Theories of

Psychosocial
Development
MD1 Fall 2023
Transition from childhood to adulthood
Erik • Erikson postulated that there
are 8 stages of development
• In each stage, people
experience a conflict that
Erikson – • Epigenetic principle:
individuals grow in a specific
serves as a catalyst for
development
ego order that occurs over time
within a larger community
• They either develop or fail
to develop certain
psychologi qualities
• Personal growth vs
st potential for failure
• Gain personal
strengths or have
trouble gaining skills
needed for adulthood
Stage 1 - Infancy

• 0 -1.5 y.o.
• Trust vs Mistrust
• Feeding, comfort levels
• Am I safe?
• Infants will develop trust when
caregivers provide basic needs
(reliability, care, affection), or they will
develop mistrust if these basic needs or
not meant
• Will lead to HOPE
Stage 2 – Early
childhood
• 1.5-3 y.o.
• Autonomy vs Shame/Doubt
• Toilet training, getting dressed
• Doing things alone or with support?
• Children develop personal control over
physical skills (walking, standing, eating)
and a sense of independence, but could
also lead to feelings of shame
• Will lead to WILL
Stage 3 -
Preschool

• 3 to 5 y.o.
• Initiative vs Guilt
• Exploration, play (imaginary and real)
• Am I good or bad?
• Children begin asserting power and
control over their environment
• Sense of purpose vs disapproval and
guilt
• Will lead to PURPOSE
Stage 4 – School age
• 5 to 12 y.o.
• Industry vs. Inferiority
• School, activities
• How can I be good?
• Cope with new social and academic
demands leading to feeling confident
or incompetent/inferior
• Will lead to COMPETENCY
Stage 5 –
Adolescence
• 12 – 18 y.o.
• Identity vs Role confusion
• Social relationships, individual
identity/personality
• Who am I? What am I doing?
• Sexual vs Occupational
• Teens need to develop a sense of self
• Staying true to yourself vs low self-esteem
and lack of confidence
• Will lead to FIDELITY
Stage 6 – Young
adult
• 18 to 40 y.o.
• Intimacy vs Isolation
• Develop personal/intimate
relationships
• Am I loved? Am I wanted?
• Young adults form intimate/loving
relationships with other people leading
to potentially strong relationships or
possibly to loneliness and isolation
• Will lead to LOVE
Stage 7 – Middle
adulthood
• 40 – 65 y.o.
• Generativity vs Stagnation
• Work, friendships,
marriage/partnership, parenthood
• Do I provide value?
• Adults have a need to create and nurture
things that will outlast them (i.e. children,
inventing something) which can lead to
feeling fulfilled and useful whereas failure
leads to feeling stuck with shallow and/or
unmeaningful involvement in society
• Will lead to CARE
Stage 8 - Maturity
• 65 to death
• Ego identity vs Despair
• Reflection on life
• Have I lived a full life?
• Older adults look back on life to view
fulfillment/accomplishments, leading
to feeling wise but could also lead to
feeling bitter and resentful
• Will lead to WISDOM
Jean • Piaget postulated the way
children think is different
• How knowledge is
acquired and applied =
Piaget – from the way adults think
• Previously, children
intelligence
• Qualitative change about
child were just “smaller
adults”
how children look at the
world
psychologi • Follows the cognitive
development of children
st • 4 stages
Sensorimotor stage

Infants/toddlers
acquire knowledge
through sensory
experiences and Learn about the
managing/controlling world via actions such Object permanence: Separate from other Actions cause real-
0-2 y.o. objects as sucking, grasping, “peek a boo” people/objects time changes
• Basic reflexes, senses and looking, listening
motor skills
Preoperational
stage
• 2-7 y.o.
• Emergence of language
• Think symbolically, learn words/pictures that represent objects
• Egocentric = struggle to see outside perspectives
• Pretend play begins
• Difficulty with logical thoughts and other’s viewpoints
• Object constancy: objects remain the same shape/color/size
even if they appear different (i.e. door vs cupboard)
Concrete operational stage

7 to 11 y.o.

Egocentric version
disappears – think
about the views of
others Tend to struggle with
abstract thoughts or
hypotheticals
Think logically about
concrete events
Thoughts are
individual to them; not
others share the same
thoughts/opinions
Object conservation:
“liquid in a cup”
Formal operational stage
12 and up

Final stage

• Increase in logic
• Able to understand abstract things
• Think more scientifically about their environment

Considers morals, social/political issues, theoretical analysis

Use reasoning from general prinicples

Influential factors
Schema – categories of knowledge and also obtaining that
knowledge
• Applying previous knowledge to modify/change schema – assimilation
• Change existing schema due to new knowledge – accommodation
• i.e. small vs big dog

Equilibration – maintain balance between assimilation and

accommodations

Intelligence is an active process

 • Moral development – how children develop morality and
Lawrence and moral reasoning

Kohlberg -- • Right vs wrong

• Reasoning between the two
psychologis • 6 stages
• 3 primary levels
t • 2 stages within each level
• Steal bread?
• Reason behind the decision
 • Earliest period of moral development
• 0 – 9 y.o.
• Stage 1: Obedience and punishment – follow the rules
• Children’s actions are based on adult’s expectations
Level 1 – • Stage 2: Individualism and exchange – individual points of

Preconventio view
• How they serve individual needs
nal morality
 • Acceptance of social rules
• What is good/moral?
• Learned via society and role models

Level 2 – • Stage 3: developing good interpersonal relationships

• Living up to societal norms/expectations “good girl/boy”

Conventio
• Conformity
• Stage 4: maintaining social order
• People consider society as a whole when making decisions

nal • Law and order

morality
 • Develop an understanding of abstract principles of morality
• Rarely achieved (most people stay within the first 4 stages/2 levels)
• Stage 5: social contract and individual rights
• Account for opinions/values/beliefs of others

Level 3 –
• Rules of law – agreed upon by society
• Stage 6: universal principles

Postconventio • Universal ethical principles and abstract reasoning

• People follow internalized sense of justice
nal morality
Theory application
Teach younger children to obey

Teach older children about societal expectations

Enhance moral development (i.e. setting rules in pre-K)

Including children in “making the rules” so they understand the

reasoning