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Child Development Theories
Child Development Theories
Birth to Age 12
Early Childhood Education I
Objective 6.03
What are some of the major child
development theories?
• Psychosocial Theory of Human
Development- Erik Erikson
• Theory of Cognitive Development- Jean
Piaget
• Theory of Behaviorism-B.F. Skinner
• Sociocultural Theory- Lev Vygotsky
• Theory of Multiple Intelligences – Howard
Gardner
• Motivation Theory – Abraham Maslow
Erik Erikson
Psychosocial Theory of Development
• Life occurs in series
of stages.
• Each invidual must
pass through each
stage.
• Way people handle
stages affects
person’s identity and
self-concept.
Stages of Psychosocial Theory of
Development
• Trust vs. Mistrust
• Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
• Initiative vs. Guilt
• Industry vs. Inferiority
• Identity vs. Identity Confusion
• Intimacy vs. Isolation
• Generativity vs. Stagnation
• Integrity vs. Despair
Trust vs. Mistrust
• Birth to 18 months
– Basic needs being met
– Primary caretaker
– Fear of abandonment
– Need consistency in care
– Mistrust (does not securely attach, inability to
bond)
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
• 18 months to 3 years
• Shame when comparing self with “competent
giants”
• Opposition-test limits, “no”
• Offer them safe easy choices
• Potty Training
Initiative vs. Guilt
• 3-5 years
• Desire to copy caregivers
• Take initiative to create play
experiences
– Make up stories
– Play telephone
– Play out roles
• Most significant relationship
is with family.
Industry vs. Inferiority
• 5-12 years
• “my way”
• Capable of learning, creating, accomplishing
new skills (industry)
• Very social stage—can lead to self-esteem
issues if we have unresolved feelings of
inadequacy (inferiority)
Identity vs. Identity Confusion
• 12-18 years (adolescence)
• Attempt to find own identity
– Figure out who we are
separate from our family
• Struggle with social
interactions
• Moral issues
• Unsuccessful will lead to
role confusion
Intimacy vs. Isolation
• 18-35 years
• Seek one or more
companions (love)
• successful = intimacy
• Unsuccessful = isolation
(withdraw from others)
• Relationship is with marital
partner or friends most
important.
Generativity vs. Stagnation
• 35-55 or 65 years old
• Focus on career and
family
• Significant
relationships with
workplace, community
and family
Integrity vs. Despair
• 55 or 65 to death
• Look back on life and feel content and happy
know we have made contribution (integrity)
• Accept death
• See life as failure, fear death, struggle to find
purpose (despair)
Theory of Cognitive Development
Jean Piaget
• Behavior and thinking
can only be explained
by interaction of
nature (intrinsic) and
nurture (extrinsic
environment)
• Children pass through
specific stages
Cognitive Development Stages
• Sensorimotor (birth-2) – learn through
senses and develop intellect
• Preoperational (2-6 years) – children begin
to think symbolically and imaginatively
• Concrete Operational (6-12) – children
learn to think logically
• Formal Operational (12 yrs – adulthood) –
adults develop critical thinking skills
Theory of Behaviorism
B.F. Skinner
• Based on Tabula Rasa
(“clean slate” idea)
• Children start as “empty
organism” – waiting to be
filled through learning
experiences
• Behavior can be changed
through positive and
negative reinforcement
• Based on cause and effect
relationships
Major elements of Behaviorism:
• Positive and negative reinforcement
• Use of stimulus and response
• Modeling
• Conditioning
Check out this video on
Behaviorism!
• http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.p
hp?viewkey=bcbddb2b6d60038ad98b
Sociocultural Theory
Lev Vygotsky
• Culture and way children
interact with people influences
intellectual development
• Cultural environment-children
learn values, beliefs, skills,
and traditions they will pass to
own children
• Cooperative play-children
learn to behave according to
rules of culture
• Learning is constructed
Zone of Proximal Development