Introduction
The process of human development is complex and quite intricate. However, several theories can be distilled as the foundational premise for understanding the subject matter. These are Piaget’s, Freud’s, and Erikson’s ideas of cognitive and social development. Although the three theories seemingly have very few characteristics in common, further analysis shows that they share quite a number of underlying ideas.
Discussion
At first glance, there are noticeable differences between the three theories that make them quite far apart from one another. For instance, Piaget’s and Freud’s theories focus on childhood, whereas Erikson encompass the entirety of human development (Sigelman & Rider, 2021). Moreover, Piaget’s theory incorporates four stages, whereas Erikson’s includes eight, with two of them matching the age that Piaget splits into four stages (Sigelman & Rider, 2021).
In comparison, Freud’s theoretical framework includes five stages, with a focus on the development of sexuality. However, all three theories view infancy to childhood as the essential formative stage at which core behaviors and perceptions are shaped. Furthermore, the theories in question seek to examine the changes occurring to an individual as a part of a larger social group (Sigelman & Rider, 2021). Thus, the three theories in question shred the foundational understanding of human development.
Conclusion
Despite a surface overview of the theories by Piaget, Freud, and Erikson might lead to the false assumption that these theoretical frameworks have nothing in common, a more detailed assessment of the three perspectives demonstrates that they have multiple points of contact. Specifically, the propensity toward viewing development as a linear process and considering each stage instrumental in building essential skills is present in all theories. Finally, the concept of progressing and encompassing a greater range and complexity of ideas is evident in all three theories. Overall, despite surface-level differences, all three theoretical perspectives share a common idea.
Reference
Sigelman, C. K., & Rider, E. A. (2021). Life-span human development. Cengage Learning.