Jean Piaget, unlike most people at the time, did not believe that children’s brains were just small version of adults’ brains, but that they develop with age. As he studied children, he began to theorize that development occurs not only sequentially, but in a cumulative fashion. 6-year-olds are capable of refined motor control that toddlers are not, but they’re incapable of logical and abstract thinking utilized by adults on a daily basis. Because of this, Piaget ascertained that children develop schemas, or frameworks for organizing and interpreting information, and modify them throughout their lives. While this theory explains why development is cumulative and becomes more complex with experience, development does not always fit into such a structured path. The sensorimotor stage occurs from birth to about 2 years of age. During …show more content…
Only about ⅓ of people reach postconventional morality, similar to how many people reach Piaget’s formal operational stage (30-40%). Morality is based either on a flexible version of the social contract (stage 5) or one’s own ethical principles (stage 6). People understand that rules are made for a reason and are tools for order, but are not concrete and do not always fit society’s best interests. Erikson developed eight stages of social development based on psychosocial crises that occur during different stages of life. During each stage, one major crisis must be resolved to achieve balance between opposing polarities in personality. Erikson’s stages have proven applicable across time and cultures; however, the timing of these stages does not. The psychosocial crisis that occurs from birth to about a year is trust vs. mistrust. Infants seek a stable environment and form loving, trusting relationships with those who provide it. Feeding is a crucial factor in trust; by meeting an infant’s basic needs, parents create a sense of trust in their