Personal Portrait of Erik Erikson’s Developmental Theory and Kohlberg’s Model of Moral Development

Personal Portrait of Erik Erikson’s developmental theory and Kohlberg’s model of moral development

Theory of Development
Erik Erikson is best known for theories of personality development. His theory details the impact of social experiences across a person’s whole life span. He believes that everyone’s personality develops in a series of stages. There are conflicts that a person experiences in each stage that helps them be successful or fail. The conflicts make a person have personal growth.
There are eight different stages of Erikson’s development theory. Each stage has opposites that versus each other. If a person masters a stage it is referred to as ego strength or ego quality (Hoare, 2009). If they stage is poorly managed, the person will leave with a sense of failure.
Trust versus Mistrust
The first stage of Erikson’s development theory is trust versus mistrust. This stage takes place at birth to one year of age. The trust is dependent upon the dependability and quality of the caregiver. This stage also corresponds with Freudian’s oral-sensory stage. If a child succeeds in developing trust, they will feel secure and safe in the world. But if the caregivers are unpredictable or rejecting feelings, the child will develop mistrust. The child will have fear and belief that the world is inconsistent and random (Salkind, 2005).
Since most people do not remember their first few years of life they have to rely on feeling and family information. This learner knows that the first four months of her life she was in the hospital for a congenital heart problem. Her parents were there for her every day. She knows that she had a handful of doctor and nurses that help with this trusting possess. When she got home she had aunts, uncles, and grandparents to help her trust the world. This learner believes she left this stage with ego strength.
Autonomy versus Doubt
Autonomy versus doubt is the second stage. In Freud’s theory it is referred to as the anal stage. In this stage, children gain control over their own body functions. This would include toilet training. They also gain more control over with food they like to eat, toy and clothing fondness, and recognition of emotions. Children that are successful in completing this stage feel confident and secure. Those who do not are left with feeling of self-doubt and a sense of inadequacy (Salkind, 2005). As stated before, this learner does not remember these years of her life. She grew up with an awesome support group. She was still in and out the hospital during this time. She is a very confident and secure young women and she believes it was due to completing each stage successful.
Initiative versus Guilt
This is the locomotor stage. The locomotor part of initiative versus guilt is the child’s moving away from depending on parents to the ability to meet personal needs. Children start to show more of their own power and control over their own world through play and social interaction. Children that are successful in this stage feel capable and usually become leaders. If the child fails they feel sense of guilt, self doubt, and lack of initiative (Salkind, 2005). An educator is a person that leads on a daily basis. Since this learner was a teacher for years, she believes she was profitable in the initiative versus guilt stage. She was always different her whole life, so she did not follow her peers often. She has always taken her own path.
Industry versus inferiority This stage takes place in early school years. Through interactions, children develop a sense of social skills that are necessary to function in environment. A child’s culture beliefs are an important part of this development. Children that are encouraged by teachers and parents develop feeling of self worth and sense of belief in their culture (Salkind, 2005). Children who do not receive adequate support will have doubts about their own ability of their success. Family togetherness is a large part of my culture. This learner has a very close family. She talks to them on a daily basis. Her husband’s family is the same way. Her family also gets together for birthdays, holidays, and just about any kinds of occasion.
Identity versus confusion During adolescence, a person explores their independence and starts developing a sense of self. Children go through many physical and psychological changes during this stage. During this stage, adolescences are expected to further their education, start thinking about their career chooses, and in some cultures start a family. Adolescences that are successful in this stage come out with sense of self and feelings of independence and self-control. The ones that fail come out with feelings of confusion about themselves and their future (Salkind, 2005). This can be a confusing time for anyone. This was a hard time for this learner to get a sense of herself. With all the health problems, she could not find her niche in life. With the help of her family and peers she came out of this stage with success.
Intimacy versus isolation
This stage is during early adulthood. This is when adults are starting to explore personal relationship with the same or opposite sex. They start to think about other people beside oneself. Erikson believes that the identity stage plays an important role in the success of intimacy. Career goals also come into place during this stage. People who are successful in this stage develop relationships that are secure and committed. If they struggle during this stage, they may suffer emotional isolation, loneliness, and depression (Salkind, 2005).
As a person that struggled in this stage, it was hard to get to the next stage. The committed relationship this learner was in ended suddenly after infidelity on his part. It was hard for this learner to trust someone for awhile. She could not get close to anyone. This learner has got past this stage with the trust of her husband.
Generativity versus stagnation
This stage starts in middle adulthood. Adults continue to build a live with their family and focusing on their career. Adults start to think beyond their family and to how they can help the community (Salkind, 2005). Adults that are successful during this phase will feel that are contributing to their home and community. If the adults fail at this phase, they feel unproductive and uninvolved in the world.
This learner is not reached this stage in her career. She has reached this stage in her relationship. She has been with her husband for over five years. They have been married for three years. She is starting to volunteer in the community. She is at the stage she wants to see the greater good for everyone.
Integrity versus despair
This stage happens during a person older age. They want to look back on their live. Erikson states the importance of “being one with your past” (Wallerstein and Goldberger, 2000). If a person is unsuccessful in this stage they may feel that their live was wasted and have regrets about previous stages. They will also have feelings of despair and bitterness. Adults who are successful in this phase feel proud of their life. They have very few regrets about their life. Although this learner has not reached this stage; she hopes to be successful at integrity. She wants to look over her life and previous stages with little regrets. She has seen her great-grandmother be successful during her life. Her great-grandmother told stories of her life and how she was a strong woman that success through many obstacles. This learner hopes to be like her great-grandmother during this stage.
Moral Development
Lawrence Kohlberg built upon Jean Piaget’s work to develop a theory that explains the development of moral reasoning. Unlike Piaget, Kohlberg’s moral theory is a continual process that happens throughout a person whole life. Piaget’s theory was only a two stage process; Kohlberg’s is a six stage process (Reed, 2008). Kohlberg’s moral development theory contains three different levels.
Kohlberg used different scenarios to help interview groups and individuals to develop his moral development theory. “Heinz Steals the Drugs” is one of the most common scenarios used:
In Europe, a woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging ten times what the drug cost him to make. He paid $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the drug.
The sick woman 's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about $ 1,000 which is half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said: "No, I discovered the drug and I 'm going to make money from it." So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man 's store to steal the drug-for his wife. Should the husband have done that? (Kohlberg)."
Pre-conventional Level At this level, children know that are rules and consequences. The consequences that he or she understands are punishments or rewards (Kohlberg). There are two different stages in this level.
Stage1: Punishment and Obedience At this stage children understand that obeying the rules is important because they help you avoid punishment. Children see the rules as fixed and absolute. This is common with young children, but can also be expressed in adults (Kohlberg). In Heinz dilemma, it would not be right to take the medicine because it would be breaking the rules. If he takes the medicine he should go to jail. Sometimes adults experience this stage many times during their lives. An example of this could be as simple as not parking in a no-parking zone where a person’s car would not get towed away. Adults want to follow rules and regulations to avoid a penalty.
Stage 2: Individualism and Exchange In this stage, children start to take in account their own point of view and judge the actions based on how it might serve their needs. In Heinz scenario, the child might say that he should do what is best for him. Loyalty, gratitude and justice do not come into play for this stage (Kolhberg). The saying you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours would be expressed in this stage.
Again adults may experience this stage. It could be driving five to ten miles over the speed limit to get to a location. It is benefiting the person driving, but they are breaking the rules. They are thinking of getting to point A to point B the fastest without getting caught.
Conventional Level At this level, a person starts to think of what society thinks is right and wrong. A person starts to think about following the rules even if there are no consequences (Reed, 2008). This level contains two stages.
Stage 3: Interpersonal Relationship This stage is known as the good boy-good girl stage. A person wants to live up to social expectations and societies roles. People want to be known as the nice guy. A person takes in account what choices might influence their relationships (Kohlberg). Adolescents and adults are usually in this stage (Reed, 2008). In Heinz dilemma, he should steal the drug for his wife but he should go to jail for it also. This learner’s niece is starting to enter into this stage. She is influences by rules that are being set by her parents, school, and community. She wants to live up to their expectations. She does not want to let them down in any way.
Stage 4: Law and Order At this stage, a person starts to think about society as a whole when making decisions. A person’s focus is on obtaining law and order by follow the rules. They do this by doing one’s duty and showing respect (Kohlberg). In Heinz scenario, has a duty to save his wife by stealing the drug. Knowing stealing is wrong, he should be prepared for the consequences. When this learner had one of her first jobs, she had to report one of her friends/ managers. The friend/manager was cutting corners when cleaning and blaming it on other employees. Even through this person was the learner’s friend, she had to think about what was fair for everyone else. The learner apologized to her friend/manager, but the friend did not understand reason. The learner lost a friend, but she felt like a honest person.
Post-Conventional Level This level is known as the principled level. A person began to realize that they are an individual in society. They start to think about their own viewpoints and they may bend rules conflict with their own principles. They start to think about their prospective of what is right and wrong. They take into account such things as life, liberty, and justice. This level can be confused with the pre-conventional level (Reed, 2008). A person does remember that rules are not absolute and that they are useful, but changeable. Some adults may never develop to this level.

Stage 5: Social Contract In this stage, a person is concerned with social and public interest. They realize that rules are set in place to maintain order, but the rules should not be broken unless this is for the greater good. A person may break the rules to help human rights (Kohlberg)
In Heinz dilemma, he should steal the drug because it is right of his wife to live. If he is caught stealing, then the law should be reinterpreted because he was trying to save someone’s life.
Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principle This stage is known as the golden rule stage. The golden rule is a person should treat others like they want to be treated. A person tries to follow their own principles of right and wrong, even if they conflict with societies’ rules (Kohlberg).
In Heinz dilemma, a person might state that he should steal the drug because a person’s life is worth more than property. A person may think that the druggist thinks that the wife’s life is less valuable than his property. Kohlberg’s moral develop theory does not necessarily lead to moral action. It can through development and moral choices. He was more concerned with the reasoning than the action. He wanted to know what reasoning motivated our moral choices (Reed).

References
Colby, A. (2002). Moral understanding, motivation, and identity. Human Development, 45(2), 130-135. doi:10.1159/000048159
Hoare, C. (2009). Identity and spiritual development in the papers of erik erikson. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 9(3), 183-200. doi:10.1080/15283480903344497
Kohlberg, L.. (n.d.). Stage of Moral Development. In Stages of Moral Development According to Kohlberg. Retrieved November 21, 2010, from http://info.psu.edu.sa/psu/maths/Stages%20of%20Moral%20Development%20According%20to%20Kohlberg.pdf.
Reed, D. C. (2008). A model of moral stages. Journal of Moral Education, 37(3), 357-376. doi:10.1080/03057240802227759
Salkind, N. J. (2005). In Lee S. W. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of school psychology; erikson 's stages of psychosocial development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.library.capella.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3453000096&v=2.1&u=minn04804&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w
Wallerstein, R. S., & Goldberger, L. (2000). Ideas and identities: The life work of erik erikson. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 17(2), 437-442. doi:10.1037/0736-9735.17.2.437

References: Colby, A. (2002). Moral understanding, motivation, and identity. Human Development, 45(2), 130-135. doi:10.1159/000048159 Hoare, C. (2009). Identity and spiritual development in the papers of erik erikson. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 9(3), 183-200. doi:10.1080/15283480903344497 Kohlberg, L.. (n.d.). Stage of Moral Development. In Stages of Moral Development According to Kohlberg. Retrieved November 21, 2010, from http://info.psu.edu.sa/psu/maths/Stages%20of%20Moral%20Development%20According%20to%20Kohlberg.pdf. Reed, D. C. (2008). A model of moral stages. Journal of Moral Education, 37(3), 357-376. doi:10.1080/03057240802227759 Salkind, N. J. (2005). In Lee S. W. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of school psychology; erikson 's stages of psychosocial development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.library.capella.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3453000096&v=2.1&u=minn04804&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w Wallerstein, R. S., & Goldberger, L. (2000). Ideas and identities: The life work of erik erikson. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 17(2), 437-442. doi:10.1037/0736-9735.17.2.437