Two of the most notable theories of human lifespan development are Erik Erickson's theory of psychosocial development and Jean Piaget's cognitive theory of development. As I will explain in this blog, both theories go hand in hand in the growth and development of adolescents and young adults.
Jean Piaget's theory focuses on cognitive growth, where thinking is an integral ppsychology of development. According to Piaget, children are naturally inquisitive, but they neither think nor act like adults (Mcleod, 2018). Cognitive thinking capabilities are thus developed through the various stages of growth. As we progress to a new stage of growth and development, our thinking capacity grows. Children from a young age develop schemata, which enables them to understand the world. As Piaget explained, schemata are mental models or concepts that help in the categorization and interpretation of information (Mcleod, 2018). By the time human beings reach adulthood, their schemata usually have created an analysis and interpretation for almost everything. According to the cognitive development theory, human beings use two processes to adjust their schemata, assimilation, and accommodation (Mcleod, 2018). In assimilation, individuals take the new information and compare it to what they already know. When it comes to accommodation, the individuals adjust their schemata to relate to the new information.
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On the other hand, Eric Erickson, while drawing from Freud's psychosexual theory, emphasized the social nature of human development rather than sexual. In doing so, Erickson modified the theory into psychosocial theory. According to Erickson, human beings are motivated by the need for competence achievement at each stage of their lives (Jones & Waite-Stupiansky, 2017). For this reason, there is always a conflict that needs to be solved at each stage of our development, and resolving the conflict leads to a feeling of a healthy personality as well as competence. In adolescence, ppsychologyicularly, Erickson suggested that the main task of that developmental stage is developing a sense of self (Jones & Waite-Stupiansky, 2017). In the same way, when it comes to early adulthood, the primary concern is intimacy versus isolation. I can resonate with both theories.
For instance, when I was 15 years old, I was always eager to learn new things. In school, I always got in trouble for attempting some rather dangerous experiments. At the same time, I did not know what I wanted to do as a career because everything excited me. However, the cognitive experience I had with a local youth center changed my outlook. My parents recommended the center for me because I was shy and reserved, and thus the program was perfect for me. In the center, I was introduced to the world of psychology, which has been a huge part of my life ever since.
Due to the nature of my parent's job, I was sent to a boarding school where my social skills were put to the test through interaction with my best friends. The other psychosocial experience happened when I was joining college. Like many other parents, my mum and dad did not feel like psychology was a concrete career and wanted me to be major in a business course. However, I was firm with my decision to pursue psychology and told them. Although we had a major argument that was later resolved, the decision shaped my psychosocial skills of assertiveness since I became someone who is not afraid to voice my opinion and stand up for what I believe. The experience was, therefore, crucial in nurturing my social skills, which are vastly needed in my career as a psychologist.
Later in my adulthood, I met the love of my life. Although Jean Piaget said that an individual's schemata are almost fully developed by adulthood, mine was a long way from that, and the one thing preventing it was my non-existent dating life. However, after I met Janice, I was able to comprehend the dynamics of human relationships further. The other life-changing experience also happened when I got my first job after graduation. My interactions with my co-workers further broadened my understanding of human interrelationships. The company was welcoming, and I fit right in, even though I was the youngest at 23.
According to Erickson, the developmental task during adolescence is identity vs. confusion. Consequently, this explains my shyness at 15. At that point, I was still experimenting with identity and gender roles. However, going to boarding school meant that I interacted with fellow teenagers, and this contributed to my discovery of self. From Jean Piaget's theory approach, I was also very eager to learn and experiment. This resulted in me discovering myself in psychology, a career that I still pursue up to now. In addition to that, the confusion was no longer there, which was illustrated by how I stood up to my parents when they wanted me to pursue a more 'serious' career.
The developmental task of the early adulthood stage of Erikson's psychosocial development is intimacy vs. isolation (Jones & Waite-Stupiansky, 2017). By the time I was becoming an adult, I had already discovered my identity and career, which meant that the next goal was intimacy. Through meeting Janice and getting into a relationship, I was able to live and experience an intimate relationship first-hand. Intimacy was illustrated by how my new company embraced and welcomed me into their family. Therefore, my goal of establishing intimate relationships with others was achieved.
References
Jones, E., & Waite-Stupiansky, S. (2017). The Eriksons’ Psychosocial Developmental Theory. In Theories of Early Childhood Education (Pp. 31-44). Routledge.
Mcleod, S. (2018). Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development. Simply Psychology .
