Developmental Theories
Theorists consider that emotional, social, cognitive and moral skills develop in stages.
1. Psychosocial - Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial developmen t is most widely used. At each stage, children confront a crisis that
requires the integration of personal needs and skills with social and cultural expectations. Each stage has two possible components,
favorable and unfavorable.
2. Psychosexual – Sigmund Freud considered sexual instincts to be significant in the development of personality. At each stage, regions of
the body assume prominent psychologic significance as source of pleasure.
3. Cognitive – Jean Piaget proposed four major stages of development for logical thinking. Each stage arises from and builds on the previous
stage in an orderly fashion.
4. Moral – Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development is based on cognitive development and consists of three
major levels, each containing two stages.
4.1 Lawrence Kohlberg’s Development of Moral Reasoning
Born:October 25, 1927
Birthplace: Bronxville, New York, United States
Died: January 19, 1987
Location of death: Cape Cod, Massachusetts, United States
Nationality: American
Occupation: Psychologist, College Teacher
Level of Moral Stage of Reasoning Approximate
development Age
Preconventional Stage 1: (Punishment and Obedience Orientation). Right is <11
"do’s and don’ts" obedience to power and avoidance of punishment. ("I must follow
the rules otherwise I will be punished").
Stage 2: Instrumental Relativist Orientation. Right is taking
responsibility and leaving others to be responsible for themselves.
("I must follow the rules for the reward and favor it gives").
Conventional Stage 3: Good-Boy-Nice Girl Orientation. Right is being adolescence and
considerate: "uphold the values of other adolescents and adults" adulthood
rules of society". ("I must follow the rules so I will be accepted")
Stage 4: Society-Maintaining Orientation. Right is being good,
with the values and norms of family and society at large.("I must
follow rules so there is order in the society").
Postconventional Stage 5: Social Contract Reorientation. Right is finding inner after 20
"universal rights" balance between self-rights and societal rules - a
social contract.("I must follow rules as there are reasonable laws
for it").
Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principle orientation. Right is based
on a higher order of applying principles to all human-kind; being non-
judgmental and respecting all human life. ("I must follow rules
because my conscience tells me").
5. Sigmund Freud’s Psychosexual Theory of Human Development
AKA Sigismund Schlomo Freud
Born: May 6, 1856
Birthplace: Freiberg, Moravia
Died: September 23,1939
Location of death: London, England
Cause of death: Euthanasia [1]
Remains: Cremated, Golders Green Crematorium, London, England
Gender: Male
Religion: Atheist
Race or Ethnicity: White
Occupation: Psychiatrist
Nationality: Austria
Executive summary: Die Traumdeutung
He was the first one to suggest that psychological problems might have their roots in how children were treated. Freud believed that most of our
personality is formed by early childhood, much of it so early that we don’t even have conscious memories. For example, people who were toilet-trained
strictly and at an early age grow up to be intolerant of mess, disorder and anything that doesn’t go by the rules of how things are supposed to be.
Age Name Pleasure Source Conflict
0-2 years old Oral Mouth: sucking, biting, swallowing Weaning away from mother’s
breast
2-4 years old Anal Anus: defecating or retaining feces Toilet training
4-5 years old Phallic Genitals Oedipus (boys), Electra (girls)
6 puberty Latency Sexual urges sublimated into sports
and hobbies. Same-sex friends also
help avoid sexual feelings
puberty onwards Genital Physical sexual changes reawaken Social Rules
repressed needs.
Direct sexual feelings towards others
lead to sexual gratification.
6. Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
Sensorimotor (0-2 years) Development proceeds from reflex activity to representation and sensorimotor
solutions to problems
Pre-operational (2-7 years) Problems solved through representation; language development; (2-4 years);
thoughts and language both egocentric; cannot solve conservation problems.
Concrete Operation (7-11 Reversibility attained; can solve conservation problems; Logical operation
developed and applied to concrete problems; cannot solve complex verbal
years) problems.
Formal Operation (11 years- Logically solves all types of problems; thinks scientifically; solves complex
problems; cognitive structures mature.
adulthood)
7. Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development
Stages Developmental Task or Conflict to be Resolved
Oral-Sensory (birth to 1 year) Trust vs. mistrust. Babies learn either to trust or to mistrust that other will care for their basic
needs including nourishment, sucking, warmth, cleanliness and physical contact.
Musculo-anal (1-3 years) Autonomy vs. shame and doubt. Children learn either to be self sufficient in many activities,
including toileting, feeding, walking and talking or to doubt their own abilities.
Locomotor-Genital (3-5 years) Initiative vs. guilt. Children want to undertake many adult like activities, sometimes
overstepping the limits set by parents and feeling guilty.
Latency ( 6-11 years) Industry vs. inferiority. Children busily learn to be competent and productive or feel inferior
and unable to do anything well.
Adolescence (12-18 years) Identity vs. role confusion. Adolescents try to figure out "Who Am I?". They establish sexual,
ethnic, and career identities, or are confused about what future roles to play.
Young Adulthood (19-35 years) Intimacy vs. isolation. Young adults seek companionship and love with another person or
become isolated from others.
Adulthood (35-50 years) Generativity vs. stagnation. Middle aged adults are productive, performing meaningful work,
and raising a family, or become stagnant and inactive.
Maturity (50+ years) Integrity vs. despair. Older adults try to make sense out of their lives, either seeing life as a
meaningful whole or despairing at goals never reached and questions never answered.
Stage Erikson Freud Piaget Kohlberg
Infancy Trust vs. mistrust Oral Sensorimotor
(birth to 1 year) (birth to 2 years)
Toddlerhood Autonomy vs. Anal Sensorimotor (1- Preconventional
(1-3 years old) same and doubt 2 years);
preoperational
(preconceptual)
(2-4 years)
Preschool Initiative vs. guilt Phallic Preoperational Preconventional
(3-6 years old) (preconceptual)
(2-4 years);
preoperational
(intuitive) (4-7
years)
School Age Industry vs. Latency Concrete Conventional
(6-12 years) inferiority operations
(7-11 years)
Adolescence Identity vs. role Genital Formal Postconventional
(12-18 years) diffusion operations
(confusion) (11-15 years)
