscious, no contact with
reality

As children experience the demands and

constraints of reality, a new part of
personality emerges…
 Freud’s Psychosexual Theory (cont…)

Ego
✓ Deals with the demands of reality
✓ is called the executive branch of
personality because it uses reasoning
to make decisions

The id and the ego have no morality. They

do not take into account whether
something is right or wrong.
 Freud’s Psychosexual Theory (cont…)

Superego
✓ the moral branch of personality
✓ the superego decides whether
something is right or wrong
✓ “conscience”
 Freud’s Psychosexual Theory (cont…)

As Freud listened to, probed, and analyzed

his patients, he become convinced
that their problems were the results
of experiences early in life.

Freud believed that we go through five

stages of psychosexual development,
and that each stage of development
we experience pleasure in one of the
body more than in others.
 Freudian Stages
• Birth to 1 ½
• Infant’s pleasure centers around MOUTH
Oral • Chewing, sucking, and biting are the chief sources of
Stage
pleasure
• 1 ½ to 3 years
Anal • child’s greatest pleasure involves the ANUS or the
Stage elimination of waste associated with it

• 3 to 6 years
Phallic • pleasure focuses on the GENITALS as both boys and girls
Stage discover that self-manipulation is enjoyable

• 6 years to puberty
Latency • the child repress all interest in sexuality and develops social
Stage and intellectual skills

• Puberty onward
Genital • A time of sexual reawakening; source of sexual pleasure
Stage becomes someone outside the family
 Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory
Erikson said we develop in
pschosocial stages, rather than in
psychosexual stages.

For Freud, the primary motivation for

human behavior was sexual in
nature, for Erikson it was social and
reflected a desire to affiliate with
other people.
 Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory (cont…)

In Erikson’s theory, eight stages

of development unfold through
the life span.

Each stage consists of a unique

developmental tasks that
confronts individuals with
crisis that must be resolved.
 Erikson’s Eight Life-Span Stages

Erikson’s Stages Developmental Period

Trust versus Mistrust Infancy (first year)

Autonomy versus Shame & Doubt Infancy (1 to 3 years)

Initiative versus Guilt Early childhood

Industry versus Inferiority Middle and late childhood

Identity versus Identity Confusion Adolescence

Intimacy versus Isolation Early Adulthood

Generativity versus Stagnation Middle adulthood

Integrity versus Despair Late adulthood

 STAGE 1

Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy

Sensory Trust vs. Withdrawal
Maladjustment Mistrust
Virtue
HOPE
 STAGE 2

Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy

Impulsiveness Autonomy vs. Compulsiveness
Shame & Doubt

Virtue
WILLPOWER/
DETERMINATION
 STAGE 3

Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy

Ruthlessness Initiative vs. Inhibition
Guilt
Virtue
COURAGE
 STAGE 4

Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy

Narrow Industry vs. Inertia
Virtuosity Inferiority
Virtue
COMPETENCE
 STAGE 5

Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy

Fanaticism Ego Identity vs. Repudiation
Role Confusion
Virtue
FIDELITY
 STAGE 6

Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy

Promiscuity Intimacy vs. Exclusion
Isolation
Virtue
LOVE
 STAGE 7

Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy

Overextension Generativity Rejectivity
vs. Stagnation
Virtue
CARE
 STAGE 8

Maladaptation Psychosocial Crisis Malignancy

Presumption Integrity vs. Disdain
Despair
Virtue
WISDOM
 Contributions of Psychoanalytic
Theories
• Early experiences play an important part in
development.
• Family relationships are central aspect of
development.
• Personality can be better understood if it is
examined developmentally.
• The mind is not all conscious; unconscious
aspects of the mind need to be considered.
• Changes takes place in adulthood as well as in
childhood.
 Cognitive Theories
• Whereas psychoanalytic theories stress the
importance of children’s unconscious
thoughts, cognitive theories emphasize their
conscious thoughts.

➢Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory

➢Vygotsky’s sociocultural cognitive theory
Jean Piaget
• 1896 - 1980
• Swiss psychologist
• Recognized for his
studies of the
mental development
of children
 Piaget’s Cognitive
Developmental Theory
• Children actively construct their
understanding of the world and go
through four stages of cognitive
development.
• Two processes underlie this
cognitive construction of the
world: organization and
adaptation.
 Two Ways of Adaptation
• ASSIMILATION
– Occurs when children incorporate
new information into their existing
knowledge
• ACCOMMODATION
– Occurs when children adjust their
knowledge to fit new information
 Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive
Development

Sensori- Concrete Formal

Pre-operational
motor Stage Operations Operations
Stage Stage Stage

11 years of
Birth to 2 2 to 7 years of 7 to 11 years of
age through
years of age age age
adulthood
 Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive
Development

Sensori- Concrete Formal

Pre-operational
motor Stage Operations Operations
Stage
OBJECT Stage
PERMANENCE - Is the understanding Stage
that objects
continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or
touched.
Birth to 2 2 to 7 years of 7 to 11 years of 11 years of
years of age age age age through
adulthood

Infants construct and understanding of the

world by coordinating sensory experiences
with physical, motoric actions
Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive
Development

Sensori- Concrete Formal

Pre-operational
motor Stage Operations Operations
Stage Stage Stage

Birth to 2 2 to 7 years of 7 to 11 years of 11 years of

years of age age age age through
adulthood
➢The child begins to represent the world with words
and images.
➢These words and images reflect increased
symbolic thinking and go beyond the connection of
sensory information and physical action.
Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive
Development

Sensori- Concrete Formal

Pre-operational
motor Stage Operations Operations
Stage Stage Stage

Birth to 2 2 to 7 years of 7 to 11 years of 11 years of

years of age age age age through
adulthood
LACK OF CONSERVATION
Conservation is the idea that certain properties
of an object or substance do not change when its
appearance is altered in some superficial way
How can young children be
so easily fooled by their
perceptions?
Preoperational thinkers engage in…

centration.

• The tendency to center

attention on a single
aspect of the problem.
The preoperational child shows…

irreversibility.
• The inability to reverse
one’s thinking.
Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive
Development

Sensori- Concrete Formal

Pre-operational
motor Stage Operations Operations
Stage Stage Stage

Birth to 2 2 to 7 years of 7 to 11 years of 11 years of

years of age age age age through
adulthood

EGOCENTRISM
The inability to distinguish between one’s
own perspective and someone else’s.
Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive
Development

Sensori- Concrete Formal

Pre-operational
motor Stage Operations Operations
Stage Stage Stage

Birth to 2 2 to 7 years of 7 to 11 years of 11 years of

years of age age age age through
adulthood

CONSERVATION
REVERSIBILITY
SERIATION
CLASSIFICATION
Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive
Development

Sensori- Concrete Formal

Pre-operational
motor Stage Operations Operations
Stage Stage Stage

Birth to 2 2 to 7 years of 7 to 11 years of 11 years of

years of age age age age through
adulthood

(Logical and Abstract Thinking)

HYPOTHETICAL REASONING
ANALOGICAL THINKING
DEDUCTIVE REASONING
 Vygotsky’s Sociocultural
Cognitive Theory
• Emphasizes how culture and social
interaction guide cognitive
development
• Knowledge is situated and
collaborative
– Knowledge is not generated from within
the individual but rather is constructed
through interaction with other people
and objects in the culture
– Knowing can best be advanced through
interaction with others in cooperative
activities
 Vygotsky’s Sociocultural
Cognitive Theory
Piaget Vygotsky
More individual in focus. More social in focus.

Believed that there are Did not propose stages

universal stages of but emphasized on
cognitive development. cultural factors in
cognitive development.

Did not give much Stressed the role of

emphasis on language. language in cognitive
development.
 Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Cognitive
Theory (cont…)

• Zone of Actual Development

– a certain level of competency that a
child can do alone
• More Knowledgeable Other
– competent adult or a more advanced
peer
• Zone of Proximal Development
– the difference between what a child
can accomplish alone and what he can
accomplish with the guidance of
another
Zone of Proximal Development
 Kholberg’s Stages of Moral Development

Moral Dilemma:
Ryan, 17, has been saving money to buy a
ticket for this concert of rock band. His parents
have discouraged him from going as the concert
will surely be with a rowdy crowd. The band is
notorious for having out-of-control audience
who somehow manages to get drunk and stoned
during the concert.
 Kholberg’s Stages of Moral Development

(cont.)
Ryan agreed not to watch anymore. But a
day before the concert, Nic, 15-year-old brother
of Ryan, saw a corner of what appeared to be a
concert to be a concert ticket showing in the
pocket of Ryan’s bag. Nic examined it and
confirmed it was indeed a ticket.
 Kholberg’s Stages of Moral Development
(cont.)
Looking at Ryan’s bag, Nic also found an
extra shirt and 2 sticks of marijuana. So he
figured Ryan will go to the concert after all. That
night, Ryan told his parents that he was
spending tomorrow night at a classmate’s house
for a school requirement. Then later that
evening, he told Nic of his plan to go to the
concert. Nic didn’t say anything, but he found it
difficult to sleep that night, thinking whether to
tell their parents or not.
 Kholberg’s Stages of Moral Development
STAGE 1
“Yes I will tell our parent. Because if they
found out later that I knew, for sure they
will get angry and most likely punish me.”

“ No, I will not tell because Ryan will make

my life difficult and also punish me for
telling.”
 Kholberg’s Stages of Moral Development
STAGE 2
“Yes, I will tell my parent because they will
reward me for it. I will subtly ask for that
new iPod that I’m wishing to have.”

“No, I will not tell. Ryan will surely grant

me a lot of favors for not telling. He’ll not
also squeal on me.”
 Kholberg’s Stages of Moral Development
STAGE 3
“Yes, I will tell so my parent will think I am
such an honest boy.”

“No, I will not tell. Ryan will think of me as

a really cool brother.”
 Kholberg’s Stages of Moral Development
STAGE 4
“Yes, I will tell because we should follow
the rules that our parent say.”

“No, I will not tell because it’s been out rule

to keep each others secret.”
 Kholberg’s Stages of Moral Development
STAGE 5
“Yes, I will tell because he might be hurt or
get in trouble and his welfare is top most
priority.”

“No, because he is big enough to question

my parents’ decision not to let him go.”
 Kholberg’s Stages of Moral Development
STAGE 6
“Yes, I will tell because lying is always
wrong and I want to be true to what I
believe in.”

“No, because I believe brothers watch out

for each other. If he trusted me with this, I
should stay true to him and not say
anything.”
 Lawrence Kohlberg's Stages of
Moral Development
Pre-Conventional Morality
Stage Obedience or Rules are seen as being fixed and absolute.
1 Punishment Obeying the rules is important because it
Orientation
means avoiding punishment.
Stage Self-Interest Children obey rules but only for pure self-
2 Orientation interest;

They are vaguely aware of fairness to others

but only for their own satisfaction.

“You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”

 Conventional Morality
Stage Social By adolescence, most individuals have
3 Conformity developed to this stage. There is a sense of
Orientation what "good boys" and "nice girls" do and
the emphasis is on living up to social
expectations and norms because of how
they impact day-to-day relationships.
Stage Law and By the time individuals reach adulthood,
4 Order they usually consider society as a whole
Orientation when making judgments. The focus is on
maintaining law and order by following the
rules, doing one's duty and respecting
authority.
 Post-Conventional Morality
Stage Social An individual makes moral decisions
5 Contract legalistically or contractually;
Orientation
The best laws are those supported by law
because they are accepted by the whole
society.
Stage Universal Few people operate at this stage all the
6 Ethics time. It is based on abstract reasoning and
Orientation the ability to put oneself in other people's
shoes. At this stage, people have a
principled conscience and will follow
universal ethical principles regardless of
what the official laws and rules are.
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