Birth to 2 years

Formation of concept of "object permanence" and gradual progression from reflexive behavior to goal-directed behavior. During this stage babies and young children explore the world by using their senses and motor skills. Use of reflexes to produce more interesting and intetional patterns of behavior. Children progress from their earlier trial-and-error approach to a more planned approach to problem solving. "Thinking" appears now.

2-7

Development of the ability to use symbols to represent objects in the world.  Thinking remains egocentric and centered. During this stage, children have greater ability to think about things and use symbols to mentally represent objects.  Yet, much of their thinking remains primitive.  Children during this age have problems with conservation and centration.  Reversibility develops thru this stage. Children are egocentric in their thinking. 

7-11.

Improvement in ability to think logically.  New abilities include the use of operations that are reversible.  Thinking is decentered, and problem solving is less restricted by egocentrism.  Abstract thinking is not possible. Children in this stage still do not think like adults.  Children no longer have trouble with conservation because they have acquired the concept of reversibility. The older child is able to respond to inferred reality.  Children during this stage learn seriation.  Once this ability is acquired, children can master transivity. 

1. A focus on the process of children's thinking, not only its products.

2.  Recognition of the cruicial role of children's self-initiated, active involvement in learning activties

3.  A deemphasis on practices aimed at making children adultlike in their thinking.

4.  Acceptance of individual differences in developmental progress.

Birth to 18 months.

Trust as "an essential trustfulness of others as well as a fundamental sense of one's own trustworthiness."  If a mother is inconsistent or rejecting, she becomes a source of frustration for the infant rahter than a source of pleasure.  The mother's behavior creates in the infant a sense of mistrust for his or her world that may persist throughout childhood and adulthood.

18-3 years.

Children in the terrible twos no longer want to depend totally on others.  INstead, they strive toward autonomy, the ability to do things for themselves.  The child's desire for power and independence often clash with the wishes of the parent. CHildren have a dual desire to hold on and let go. Parents who are flexible enough to permit their children to explore freely and do things for themselves, while at the same time providing an ever-present figure encourage the sense of autonomy. Parents who are overly-resrictive and harsh give children a sense of powerlessness leading to doubt in one's abilties.

3-6.

During this period, children's continually maturing motor and language skills permit them to be increasingly aggressive and vigorous in the xploration of both their social and physical enviornment. Parents who severly punish children's attempts at initiative will make the children feel guilty about their naturl urges both during this stage and later in life.

6-12 Years.

Teachers and peers take on increasing importance for the child, while the influence of parents decreases.  Children now want to make things.  Success brings with it a sense of industry, a good feeling about oneself and one's abilities. Failure creates a negative self-image, a sense of inadequacy that may hider future learning.

12-18.

The question "Who am I" becomes important during adolescence.  Adolescents increasingly turn away from parents and toward peer groups.  Individual's rapidly changing physiology, coupled with pressures to make decisions about future education and career, creates the need to question and redefine the psychosocial identity established during the earlier stages. Teenagers experiment with various sexual, occupational, and education roles as they try to find out woh they are and who they can be.

Stave 6: Intimacy Vs. Isolation

Young Adulthood

ONce young people know who they are and where they are going, the stage is set for the sharing of their life with another.  The young adult is now ready to form a new relationship of tust and intimacy with another individual, a "partner in friendship, sex, competition, and cooperation." The young adult who does not seek out such intimacy or whose repeated tries fail may retreat into isolation.

Middle Adulthood

Generativity is "the interest in establishing and guiding the next generation"  People attain this through raising their own children.  People should continue to grow through this stage; if they don't, a sense of "stagnation and interpersonal impoverishment" develops.

Late Adulthood

People look back over their lifetime and resolve their final identity crisis.  Acceptance of accomplishments, failures, and ultimate limitations brings with it a sense of integrity, or wholeness, and a realization that one's life has been one's own responsibility.  The finality of death must also be faced and accepted.  Despair can occur in those who regret the way they have led their lives or how their lives have turned out.

Younger

Based on relations of constraint; for example, the complete acceptance by the child of adult presriptions. Reflected in attitudes of moral realis; Rules are seen as inflexible requirements, exernal in origin and authority, not open to negotiation; and right is a matter of literal obedience to adults and rules. Badness is judged in terms of the objective form and consequences of actions; fairness is equated with the content of adult decisions; arbitrary and severe punishments are seen as fair.  Punishment is seen as an automatic consequence of the offense, and justice is seen as inherent.

Older.

Based on relations of cooperation and mutual recognition of equality among autonomous individuals, as in relations between people who are equals.  Reflected in rational moral attitudes: rules are viewed as products of mutual agreement, open to renegotiation, made legitimate by personal acceptance and common consent, and right is a matter of acting in accordance with the requirements of cooperation and mutual respect.  Badness is viewed as relative to the actor's intentions; fairness is defined as equal treatment or taking acount of individual needs; fairness of punishment is defined by appropriateness to the offense. Punishment is seen as affected by human intention.

Punishment and Obedience Orientation. 

Physical consequences of action determine its goodness or badness.