Theories of the Biosocial Development of Toddlers

Erik Erikson

• Erikson's developmental theory focuses on the effect of outside influences as people age. His theory states there are eight stages to pass through from infant to elderly adult. The toddler period occurs second in the progression of stages typically between 18 months and 3 years of age. Toddlers work on building positive self-esteem as they learn new skills and learn what behaviors are appropriate. If the child feels consistently frustrated by not successfully mastering age-appropriate skills, poor self-esteem could develop. It is important that adults positively interact with their toddlers to develop confidence and a wholesome self-image.

Jean Piaget

• Piaget proposed four stages of cognitive development. The toddler phase starts in the first stage, sensorimotor, and ends in the middle of the second stage, preoperational. Children learn through investigating and manipulating items to learn what interactions will occur by the manipulation. Toddlers begin to understand that objects still exist even though they cannot always be seen. They also greatly develop their vocabulary at this age but are unable to reason through challenging situations as adults would.

Lev Vygotsky

• Vygotsky supported that toddlers learn and develop through social interactions. The child becomes well-rounded with a variety of experiences and opportunities. Cultural practices in the toddler's family have a significant impact on learning about the world around him. Vygotsky states that there are three modes in which knowledge is passed on to children. Toddlers learn by imitating behaviors displayed by people around them. Kids also learn by receiving, processing and practicing information that adults give them. Toddlers learn by working and playing cooperatively with their peers as well.

John Bowlby

• Bowlby proposed that toddlers develop a strong sense of security when their parents are focused and attentive to their needs starting at birth. Toddlers need to be able to depend on their parents and other caregivers to successfully explore their environment. Bowlby stated that toddlers display appropriate attachment by returning to a caregiver when in need of comfort, staying near a caregiver to avoid danger and becoming visibly upset when the caregiver is separated from the child.

Sigmund Freud

• Freud created the Psychosexual Stages of Development, which explains how humans develop attitudes toward sex. He stated that a toddler progresses through the oral, anal and phallic stages of his theory. During the oral stages, the child feels pleasure by chewing, sucking and biting objects. The anal stage follows where the child finds gratification by holding in and expelling her bowels. Some toddlers may enter the phallic stage where they derive pleasure by stimulating their penis or clitoris. Freud proposed that sexual development could be hindered if there was too much positive or negative emphasis on sex.