Understanding how children grow—mentally, emotionally, and socially—has been the focus of developmental psychology for over a century. Two of the most influential figures in this field, Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget, developed distinct but complementary theories to explain the stages of human development.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory is best known for its emphasis on social interaction and cultural context in shaping cognitive development. One of its most fascinating elements is Vygotsky’s explanation of how children internalize language to develop thought. This transformation—from speaking aloud to thinking silently—is central to human cognition. In Vygotsky’s view, language doesn’t just express thought—it forms it.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
Egocentrism, as described in developmental psychology, refers to a child’s difficulty in understanding perspectives that differ from their own. This is not the same as being selfish or self-centered in a moral sense. Instead, it is a cognitive limitation — a natural part of early mental development.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
Attachment theory, first introduced by John Bowlby and later expanded by Mary Ainsworth, provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how infants form emotional bonds with caregivers and how those bonds shape development across the lifespan.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
The first year of life is a time of rapid growth and profound transformation. For developmental psychologist Erik Erikson, this period is marked by the psychosocial conflict of trust versus mistrust—the first of eight critical stages in his psychosocial theory of development.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
Erik Erikson's psychosocial development theory proposed that throughout our lives, we encounter certain crises that contribute to our psychosocial development. He presented these crises as 8 stages of psychosocial conflicts, often known as the 8 Erikson stages.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
As infants grow into toddlers, they begin to assert their will, explore their environment, and develop a sense of self apart from their caregivers. According to Erik Erikson, this critical phase—typically occurring between 18 months and 3 years—marks the second stage of psychosocial development: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
As children enter elementary school, the world expands beyond the home. Classrooms, peers, assignments, and evaluations become central to their daily lives. This shift marks a new psychosocial challenge in Erik Erikson’s theory of development : the stage of Industry vs. Inferiority, typically occurring between the ages of 6 and 12.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
According to Jean Piaget, children at the preoperational stage (2-7 years old) of cognitive development don't have a good grasp of the concept of conservation. They develop this ability at the concrete operational stage (7-11 years old).| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is a foundational concept in Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development. It explains how children move from what they can do independently to what they can achieve with the help of others. This “in-between” space is where the richest and most meaningful learning takes place.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
Based on Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, American psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987) developed his own theory of moral development in children. According to Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development, there are 6 stages of moral development, known as Kohlberg’s stages of moral development.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
In Sigmund Freud’s Psychosexual Theory, he proposed that the behavior and development of a person are influenced by the interaction between the conscious and unconscious aspects of that person’s mind.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters
Lev Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist, developed a theory of cognitive development in children known as the Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development in the early twentieth century.| The Psychology Notes Headquarters