Adolescent Development Erikson, Piaget, and Kohlberg

Piaget (Cognitive Development) During childhood, people progress through the sensorimotor, preoperational, and concrete operational stages of development. A review: (0-2) Sensorimotor– motor activity; senses; exploration; end of stage– object permanence (2-7) Preoperational– language; egocentrism (7-11) Concrete Operational– collect things; use logic; master conservation task

Cognition Quiz 1. Can you imagine a world with more justice? 2. What do you think people can do right now to achieve a better world? 3. Can you solve an algebra problem or read a map? 4. Have you successfully engaged in a debate?

Formal Operations (12 and up) You can: Imagine hypothetical scenarios Think idealistically Understand abstract thought Use Logic and organizational skiLls

What does this mean? Adolescents can: 1. Express memories more easily 2. Create better plans of action 3. Decide what is relevant information 4. Use irony and sophisticated types of humor

Moral Reasoning and Kohlberg’s Stages Preconventional Stage 1: Punishment/Obedience Stage 2: Naivete and Hedonism Conventional Stage 3: Pleasing other people; Receiving approval Stage 4: Good of society/ Law Postconventional Stage 5: Distinction between legal and moral Stage 6: Individual conscience

Stages 1 and 2 Stage 1: Consequences determine morality. The man should not steal the drug because he’ll go to jail. Stage 2: Rules are all-important/ morality is self-serving. The man should obey the law or he should at least steal something for himself.

The druggist dilemma Read the slip of paper individually and answer the questions. Do not discuss your answers.

Stages 3 and 4 Stage 3: Decisions for what is right are based on what helps others or gains approval. The man loves his wife, so stealing the drug is not wrong. Stage 4: The law is what a person must follow. The man should find away to work according to the law to help his wife.

Stages 5 and 6 Stage 5: Choices are based on weighing and evaluation. It is wrong to steal but more wrong to let a person die. The man should choose life over property. Stage 6: Choices reflect an evolved, complex belief system. The man loves his wife and wants the drug for her, but does not think that his case alone can define what is good for all of society. He chooses not to steal the drug.

Erikson (psychosocial development) The key is to form an identity: a sense of yourself, who you are as an adult, what you believe in, and what you value

Erikson’s eight stages We already spoke briefly about the first four. A review: 1. Infancy (Trust vs. mistrust) 2. Toddler (Autonomy vs. shame and doubt) 3. Preschooler (Initiative vs. guilt) 4. School age (Industry vs. inferiority)

The Adolescent/Young Adult Stages 5. Adolescence (Identity vs. role diffusion) Experiences confusion among role models; “identity crisis” 6. Young adulthood (Intimacy vs. isolation) Commits to an intimate relationship and/or career direction

Middle to Late Adulthood 7. Middle adulthood (Generativity vs. stagnation) Creating something enduring, such as a family or work 8. Late adulthood (Ego integrity vs. despair) Gaining wisdom and strength to face frailty and death without sadness