LCSW Prep: Developmental Stages

What are the three parts of Freud's psyche?

• Id = Pleasure principle; instinctual drives

• Ego = Reality principle; mediates between id and reality

• Superego = Moral conscience; internalized values from parents/society

According to Freud, what drives behavior?

Psychosexual (libidinal) energy focused on different erogenous zones throughout childhood.

Oral Stage (Birth-1 year)

• Mouth is primary source of pleasure

• Sucking and eating provide gratification

Anal Stage (1-3 years)

Focus:

• Toilet training

• Bladder and bowel control

Possible outcomes:

• Too strict → Anal retentive

  • Orderly

  • Perfectionistic

  • Clean

• Too lenient → Anal expulsive

  • Messy

  • Disorganized

  • Destructive

Phallic Stage (3-6 years)

Focus:

• Genitals

• Gender identity develops

Latency Stage (6-Puberty)

Sexual feelings become dormant.

Focus:

• Friendships

• Social skills

• Values

• School

Genital Stage (Puberty-Adult)

• Libido becomes active again

• Interest in romantic relationships

• Successful completion results in healthy adult relationships

What causes cognitive development according to Piaget?

Disequilibrium
= Conflict between current understanding and new experiences.

How is equilibrium restored?

Through:

• Assimilation = Fit new information into existing schemas.

• Accommodation = Change schemas to fit new information.

Sensorimotor Stage (Birth-2 years)

Children learn through:

• Senses

• Movement

Major achievements:

1. Object permanence

2. Causality

3. Symbolic thought

What is Object Permanence?

Understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen.

What is Causality?

Understanding that one action causes another.

What is Symbolic Thought?

Using words or symbols to represent objects before acting.

Preoperational Stage (2-7 years)

Major feature:
Symbolic function

Children:

• Use imagination

• Engage in pretend play

• Use language

• Think using symbols

Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years)

Children begin using:

• Logic

• Mental operations

• Problem-solving

• Classification

Formal Operational Stage (11+ years)

Can think:

• Abstractly

• Hypothetically

• About possibilities

• About thinking itself (metacognition)

What is Erikson's main idea?

Development occurs through 8 psychosocial crises.

Each stage must be resolved to strengthen the ego.

Trust vs. Mistrust (0-18 months)

Question:
"Can I trust the world?"

Success:

• Trust

• Hope

Failure:

• Mistrust

• Dependency

Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt (18 months-3 years)

Question:
"Can I do things myself?"

Success:

• Independence

• Confidence

Failure:

• Shame

• Doubt

Initiative vs. Guilt (3-6 years)

Question:
"Can I make plans?"

Success:

• Initiative

• Purpose

Failure:

• Guilt

• Fear of trying

Industry vs. Inferiority (6-12 years)

Question:
"Can I succeed?"

Success:

• Competence

• Pride

Failure:

• Inferiority

• Low confidence

Identity vs. Role Confusion (12-18 years)

Question:
"Who am I?"

Success:

• Identity

• Fidelity

Failure:

• Role confusion

• Weak sense of self

Intimacy vs. Isolation (18-40 years)

Question:
"Can I love?"

Success:

• Healthy relationships

• Commitment

Failure:

• Isolation

• Loneliness

Generativity vs. Stagnation (40-65 years)

Question:
"Can I contribute?"

Success:

• Productivity

• Parenting

• Career

• Helping society

Failure:

• Stagnation

• Feeling useless

Ego Integrity vs. Despair (65+ years)

Question:
"Was my life meaningful?"

Success:

• Wisdom

• Acceptance

Failure:

• Despair

• Regret

• Hopelessness

What is Mahler's theory about?

Development of:

• Sense of self

• Relationship with others

Occurs during the first 3½ years of life.

Autistic Stage (Birth-1 month)
Back:

Infant:

• Focused on self

• Unresponsive to outside world

Symbiotic Stage (1-5 months)

Infant begins:

• Recognizing mother's caregiving

• Understanding mother is separate

Separation-Individuation Stage (5-24+ months)

Child develops:

• Boundaries

• Independence

• Sense of self

Includes 4 substages

Mahler's Differentiation Stage (5-9 months)

Infant:

• Focus shifts outward

• Begins exploring

Example:
Crawling

Mahler's Practicing Stage (9-14 months)

Infant:

• Walking

• Playing

• Increasing independence

Mahler's Rapprochement Stage (14-24 months)

Child:

• Wants independence

• Frequently returns to caregiver for reassurance

Think:
"Go away...come back."

Mahler's Object Constancy Stage (24+ months)

Child understands:

• Mother still exists even when absent

• Stable emotional attachment develops

Freud vs. Erikson

Freud

• Psychosexual

• Id, Ego, Superego

• Sexual energy drives development

Erikson

• Psychosocial

• Ego development

• Social relationships drive development

Piaget vs. Erikson

Piaget
= Cognitive development
(How children think)

Erikson
= Psychosocial development
(How children relate to others)

Piaget vs. Mahler

Piaget
Focus:
Thinking and cognition

Mahler
Focus:
Attachment
Separation
Sense of sel