How to Compare the Conclusion on Erikson's Psychosocial & Piaget's Cognitive Development Stages

Erik Erikson (1902 to 1994) and Jean Piaget (1896 to 1980) were contemporaries and two of the most renowned psychologists of the 20th century. Erikson was born in Germany of Danish parents, and he became a cognitive psychologist and philosopher. Piaget was born in Switzerland, and was a precocious child who developed an early interest in biology and nature. It is easy to see why Erikson was preoccupied with the development of personal identity and why Piaget was interested in science and intelligence.

Things You'll Need

  • The writings of these scholars
  • Knowledge of their conclusions about development
  • Questions to use in the comparison

Instructions

    • 1

      Review Erikson's eight stages of development.

      Stage 1 is about Hope, when an infant learns trust or mistrust.

      Stage 2 is about Will or self-reliance, when a toddler learns about autonomy versus shame and doubt.

      Stage 3 includes ages 4 to 6, and is about Purpose, or Initiative versus guilt.

      Stage 4 includes 7 to 13 years, and is about Competence or self-confidence.

      Stage 5 includes ages 14 to 24, and is about forming an Identity out of role confusion, stepping away from the family of origin and establishing one's own identity.

      Stage 6 includes young adults, ages 25 to 40, and is about relationships, being capable of Intimacy or becoming isolated.

      Stage 7 includes middle adults, aged 45 to 65, and people choose Generativity or stagnation. They may be productive workers, who raise children and find new interests.

      Stage 8 includes seniors 65 and older, who either achieve ego integrity or face despair.

    • 2

      Piaget identified four stages.

      Stage 1 is the sensorimotor stage, from birth to age 2, when a child experiences the world through the five senses.

      Stage 2 is the preoperational stage, ages 2 to 7, when children develop motor skills and engage in magical thinking.

      Stage 3, ages 7 to 11, is the concrete operational stage when children are no longer egocentric, and can think logically but the thinking is very concrete.

      Stage 4 is the formal operational stage, ages 11 to16, when children become able to think abstractly and add abstraction to logic.

    • 3

      Find something the theories have in common. Erikson's work emphasized the stage of adolescence. Establishing personality was a very important process in life. There is some evidence that people who form strong identities at this stage are better equipped for later life. Piaget's four stages culminated in adolescence with the ability to add abstract thinking to logic. Note that there was no limit to what a person could understand and work with. The adolescent stage was very important to both these psychologists, but in different ways.

    • 4

      Compare what "development" meant to these psychologists. What did they value? At the end of life, the last stage of development for Erikson, a person could find either integrity or despair. He could view his life as tied up in a successful package or bemoan his feeling of lacking personal success. Piaget valued increasingly advanced ways of thinking and evaluating complexities. A person's achievement could be scientifically measured rather than being how he felt about his life. Measurement and research was very important to Piaget.

    • 5

      Determine the fundamental and most important contributor to development according to the theories. For Erikson, the first stage was trust, which was developed as an infant. If a caregiver did not regularly and lovingly meet a baby's needs, the child would carry trust issues into adulthood. For Piaget, knowledge was most important. This was socially transmitted, either by more powerful people in "assymetrical" social relationships or by peers in "cooperative" relationships.

    • 6

      Notice that both theories emphasize the importance of social input and the ability of people to grow if properly nurtured by society. Erikson believed that the development of children is influenced by social expectations, prohibitions, and prejudices. Healthy development later in life can overcome the shortcomings of earlier stages. Piaget preferred the social input of cooperative relationships because intelligence could expand freely without the constraint of higher authorities. With support, there was no limit to what a person could accomplish.

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