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DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES AND TASKS

OF INFANCY, CHILDHOOD & ADOLESCENCE

INFANCY – BIRTH TO 1 YEAR

PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGE
[ERIKSON] / DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS
[HAVIGHURST] / COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
[PIAGET] / LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT / PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGE
[FREUD]

Trust vs. Mistrust

Basic Trust – a sense of the world as a safe place, people as dependable and helpful. Consistent, loving care by nurturing person is essential. Outcomes: hope, faith, drive, optimism
Mistrust – develops when nurturing care is absent, deficient, inconsistent or rejecting
Outcomes: suspicion, insecurity, pessimism / [Note: Havighurst described tasks of birth to 6 years as a single period. They are divided here for convenience only]
Learning to:
  1. Achieve physiological stability
  2. Take solid foods
/

Sensorimotor

*[up to 1½ to 2 years of age]
Thought derives from sensation and movement. Progress occurs from reflex activity to simple repetitive behaviours. Develop early sense of cause/effect, time, space.
Concept of object permanence
Task: differentiation of self from objects; locating self in physical space /

Oral - Sensory

Pleasures center around gratification found in use of mouth & lips.
Oral activities include sucking, biting, chewing, vocalizing

TODDLER – 12 to 36 MONTHS

PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGE
[ERIKSON] / DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS
[HAVIGHURST] / COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
[PIAGET] / LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT / PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGE
[FREUD]

Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt

Autonomy – centers around increasing ability to control body, self and environment. Want to “do” for self. Sense of self-reliancy & adequacy develops from being permitted to make choices.
Outcomes: willpower, self-control
Shame & Doubt – arises when child is made to feel self-conscious, ashamed or is made dependent in areas in which is capable of taking control.
Outcomes: self-consciousness, lack of control / Learning to:
  1. walk
  2. talk
  3. control elimination of body wastes
/ Sensorimotor [to age 1½ to 2]
-uses active experimentation to achieve goals
-awareness of cause/effect
-awareness of spatial relationships
-imitation, domestic mimicry
Preconceptual [age 2-4 years]
-egocentric thought – self as standard of judgment –unable to take viewpoint of others
-begin to think & reason conceptually –increasing use of language –thinking is transductive (relating particular to particular) /

Anal - Urethral

Interest centers around anal sphincter. Develop ability to withold or expel fecal material at will. Climate surrounding toilet training influences child’s personality.
Associated traits include possessiveness, retentiveness, aggressiveness, pronounced messiness or tidiness, punctuality or shame.

PRESCHOOL – AGE 3-5 YEARS

PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGE
[ERIKSON] / DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS
[HAVIGHURST] / COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
[PIAGET] / LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT / PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGE
[FREUD]
Initiative vs. Guilt
Initiative: sense of confidence that allows child to plan, take action & test what kind of person he/she can be. Reinforced by freedom, opportunity, encouragement
Outcome: purpose & direction
Guilt: occurs when made to feel bad about initiatives made
Outcomes: guilt, anxiety, fear, dependence / Learning to:
  1. learn sex differences & sexual modesty
  2. relate oneself emotionally to parents, siblings & other people
  3. form simple concepts of social & physical reality
  4. learning to distinguish right & wrong, developing a conscience
/ Preconceptual [to 4 yr.]
as above
Pre-operational or Intuitive [ 4-7 yr.]
-transition to increased symbolic functioning
-ability to think in terms of classes, see relationships, deal with number concepts
-defines objects in terms of their use
-still egocentric; unable to see another’s point of view / Phallic – Locomotion
-interest focussed around genital area
-recognize differences between sexes
-identification with parent of same sex
-Oedipal or Electra complexes, penis envy, castration fears

SCHOOL AGE – 6 – 12 YEARS

PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGE
[ERIKSON] / DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS
[HAVIGHURST] / COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
[PIAGET] / LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT / PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGE
[FREUD]
Industry vs. Inferiority
Industry: characterized by sense of confidence and competence in ability to produce, build, make. Needs & wants real achievement.
Child learns to compete & cooperate and to use rules.
Outcomes: method, competency
Inferiority: may feel inadequate if too much or too little is expected of child or if they feel they cannot live up to standards set for them
Outcomes: feelings of inadequacy /
  1. learning physical skills necessary for ordinary games
  2. building wholesome attitudes toward self as growing person
  3. learning to get along with age-mates
  4. learning appropriate masculine or feminine roles
  5. developing fundamental skills in reading, writing, calculating
  6. developing conscience, morality, scale of values
  7. developing concepts necessary for everyday living
  8. developing attitudes toward social groups and institutions
  9. achieving personal independence
/ Pre-operational [to 7 yr]
as above
Concrete Operational
-development of logical reasoning
-thinking is tied to what is observable
-concepts of reversability, conservation
-thinks in terms of numbers, classes, relations
-beginning deductive reasoning
-overcoming ego-centrism
-no longer fooled by appearances / Latency
-resolution of phallic conflicts
-attention turned from sexuality to tasks of socialization
-quiescent period of sexuality

DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES AND TASKS.doc