THEORIES AND THEIR PROPONENTS

•Cognitive Theory of Development- Jean Piaget

•Psycho-social Theory of Development- Erik Erikson
•Theory of Moral Development- Lawrence Kohlberg PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORY OF
•Sociocultural Theory of Development- Lev Vygotsky DEVELOPMENT (Erik Erikson)
•Ecological Systems Theory- Urie Bronfenbrenner -Emphasizes “Mutuality” and “Generativity”

COGNITIVE THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT Stage 1: Infancy (birth-18 months)

(Jian Piaget) Psychosocial Crisis: Trust vs Mistrust
-children move through four different stages on Relationships: Mother
learning. Issues: feeding and being comforted, teething,
1. The Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 years) sleeping
-infant focuses on physical sensations and coordination Basic Virtue: Hope and Drive
of body. Maladaptation: Sensory maladjustment
Object Permanence- ability to know an object still Malignancy: withdrawal
exists without of sight.
Stage 2: Early Childhood/toddler (18 months-3
2. The Preoperational Stage (2-7 years) years)
-children are thinking at symbolic level but not yet Psychosocial Crisis: Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt
using cognitive operations Relationships: Parents
Symbolic Function- ability to represent objects and Issues: bodily functions, toilet training, muscular
events control, walking
Egocentrism- child only see his pov and assume Basic Virtue: Willpower and Self-control
everyone has same pov. Maladaptation: Impulsivity
Centration- the child only focus on one aspect of a Malignancy: Compulsion
thing
Irreversibility- inability to reverse their thinking Stage 3: Preschool (3-6 years)
Animism- children attribute human like traits to Psychosocial Crisis: Initiative vs Guilt
inanimate objects Relationships: Family
Transductive Reasoning- type of reasoning neither Issues: exploration and discovery, adventure and
inductive or deductive play
Basic Virtue: Purpose and Direction
3. The Concrete Operational Stage (8-11 years) Maladaptation: Ruthlessness
-ability to think logically but only in concrete objects Malignancy: Inhibition
Decentering- no longer focused on 1 aspect
Reversibility- child can flow that certain operations Stage 4: School Age (6-11 years)
can be done in reverse Psychosocial Crisis: Industry vs Inferiority
Conservation- ability to attain conservation Relationships: schools, teachers, friends,
Seriation- ability to order/arrange things neighborhood
Issues: achievement and accomplishment
4. The Formal Operational Stage (12-15 years) Basic Virtue: Competence and Method
-ability to think in an. Abstract manner, ability to Maladaptation: Narrow Virtuosity
classify objects in sophisticated way, higher reasoning Malignancy: Inertia
Hypothetical Reasoning- deal with what if questions
Analogical Reasoning- can understand relationships Stage 5: Adolescence (12-18 years)
and do analogical reasoning Psychosocial Crisis: Identity vs Role Confusion
Deductive Reasoning- think logically by applying Relationships: peers, groups, influences
general rule. Issues: resolving identity and direction, becoming a
grown up
Basic Virtue: Fidelity and Devotion
Maladaptation: Fanaticism
Malignancy: Repudiation

Stage 6: Young Adulthood (19-49 years)

Psychosocial Crisis: Intimacy vs Isolation
Relationships: lovers, friends, work connections
Issues: intimate relationships, work and social life
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Basic Virtue: Love and Affiliation -person reason according to moral values and
Maladaptation: Promiscuity principles which are valid and applicable apart from
Malignancy: Exclusivity the authority of the groups
Stage 5: The Common Good
Stage 7: Middle Adulthood (41-65 years) Loyalty to truth
Psychosocial Crisis: Generativity vs Stagnation Conscience= reason
Relationships: children, community
Issues: giving back, helping, contributing Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principles-Integrity
Basic Virtue: Care and production Principles, no matter what the price
Maladaptation: Overextension Conscience= personal integrity
Malignancy: Rejectivity
SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY OF
Stage 8: Maturity (66-death) DEVELOPMENT (Lev Vygotsky)
Psychosocial Crisis: Ego Integrity vs Despair -cognitive development is a product of social
Relationships: society, world interaction
Issues: meaning and purpose, life achievements -cultural factors in cognitive development
Basic Virtue: Wisdom and Renunciation
Maladaptation: Presumption 1. CULTURE
Malignancy: Desdain -played on the cognitive development of children

THEORY OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT 2. SOCIAL INTERACTION

Lawrence Kohlberg- Professor at Harvard University -gave more weight on the social interactions that
-his theory was based on Swiss Psychologist Jean contributed to the cognitive development of
Piaget and American Philosopher John Dewey, individuals
inspired by James Mark Baldwin -effective learning happens through participation in
-they emphasize that human beings develop social activities
philosophically and psychologically in a progressive
fashion. 3. LANGUAGE
-opens the door for learners to acquire knowledge
Level One: Pre-conventional (Self-Centered) -learners use language to understand and solve
-results from consequences and punishments, rewards, problems
or favors
Stage 1: Fear of Punishment Private Speech- form or self-talk that guides the
Not law or justice, but cost to me child’s thinking and action
Conscience= self-protection Hands-on Activities- help children acquire more
knowledge than passive listening
Stage 2: Profit Zone of Actual Development- child attempts to
Minimize the pain: maximize the pleasure perform a skill alone, she may not be proficient at it.
“You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” Zone of Proximal Development- functions that have
Conscience= cunning bot yet matured, but are in the process
Scaffolding- support of assistance that lets the child
Level Two: The Conventional Level (Group- accomplish a task he cannot accomplish independently
Centered)
-involves maintaining expectations of one’s family, ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS THEORY (Urie
peer group, or nations for one’s own sake Bronfenbrenner)
Stage 3: Group Loyalty -how social environments affects children’s
Obligation to ones family, gang, etc development
Conscience= loyalty
Microsystem- smallest and most immediate
Stage 4: Law and Order environment in which the child lives in.
Without laws, society would be chaos Ex. Home, school, peer, community
Conscience= good citizenship
Mesosystem- relationships between microsystems
Level Three: Post Conventional Level (Internalized Ex. Home and School, Peer and Family, Family and
Truth Centered) Church

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Exosystem- relationships that may exist between two
or more settings, one of which may not contain the
developing child but affects him.
Ex. Workplace

Microsystem- largest system that contains all the

distant people and places that significantly affect the
child.
Ex. Politics, Environment, Economics

Chronosystem- involve the socio-historical context

Ex. Birthday, Anniversary