Developmental psychology Essay

Developmental psychology is a dramaturgy that studies the distinguishable st progresss of development of human psychology. There are many different models of development theory of cognitive development by Jean Piaget, psychosexual floors of Sigmund Freud, stages of ego development by Jane Loevinger, model of hierarchical complexness by Michael Commons, stages of faith development by James W. Fowler, stages of psychosocial development by Erik Erikson, stages of virtuous development by Lawrence Kohlberg, hierarchy of needs by Abraham Maslow, etc.Erik Erikson formulated the stages of psychosocial development as an extension of Freuds stages of psychosexual development. Erikson proposed eight stages of normal human developmentInfancyToddlerPre-schoolSchoolAdolescenceYoung adulthood plaza adulthoodLate adulthoodThe primary conflict in infancy or oral afferent age (birth to 12-18 months) is between trust and mistrust. In the toddler or muscular anal age (18 months to 3 years) stage, there is a conflict between autonomy and shame initiative and guilt in the pre-school or locomotor (3 to 6 years) stage industry and inferiority in the school latency (6 to 12 years) age identity and role confusion in the adolescence (12 to 18 years) stage intimacy and isolation during young adulthood (19 to 40 years) generativity and stagnation in middle adulthood (40 to 65 years) and ego integrity and despair in late adulthood (65 to death).In the first stage a baby is totally dependent on its parents and it is up to the parents to develop a relationship of trust between the squirt and themselves. Such a child will grow up to be a more secure private. During the second stage children iota more personal control over their lives such as fetching things for themselves, toilet training and communicate for what they want. Play is an important comp mavinnt of the deuce-ace stage. During the fourth stage children develop intelligence of accomplishment and pride.In the adolescent s tage children are learning to be independent and they attempt to gain a sense of self. In the sixth and the seventh stages masses explore relationships through family, friends and career. The last stage is one retrospection and contemplation. The central element of the psychosocial theory of Erik Erikson is that of ego identity. This identity develops gradually through social interactions. all(a) the conflicts in the different stages of life lead to what is also kip downn as ego quality or ego strength.While Erik Erikson developed the model of Sigmund Frued, Lawrence Kohlberg extended the theory of cognitive development of Jean Piaget. In Kohlbergs model there are three levels of good development pre-conventional, conventional and post-conventional. Obedience, punishment and expedience are the main preoccupations in the pre-conventional level.The central questions at this level are, How to avoid punishment? and What do I get from this? Social norms and conformation to authority are the main concerns of the conventional stage. At this level muckle aspire to fulfil social roles. People are driven by approval and/or reflection of the group that belong to. It becomes important for them to follow rules and conform to dictums and laws. Being accepted by the group is the nigh important concern during this level. Universal laws and ethics are more important than group-based laws and ethics in the post-conventional stage. This stage is otherwise known as the principled level.At this stage laws are not considered to be frozen or irrevocable. They are thought to be social contracts that entail varied views and opinions. The keywords of Kohlbergs theory of moral development are obedience, self-interest, conformity, law and order, human rights and universal human ethics.The mental stages of Kohlbergs theory of moral development are designed to meet certain criteriaOn a qualitative level, they are different ways of thinking.They are structured wholes.The progress of the stages is an invariant sequence.They are hierarchical.They are universal across cultures.Kohlberg uses these stages to relieve other cognitive forms, particularly the ability to take roles. In the pre-conventional stage children do not know that there are other viewpoints on every subject. They accept the viewpoint only of the authority figure. They tell different opinions and viewpoints in the second stage but gravitate towards those views that they themselves hold. People become concerned with the feelings of others during the third and fourth stages. During the last two stages their worldview expands to include people from other communities and groups. They can identify with the opinions and feelings of other people because no law considered absolute and give. Law is a construct and a contract.Kohlbergs theory has been employ in education to help children become active participants in their own moral development. Children are further to discuss and debate moral issues and reach to conclusions on their own. One of the major criticisms of this theory lies with post-conventional stage. Critics have mat that it would be dangerous for people to place their individual values over group values and would be disruptive to communities. Carol Gilligan criticises the theory on the basis that it is totally male oriented and the women have a different path of moral development. Male development emphasizes authority while women emphasize affiliation.Erikson and Kohlberg have both(prenominal) provided important theories that expand on the theories of their predecessors. Eriksons theory emphasizes social interactions while Kohlbergs theory emphasises individual ideas and rights. Eriksons ego identity finds fruition in a life of social interactions while Kohlbergs ego identity transcends itself and group identities. The latter attributes only normative value to laws and dictums.REFERENCESErikson, E.H. (1968). Identity Youth and Crisis. juvenile York Norton.Erik son, E.H. (1963). Childhood and Society. (2nd ed.). New York Norton.Carver, C.S. & Scheir, M.F. (2000). Perspectives on Personality. Needham Heights, MA Allyn & Bacon.Kohlberg, Lawrence (1981). Essays on Moral Development, Vol. I The Philosophy of Moral Development. San Francisco, CA Harper & Row.