Developmental Stages Flashcards
Freud’s Psychosexual Developmental Theory
Freud believed that personality developed through a series of childhood stages in which the pleasure-seeking energies of the id become focused on certain erogenous areas.
● This psychosexual energy was described as the driving force behind behavior
● Psyche includes: Id (a human’s basic, instinctual drives); Ego (attempts to
mediate between id and reality); and Superego (reflects the internalization of cultural rules usually learned from parents)
Stages of Freud’s Psychosexual Developmental Theory
Oral Stage (Birth to 1 year), Anal Stage (1-3 years), Phallic Stage (3-6 years), Latent Stage (6-Puberty), Genital Stage (Puberty-Adult)
Piaget’s Developmental Theory
Based on the premise that people actively construct higher levels of knowledge
● Motivation for cognitive development occurs when there is a state of ‘disequilibrium’ brought on by a discrepancy between the person’s current understanding of the world and reality.
● Equilibrium is then achieved through a combination of assimilation (incorporation of new information into existing schemas) and accommodation (modification of existing schemas), which both lead to adaptation.
Stages of Piaget’s Developmental Theory
Sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years, Object Permanence, Causality, Symbolic Thought), Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 years), Concrete Operational (7 to 11 years), Formal Operational Stage (11+years).
Symbolic Function is part of what stage?
Preoperational Stage
Egocentrism is part of what stage?
Preoperational Stage
Erikson’s Development Theory
Based on Freud’s emphasis on unconscious motivation
• Greater emphasis on the ego
• Assumes that people are basically rational and that behavior is largely due to
ego functioning.
• Each of the 8 stages involves a psychosocial task that is to be mastered. If
not mastered, the person still continues to develop, but the ego is damaged and subsequent stages will be affected.
Stages of Erikson’s Development Theory
- Trust vs. Mistrust (0-18 months) 2. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (18 months to 3 years) 3. Initiative vs. Guilt (3 to years) 4. Industry vs. Inferiority (6-12 years)
- Identity vs. Role Confusion (12-18 years) 6. Intimacy vs. Isolation (18-40 years) 7. Generativity vs. Stagnation (40-65 years) 8. Ego Integrity vs. Despair (65 years - Death)
Mahler Stages of Development
According to Mahler, the Object Relations concepts refers to the way a child’s Ego becomes organized over the first 3 1/2 years of life. During this time the child struggles between the self and others. The theory focuses on the reciprocal relationship between a mother and her infant and its effect on the infant’s development of sense of self that occurs in three stages. Individuals are born with the drive to develop a sense of self and others along with the motivation to build interpersonal relationships.
Mahler Stages of Development
- Autistic Stage (new born 1 month): Infant is focused purely on his/herself; unresponsive to external stimuli.
- Symbiotic Stage (1-5 months): infant begins to perceive the “need- satisfying object”. During this stage, the mother’s ego functions for the infant. Begins to understand that the mother as a separate being.
Mahler Stages of Development
- Separation-Individuation Stage (5-24 months+) During separation, the infant begins to develop an understanding of the boundaries of self and they start to see their mother as a separate individual. During individuation the child begins to develop a sense of self. Within separation-individuation there are four sub-stages.
o Differentiation Substage (5-9 months): infant’s attention shifts from being inwardly focused to outwardly focused. (i.e. crawling)
o PracticingSubstage(9-14months):infantcontinuestoseparate from caretaker, his/her autonomous ego functions become more apparent. (i.e. walking, playing)
o Rapprochement Substage (14-24 months): infant begins to want to act independently. Moves away from mother but regularly comes back to ensure she is still there.
o ObjectConstancySubstage(after24months):infant internalizes his/her mother and begins to understand that his/her mother still exists for him/her despite her absence
primary interaction with the world is through the mouth. The mouth is vital for eating, and the infant derives pleasure from oral stimulation through gratifying activities such as tasting and sucking
Oral Stage: (birth-1 year)
primary focus of the libido was on controlling bladder and bowel movements. Toilet training is a primary issue with children and parents. Too much pressure can result in an excessive need for order or cleanliness later in life, while too little pressure from parents can lead to messy or destructive behavior later in life.
Anal Stage: (1-3 years)
the primary focus of the id’s energy is on the genitals. At this stage children become aware of their gender identity
Phallic Stage: (3-6 years)
Sexual feelings are dormant. Children develop social skills, values and relationships with peers and adults outside of the family.
Latent Stage: (6-Puberty)
onset of puberty causes the libido to become active once again. During this stage, people develop sexual interests in others. If development has been successful to this point, the individual will continue to develop into a well-balanced person.
Genital Stage: (Puberty-Adult)
Object Permanence
allows the child to recognize that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight. Ex: A child searches for a toy that is hidden under a blanket, even if the toy cannot be seen.
Causality
is when the child to recognize that certain events cause other events. Ex: A child realizes that they can use their hand to pick up and move a toy to a different spot.
Symbolic Thought
is when the child begins to use language (symbols) to think about actions before performing them. Ex: A child begins to understand that words represent an object such as a dog or cat.
A key characteristic of this stage is
the symbolic function, which allows the child to learn through the use of mental
images, language and other symbols that represent objects that aren’t present. Children during this stage engage in symbolic play and can solve problems mentally.
Preoperational Stage: (2 to 7 years)
Children are capable of performing mental operations using logic and abstract thinking. This allows children to classify and problem-solve in more sophisticated ways.
Concrete Operational Stage: (7 to 11 years)
During this stage, the adolescent or young adult is able to think abstractly, hypothetically, and in a relativistic way. Adolescents can develop competing hypotheses about a problem and strategies for testing the hypotheses. There is an increase in “thinking about thinking” and some return to egocentrism during this stage.
Formal Operational Stage: (11+ years)
Trust vs. Mistrust: (0-18 months)
The psychosocial task during this stage is to achieve a balance between trust and mistrust. Basic trust develops in the context of
the relationship between the infant and the primary caregiver and forms the foundation for all other stages of development. Failure to master the task can result in pervasive mistrust of others OR dependent, unthinking, rigid adulation of others.
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt: (18 months to 3 years)
The toddler’s psychosocial task during this stage is to achieve a sense of independence over herown body in the context of relationships with primary caregivers. If a child experiences autonomy (in walking, exploring, etc.), she will gain confidence and pride, which then become ego strengths. If the child is overcontrolled or prohibited from exploring or becoming autonomous, she is likely to feel doubtful of her own abilities and excessive shame.
Initiative vs. Guilt: (3-6 years)
The child’s psychosocial task during this stage is to set goals and carry out plans without infringing on the rights of others. Exerting too much control (or taking action that does infringe on the rights of others) results in disapproval from adults and subsequent feelings of guilt. Those feelings of guilt, then, prohibit the child (or adult) from effectively making plans or setting goals in the future.
Industry vs. Inferiority: (6-12 years)
The child’s psychosocial task during this stage is to develop a sense of competence by beginning school and learning to do things on his own which instills a sense of pride and confidence. A child’s peer group also begins to be of greater significance in this stage as well and contributes to a child’s self-esteem. If adults do not support the child in his initiative, then a sense of inferiority is likely to develop where the child doubts his own abilities, making it more difficult to reach his potential.
Identity vs. Role Confusion: (12-18 years)
The adolescent’s task is to learn the roles that s/he will occupy as an adult while developing a sense of personal identity. Peer relationships help them to explore various identities. Success in this stage leads to fidelity where the adolescent feels comfortable with others who have varying values, while remaining true to her own identity. If the adolescent fails to develop a sense of identity, than she may feel role confusion or a weakened sense of self.
Intimacy vs. Isolation: (18-40 years)
The task during this stage is to begin forming intimate relationships with other people. An individual develops comfortable relationships with a sense of commitment and care. Failure to develop intimacy can lead to isolation, loneliness, and a feeling of exclusion.
Generativity vs. Stagnation: (40-65 years)
The psychosocial task during this stage is to participate in activities that give the individual a sense of purpose such as a career, raising children, and creating positive changes that benefit others. If an adult does not feel this sense of purpose, he may then feel little connection to others and a sense of uselessness or rejection.
Ego Integrity vs. Despair: (65-death)
The psychosocial task during this stage is for older adults to look back on life and feel a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. This wisdom allows for them to face the end of life and accept successes and failures, aging, and loss. Those who see their lives as unproductive or with many regrets may develop a sense of despair and guilt that can lead to depression and hopelessness.
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
A 2-year-old boy has control over personal and physical skills and a sense of independence.
A 4-year-old boy says, “Mom must like grilled cheese because I like grilled cheese.”
Preoperational Stage
Failure of this stage, after age 65, results in little connection to others and a sense of uselessness.
Generativity vs. Stagnation
A 12-year-old boy can think hypothetically and use logic to
problem-solve.
Formal Operational Stage
This stage forms the foundation for the rest of development by creating
a sense of security between the infant and caregiver.
Trust vs. Mistrust
A 20-year-old is forming relationships with others, which is important at
this stage.
Intimacy vs. Isolation
A peer group is important in this stage to develop a 12-year-old child’s self-esteem.
Industry vs. Inferiority
A 3-year-old child thinks the sidewalk is mad at him because it made him fall.
Preoperational Stage
A 50-year-old woman states, “I feel really stable in my career.”
Generativity vs. Stagnation
A 13-year-old girl can think about abstract concepts.
Formal Operational Stage
Failure of this stage, after 18 months, can result in wariness or a dependency on others.
Trust vs. Mistrust
A 10-year-old child can look at multiple aspects of a problem in order to solve it.
Concrete Operational Stage
Failure of this stage, after age 3, results in feeling hesitant of one’s own abilities.
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
A 10-month-old child recognizes that certain events cause other events.
Sensorimotor Stage
Failure of this stage, after age 6, can result in feelings of self-blame and difficulties setting future goals.
Initiative vs. Guilt
A 16 year old asks the question, “Who am I?”
Identity vs. Role Confusion
A 7-year-old child can put sticks in order by height
Concrete Operational Stage
A 75-year-old man states, “I feel accomplished with the life that I have lived.”
Ego Integrity vs. Despair
Failure of this stage, after age 18, results in a weakened sense of self.
Identity vs. Role Confusion
A 9-month-old child searches for a toy underneath a blanket.
Sensorimotor Stage
The psychosocial task of a 5 year old during this stage is to set goals without infringing on others rights.
Initiative vs. Guilt
Failure of this stage, after age 40, leads to feeling lonely and excluded.
Intimacy vs. Isolation
A 6-year-old child feels a sense of pride and competence by beginning school.
Industry vs. Inferiority
An 80-year-old woman views her life as unproductive or with many regrets resulting in feelings of hopelessness.
Ego Integrity vs. Despair
