Erikson's Theory Compare And Contrast Essay

Developmental psychology is continuously being observed and studied by doctors and theorists. Theorists have been exploring developmental stages from birth to adolescence, and from adolescence to adulthood, and over the years these theories are continuing to be modified as more observations and revisions are made. Two well-known theorists who have significantly influenced the field of psychology are Erik Erikson with his psychosocial theory, and Jean Piaget with his cognitive theory. “Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory proposes eight stages of human development. Each stage consists of a unique developmental task that confronts individuals with a crisis that must be resolved” (Santrock, 2016, p. 18). Erikson’s theory is based on the lifespan of a person from birth to adulthood. He believed that people dealt with challenges at each stage of development, and that is what determined the outcome of their lives. “Piaget’s theory states that children go through four stages of cognitive development as they actively construct
His thoughts on how development transpires from life challenges speaks to me in terms of growth. When a person has an experience, especially as a child, it challenges them to think and grow. Experiences, or crisis as Erikson would call them, don’t’ stop at adolescence. We continue to grow and understand different things throughout our lifetime, until death. Douvan states “not only adolescence and early childhood drew his attention and theoretical analysis. He opened the whole field of adult development with his addition of tasks that require developmental changes in later adulthood and laid the groundwork for the field of life course development (1996, p.17). Childhood experiences and personality do influence people, even as adults. We are driven by social