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The Comparison and Contrast of Developmental Theories

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The Comparison and Contrast of Developmental Theories
The Comparison and Contrast of Developmental Theories
Nichole Spiller
PSY 104: Child and Adolescent Development
Instructor: Sonja Bethune
Monday, May 21, 2012

Throughout time the development of psychology has had many different theorists but I would like to explore these three particular theories. * Erik Erikson’s – Stages of Psychosocial Development * Lev Vygotsky’s – Sociocultural Theory * Jean Piagets’s – Stage of Cognitive Development
The three theories I have chosen to discuss are all extremely relevant ideas; although I prefer Erik Erikson’s stage of psychosocial development. Erik Erikson’s theory covers a person’s entire lifespan showing the many different stages throughout one’s life. A person is always growing, learning, and developing on a continuous basis. It is believed that one must learn each stage in order to advance successfully throughout life and if there is a skip in a stage then there is confusion within their role. “Erik Erikson made significant contributions and influenced the studies and research of countless other people” (Daruphousse, 2010). After Erik Erikson’s psycho analysis with Anna Freud he was intrigued and studied psychosocial development himself. He maintained that personality develops in a predetermined order. Erikson’s theory that life is a span of challenges and lessons throughout life is his model of psychosocial development. The predetermined order is focusing on how children interact and socialize with other and how it affects the child’s sense of self. There are a total of eight stages with each having two possible outcomes. Erikson’s theory is successful when each stage is completed resulting in a person being able to successfully interact with others and have a well-rounded personality themselves. If a stage is not completed it can result in the inability to complete further stages resulting in an unhealthy personality.
The Eight Stages are: * Trust Versus Mistrust (Birth



References: Daruphousse, R. (2010, April 10). If These Men Could Still Talk. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Academic Symposium of Undergraduate Scholarship: www.scholarsarchive.jwu,edu Gallagher, C. (1999, May). Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky (1896-1934). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from www.musiangum.edu/~psych/psyweb/history/vygotsky.htm Mossler, R. (2011). Child and Adolescent Development. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education. Ojose, B. (2008). Applying Piaget 's Theory of Cognitive Development to Mathematics Instruction Roger, C. (2012, Febraury 27). Preschools Are Using a Marxist 's Theories to Manfacture Collectives

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