Development in Childhood
The Significance of Physical, Emotional, Cognitive, and Social Features of Childhood
Erikson partitioned the lifespan into eight stages, each characterized by a psychosocial crisis involving transitions in critical social relationships (p. 313). According to Erikson, personality is formed by how individuals deal with these psychosocial crises
• Stage 1- Sensorimotor Period (birth- two yrs old)- coordination of sensory input and motor responses; development of object stability (p. 315)
• Stage 2- Preoperational Period (2-7 yrs old)- development of symbolic thought marked by irreversibility, centration, and egocentrism (p. 315)
• Stage 3- Concrete Operational Period (7-11 yrs old)- mental operations applied to existing events; mastery of conservation, hierarchical classification (p. 315)
• Stage 4- Formal Operational Period (11- Adulthood)- mental processes applied to abstract ideas; logical, methodical
• Stage 3- Initiative vs. Guilt (4-6 yrs old); am I right or am I wrong?
• Stage 4- Industry vs. Inferiority (6- Puberty); Am I capable or am I worthless?
