Grand Canyon University
July 9th, 2010
Piaget, Erikson, and Kohlberg have contributed many years studying the human developmental milestones as they each see it. Through their own tests and research they have provided answers to the moral, lifespan, brain and nervous system development. The depth that they explored, children as well as adults, has helped many through their journey of life. Psychologists have provided us with the many answers to the why and how children go through their stages of life. The three men: Piaget, Kohlberg, and Erikson, we will look carefully to show how they compare in their thoughts and how they differ.
Piaget’s four-stage theory of development: Sensor motor (birth to 18-24 months), Pre-operational (18-24 months to 7 years), Concrete operations (7 to 12 years), Formal operations (12 and up). Sensor motor is infants are aware only of their sensations, fascinated by all the strange new experiences their bodies are having. They are like little scientists exploring the world by shouting at, listening to, banging and tasting everything. Pre-operational is during this stage children can process images, words and concepts but they can’t do anything with them; they can’t yet operate on them. It’s like they’ve acquired the tools of thought, but don’t yet know how to use them. Concrete operational is at this stage children gain the ability to manipulate symbols and objects, but only if they are concrete – abstract operations are still a challenge. Formal operations are from here on children are able to think in abstract terms about the world. Now they can understand concepts such as the future, values and justice. From around this age children start thinking like adults. (Piaget’s Four-Stage Theory: How Children Acquire Knowledge).
Throughout the course of the last two decades, scores of undergraduate...