Katie Gendaszek

Feb. 3rd, 2014

Developmental Theories Outline
Piaget
Children progress through 4 stages of cognitive development; this is measured by how they
understand the world. They actively try to make sense of the world around them.
1. Sensorimotor Stage (birth-2yrs)
a. Acquire knowledge through sensory experiences/motor activities and
manipulating objects.
b. Object permanence: understanding that an object continues to exist even though
they cannot be seen/heard
2. Preoperational Stage (2-7)
a. Learn though pretend play, but still struggle with logic and taking the point of
view of others (egocentrism)
b. Language development. Adept at using symbols, playing, and pretending
c. Conservation: ex. Liquid in different containers
3. Concrete Operational Stage (7-11)
a. Begin to think more logically, but their thinking can also be rigid
b. Tend to struggle with abstract and hypothetical concepts
c. Fairly good at inductive logic: going from a specific experience to a general
principle
d. Reversibility: awareness that actions can be reversed
4. Formal Operational Stage (11-adult)
a. Increase in logic, ability to use deductive reasoning
b. Understanding of abstract ideas
c. Abstract thought: important to long-term planning
d. Problem solving: systematically solve a problem in a logical and methodical way

Erikson
Development occurs though the lifespan.
1. Infancy: Trust vs. Mistrust (birth-18mon.)
a. Children learn whether or not they can trust the people around them
b. Based on caregivers response to childs needs
c. If develops trust, he/she will feel safe and secure
d. Failure to do so results in fear and a belief that the world is inconsistent and
unpredictable
2. Early Childhood: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (2-3yrs.)
a. Children focused on developing a sense of self-control
b. Gaining a sense of personal control over the world
c. Toilet training plays major role; learning to control own body functions leads to a
feeling of control and independence
3. Preschool: Initiative vs. Guilt (3-5yrs.)
a. Am I good or bad?
b. Children begin to assert their power and control on the world through direct play
and other social interaction
c. Taking initiative by planning activities, accomplishing talks, facing challenges
d. Important for caregivers to encourage exploration and help make appropriate
choices
4. School Age: Industry vs. Inferiority (6-11)
a. School and social interaction are important
b. Become capable of performing increasingly complex tasks; master new skills
c. Vital in developing self-confidence
d. Determined by encouragement and praise
5. Adolescence: Identity vs. Role Confusion (12-18)
a. Teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity
b. Exploring independence
c. May experiment with different roles, activities, behaviors
d. Important to process of forming strong identity and sense of direction in life
e. Need proper encouragement and reinforcement
6. Young Adulthood: Intimacy vs. Isolation (19-40)
a. Forming intimate, loving relationships with other people
b. Failure results in loneliness and isolation
7. Middle Adulthood: Generativity vs. Stagnation (40-65)
a. Adults strive to create or nurture things that will outlast them
b. Contributing to society and doing things to benefit future generations
8. Maturity: Ego Identity vs. Despair (65-death)
a. People reflect back on their life and come away with either a sense of fulfillment
or a sense of regret and despair

Kohlberg
Moral Development
Level 1: Preconventional Morality
1. Obedience and Punishment
a. Children see rules as fixed and absolute
b. Obeying rules is important because it is a means to avoid punishment
2. Individualism and Exchange
a. Children account for individual points of view and judge actions based on how
they serve individual needs
Level 2: Conventional Morality
3. Interpersonal Relationships
a. good boy-good girl orientation
b. Focused on living up to social expectations and role
4. Maintaining Social Order
a. People begin to consider society as a whole when making judgments
b. Focus on maintaining law and order by following rules
Level 3: Postconventional Morality
5. Social Contract and Individual Rights
a. People account for differing values, opinions and beliefs of other people
b. Members of society should agree upon law standards
6. Universal Principles
a. Universal, ethical principles and abstract reasoning
b. People follow internalized principles of justice even if they conflict with laws and
rules

Greenspan
Developmental levels of the mind
1. Security and the ability to look, listen, and be calm
a. Ability to be calm and regulated while at the same time interested and engaged in
the world
b. Skill allows children to take in all of the exciting things in the environment,
organize them internally, and simultaneously focus on particular stimuli while
ignoring others
2. Relating: The ability to feel warm and close to others
a. Critical to all childhood and adult relationships
b. Begins around 4 months when child meaningfully smile back at parent
c. Continuous development
d. Children affected by childhood trauma
e. Children with special needs are at increased risk for problems in this stage
3. Intentional two-way communication without words
a. Developing the capacity to focus and relate to others allows children to begin
communicating with willful intention through facial expression, gestures, body
language
b. By 18 months
c. Also reading nonverbal cues/language
4. Solving problems and forming a sense of self
a. 14-18months
b. Are successful at getting what they want and begin to develop more advanced
skills in relating to others and building an internal sense of who they are