It is important to note that there are eight stages in Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. The conflicts include Trust vs. Mistrust in the first stage, Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt in the second stage, Initiative vs. Guilt in the third stage, and Industry vs. Inferiority in the fourth stage (Cherry & Susman, 2021). The latter is followed by Identity vs. Confusion in the fifth stage, Intimacy vs. Isolation in the sixth stage, Generativity vs. Stagnation in the seventh stage, and Integrity vs. Despair in the eighth stage (Cherry & Susman, 2021). The key emphasis of Erikson’s theory is that a person grows through the impact of social experience. The conflict is a central element of each phase, in which the term ‘versus’ is utilized. It is stated that “if people successfully deal with the conflict, they emerge from the stage with psychological strengths that will serve them well for the rest of their lives” (Cherry & Susman, 2021, para. 8). However, failure to do so results in the lack or poor development of vital skills necessary for the formation of self.
In contrast, Piaget’s theory of development has only four main stages. These include the sensorimotor stage from birth to 2 years, the preoperational stage from ages two to seven, the concrete operational stage from ages seven to 11, and the formal operational stage from age 12 (Cherry & Gans, 2022). Piaget proposed that “there are both qualitative and quantitative differences between the thinking of young children versus older children” (Cherry & Gans, 2022, para. 9). In the first stage, a toddler and infants primarily rely on their sensory experiences and motor functions to interact and learn with the world. In the second stage, language becomes the primary mode of the learning process. During the third stage, a child develops a literal understanding and thinking patterns, which facilitate his or her logic. The last stage is about developing the capability to comprehend abstract concepts and deductive reasoning frameworks; thus, the theories share no notable similarities.
References
Cherry, K., & Gans, S. (2022). Piaget’s 4 stages of cognitive development explained. Very Well Mind. Web.
Cherry, K., & Susman, D. (2021). Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. Very Well Mind. Web.