Theories of Child Development

freud oral stage

infant; child explores the world by using mouth

freud anal stage

toddler; child learns to control urination and defecation

freud phallic stage

preschooler; child learns sexual identity through awareness of genital area

freud latent stage

school-aged child; child’s personality development appears to be nonactive or dormant

freud genital stage

adolescent; develops sexual maturity and learns to establish satisfactory relationships with others

erikson trust vs mistrust

infant; learns to love and be loved as basic needs are met

erikson autonomy vs shame

toddler; develops sense of independence

erikson initiative vs guilt

preschooler; learns how to do basic things

erikson industry vs inferiority

school-aged; child learns how to do things well

erikson identity vs role confusion

adolescent; learn who they are and what kind of person they will be

piaget sensorimotor

birth-2 years; build understanding of world via sensory experiences

piaget pre-operational stage

2-7 years; rapid growth in symbolic thought/language but struggle with complex logic and taking another person’s POV

piaget concrete operational stage

7-11 years; develop logical thinking about physical tangible objects but struggle with abstract or hypothetical concepts

piaget formal operational stage

12 years+; highly advanced logic, abstract thinking, reason about hypothetical concepts