Reading Response
Since the 20th century, development in psychology has undergone various changes. Many early theorists have had an influence on the psychology field. Some notable theorists like Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and Erick Erikson have had a great impact on child psychology. This paper is going to give a detailed report and contribution on the development stages, as well as the differences and similarities of the three theorists.
The cognitive development process of Jean Piaget focuses on the stages of a child who transitions from one stage followed by a sequence. Erick Erikson’s psychosocial development theory was developed later than Piaget’s. He dealt with the eight unique stages of a person’s life. Lev Vygotsky believes in the significance of the socio-cultural environment in cognitive development. He emphasizes that instructions and social interactions function in the development process.
Erickson focuses on the whole development process, asserting how the environment engages with a child, thereby influencing its development. At the same time, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development takes an interest in a person’s thought process. He has a special emphasis on an individual’s early years, let’s say at the age of 12. Vygotsky has his own theory, which proposes that in the roles of social interaction, a child’s development does not precede socialization. Social structures and social relations have an impact on a person’s mental development and functions.
The similarity between the three theories is that they all examine issues of development psychology, describing these developments through phases. Every theorist declares that every stage has a distinguished challenge in the process of development. Thus, all successive stages correlate. To some extent, when one stage fails, the other stage also precipitates failure.
These three theorists have contributed widely to the field of development psychology, As much as they drew inspiration from different sources in the 20th century.
Reference
Mooney, C. G., & Amazon.com. (2013). Theories of childhood: An introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget, & Vygotsky. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
