Developmental

Psychology
COGNITIVE VS.
DEVELOPMENTAL
The developmental area of
Psychology focuses on how
behaviour changes overtime, as a
person grows up. It has a particular
focus on behaviourism (the brief that
all behaviour is learned).
Meanwhile, the cognitive area of
Psychology focuses on mental
processes, like memory and
attention.

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 THE THEORISTS
FREUD
- FIXATION -
Children focus on pleasure as they
mature
-Theory is primarily concerned
with “psychisexual development”
;from birth to puberty children
move through stages of
development focusing on the idea
that fixations in adulthood to be
the result of unresolved issues as
a child
-Theory has been criticized as
sexist and lacks evidence
PIAGET
- STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT -
• Children move through stages
as they get older; theory is
applied to education and
finding appropriate
materials/teaching techniques
for appropriate ages
ERIKSON
- IDENTITY CRISIS -
• Unlike Freud, believed that
people continue to develop
beyond childhood
• Adolescents can develop
identity crises; based on
societal definitions ar a
particular time
■ Ex. at home you are polite
but at school you talk back
to the teacher in order to
be “cool” - you may be at
odds with which
behvaviour best represents
you
JEAN PIAGET
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
SENSORIMOTOR ● Experiences the world through senses
BIRTH-2 YRS ● Understands that objects exist even if can’t be seen (object
permanence)
● Understands some symbols, language begins

PRE-OPERATIONAL ● Develops language and uses symbols, memory and imagination

2-6 YRS ● egocentric

CONCRETE OPERATIONAL ● Develops logic

7-11 YRS ● Ability to link concrete objects to symbols and use them
● Become less egocentric

FORMAL OPERATIONAL ● Logically links symbols to abstract ideas

12+ YEARS ● Become egocentric again
JEAN PIAGET
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
SENSORIMOTOR
BIRTH-2 YRS

PRE-OPERATIONAL Provide an
2-6 YRS example of tasks
completed at each
of the
CONCRETE developmental
OPERATIONAL stages.
7-11 YRS

FORMAL
OPERATIONAL
12+ YEARS
JEAN PIAGET: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Review the video and reflect:

1. What are some examples of things

children would be expected to do at each
stage of Piaget’s theory?

2. What are some of the criticism of

Piaget’s theory?

3. Provide specific examples that would

show a child being able to do something
OR reasons for a child not to be able to
do something in a particular stage.

4. How can Piaget’s theory be used to

support children in education? How can
educators use this theory to support
student growth?
ERIK ERIKSON: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Trust vs. Mistrust ● Trust is developed when needs are met ● Frustration/withdrawal if needs not met.
BIRTH-1 yr

Autonomy vs. shame/doubt ● Supportive environment =autonomy ● Loss of trust lead to shame and doubts
2-3 yrs independence

Initiative vs. Guilt ● Initiative increase with sense of responsibility ● Anxiety about initiating tasks can lead to guilt
3yrs-5yrs

Industry vs. inferiority ● Awareness of being a productive human; interest in ● Unsuccessful learning experience leads to a
6 yrs - Puberty knowledge sense of inferiority/worthlessness

Identity vs. Role Confusion ● Increased concern for the way others see them; ● Inability to settle on an identity leads to role
Adolescence: teen to 20s) explores “who am I?” confusion

Intimacy vs. Isolation ● Well-formed identity enables the ability to form ● Social isolation occurs if unformed identity
Young Adult (20-40yrs) close relationships and friendships limits experiences

Generativity vs. Stagnation ● Feels a need to guide the next generation ● Stagnation occurs when feeling lack of
(40-60 yrs) purpose

Integrity vs. Despair ● Re-examination of life, integrity is achieved if ● Fear of death or dependence on others leads
(late adulthood: late 60s+) previous stages are well developed to despair
ERIK ERIKSON: Child stage examples
Trust vs. Mistrust ● Child is fed
BIRTH-1 yr

Autonomy vs. shame/doubt ● Child tries to complete a task on their own (ex. Puts on their own shoes)
2-3 yrs

Initiative vs. Guilt ● Children ask questions and are made to feel as though the questions are valid and important
3yrs-5yrs

Industry vs. inferiority ● Children learn to read and write - if encouraged and they do well then they excel, if not encouraged
6 yrs - Puberty or fail at the task then they feel inferior to others

Identity vs. Role Confusion ● Testing out different jobs to determine where they “fit”
Adolescence: teen to 20s)

Intimacy vs. Isolation ● Entering into relationship with individuals other than family - long term relationships other than
Young Adult (20-40yrs) friends

Generativity vs. Stagnation ● Giving back through raising children or “making your mark in the world” doing something of
(40-60 yrs) “value”

Integrity vs. Despair ● Sense of accomplishment in life; accept death without fear - looking back at life with fondness of
(late adulthood: late 60s+) accomplishment
ERIK ERIKSON: Child stage examples- YOUR TURN
Trust vs. Mistrust
BIRTH-1 yr

Autonomy vs. shame/doubt

2-3 yrs

Initiative vs. Guilt

3yrs-5yrs

Industry vs. inferiority

6 yrs - Puberty

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Adolescence: teen to 20s)

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Young Adult (20-40yrs)

Generativity vs. Stagnation

(40-60 yrs)

Integrity vs. Despair

(late adulthood: late 60s+)
ERIK ERIKSON: Critique of the theory
● Stages may not play out in the order described.
● The age range for each stage may vary.
● Activity to passivity (stage 8), is not always the case
● Searching for identity may occur many times
throughout our lives, not only during adolescence.
● How does the individual resolve the conflicts

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ERIK ERIKSON: Critique of the theory
Review the video and reflect:
1. What are the different virtues associated
with each stage?

2. Provide an example of something a child

would do at each stage.

3. What are some of the issues that have been

identified as criticisms of the theory? Do
you agree with these criticisms - why or why
not?

4. Do you think the “identity crisis” is unique to

adolescents? Why or why not? Provide
some examples to support your hypothesis.

5. What are examples of identity crises that

individuals might experience? What are
some reasons for individuals to experience
identity crisis?
Gender di erences
Theorists such as MIndy Bingham
and Sandy Stryker believe that there
are differences in development
between genders. This was a major
criticism of Erikson, with claims that
his theory was centered

Would you agree or disagree that

there are gender differences in the
stages of development? Provide
specific examples to support your
claim
 HARRY HARLOW (1905-1981)

Harry Harlow, an American psychology professor, was responsible for developing many of the tests using primates that are
standard today. He believed that studying primates is an appropriate way to understand human behaviour because they have a
number of similarities to humans and the genetic difference between humans and chimps is in fact quite small.

For some time, developmental psychologists had held the belief that infants formed an attachment to those who provided
them with nourishment. Harlow wanted to find out which urge is stronger; the need for affection or the satisfaction of physical
needs (specifically, food). He devised the Surrogate Mother experiment using rhesus monkeys because of their similarities to
human infants’ behaviours with their mothers (for example, clinging, “language” learning, nursing). He removed the young
monkeys from their mothers before they had a chance to bond and kept them isolated. The monkeys were kept in a cage with
two “mothers,” both made of wire mesh. One of the mothers was covered with tan terry cloth; the other offered food in the
form a bottle from its breast area. Both mothers were warmed with radiant heat.

The monkeys overwhelmingly preferred the cloth mother, even though she did not provide food. When they were anxious, the
monkeys would cling to the coth mother. So Harlow’s experiment showed that infants depend on their caregivers for more
than just their physical needs: meeting emotional needs is crucial for attachment. The monkeys that did not receive affection
early in their life often experienced psychological problems later on. For instance, they behaved in ways that illustrated
misdirected aggression (for example, they held themselves while rocking back and forth), and the females became either
negligent or abusive mothers.
SOURCE: Haskings-Winner, J., Collishaw, R., Kritzer, S. & Warecki, P. (2011). SOCIAL SCIENCE: An Introduction. McGraw-Hill Ryerson. p. 79
 ● Rhesus monkeys were isolated in order to produce
disease-free specimens.
● The monkeys showed signs of emotional distress.
● Those who became mothers ignored their young.
● The Harlows set up experiments with surrogate
mothers - some made of wire and others with soft
cloth.
● Those with the cloth “mother”tended to cling to their
“mother”.

CONCLUSION: The Harlows concluded that the early years

are important in developing the ability to feel.
THE HARLOW EXPERIMENTS: SUMMARY
REFLECT: Do you think the
Harlow experiment was ethical?
REFLECT:
1. Based on Harlow’s experiment, what recommendations can be made
about caring for an infant?

2. What do Harlow’s findings suggest about Maslow’s Hierarchy of

Needs?

3. The Harlow experiment is interesting on its own, but it does not

provide conclusive evidence to prove that early nurturing is important
to human emotional development. Provide 2 questions raised by the
experiment that would have to be addressed to reach this conclusion.

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