EDUP3023

CONTENTS
STAGES OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND
RELATED DEVELOPMENT THEORIES:
SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT Definition of Emotion
Erik Eriksons Psychosocial Theory
Prenatal Development
Dr. Mary Wong Siew Lian
Jabatan PIPK
IPG KBL

What are Emotions? The functionalist approach to emotion

Berk (2009) said that emotions are a rapid
appraisal of the personal significance of the
situation, which prepares a person for action
emphasizes that the broad function of
emotions is to energize behavior aimed at
attaining personal goals (Barrett & Campos,
1987)

For example, happy feelings lead a person to
approach (something/somebody), sadness
causes a person to withdraw, fear causes a
person to actively move away, and anger
causes a person to do something to overcome
obstacles
Emotions arise from ongoing exchanges
between the person and the environment;
childrens emotional signals, such as smiling,
crying, and attentive interest, powerfully
affect the behavior of others
Similarly, emotional reactions of others
regulate childrens social behavior

Psychosocial the relation of the individuals

Erik Erikson put forward a theory for personal
emotional needs to the social environment
and social development, which results from
an individuals relationship with others
His theory emphasized the emergence of the
self, the search for identity, the individuals
Erikson saw development as a passage
relationships with others, and the role of
through a series of stages, each with its
culture throughout life
particular goals, concerns, accomplishments,
and danger
Development is in stages and the stages are
interdependent: accomplishments at later
Eriksons Theory of Psychosocial Development
stages depend on how conflicts are resolved
has eight stages
in the earlier years

Marywsl/ipgkbl/jun 2015 1
 Stage Important Description
At each stage, the individual faces a (Age in years) Event

developmental crisis a specific conflict Basic trust vs. Feeding From warm, responsive care, infants gain a
mistrust sense of trust/confidence
whose resolution prepares the way for the (Birth1) Mistrust is when they have to wait too long for
next stage comfort or are handled harshly
Autonomy vs. Toilet Using new mental and motor skills, children
It is usually a conflict between a positive shame/doubt training want to choose and decide for themselves.
(1-3) Parents can foster autonomy by permitting
alternative and a potentially unhealthy reasonable free choice and not forcing or
alternative shaming the child

Initiative vs. Indepen- Through make-believe play, children

The way the individual resolves each conflict guilt dence experiment with the kind of person they can
will have a lasting effect on that persons (3-6) become.
The child continues to become more assertive
image and view of society and to take more initiative but may be too
forceful, which can lead to guilt feelings

Stage Important Description Stage Important Description

(Age in years) Event (Age in years) Event
Industry vs. School Children develop the capacity to work and
inferiority cooperate with others. Generativity vs. Parenting/ Generativity means giving to the next
(6-11) Inferiority develops when negative stagnation Mentoring generation through child rearing, caring for
experiences at home/school/with peers lead to (Middle other people, or productive work. People
feelings of incompetence adulthood) who fail in these ways feel an absence of
Identity vs. Peer Adolescents try to answer the questions: Who meaningful accomplishment
role confusion relation- am I, and what is my place in society?
(Adolescence) ships By exploring values and vocational goals, the Ego integrity Reflection Individuals reflect on the kind of person
teenager forms a personal identity. The vs. despair on & they have been. Integrity results from
negative outcome is confusion about future (Old age) acceptance feeling that life was worth living as it
adult roles.
of ones life happened
Intimacy vs. Love Young people work at establishing intimate Those unable to attain a feeling of integrity
isolation relation- ties with others. and fulfillment sink into despair
(Young ships Because of earlier disappointments, some
adulthood) individuals cannot form close relationships
and remain isolated

Four types of identity (Marcia, 1999)

Identity achievement after exploring the IMPLICATIONS OF ERIKSONS THEORY
realistic options, the individual made
choices and is committed to pursuing them Eriksons theory emphasized the importance
Identity foreclosure a commitment made
of overcoming conflicts; success or failure to
without exploration; they simply
do so would have an impact on the life of
committed themselves to the lifestyle/
goals of a role model the individual; the teacher must guide
Identity diffusion they do not explore or students in solving these problems
commit; they reach no conclusion about
who they are or what they want to do with Erikson emphasized that children must be
their lives encouraged to explore, react and carry out
Moratorium exploration with a delay in activities to obtain emotional satisfaction
commitment to personal and occupational
choices

Marywsl/ipgkbl/jun 2015 2
 Children are born with the initiative to begin How children handle challenges can have
new activities and explore new directions lasting effects throughout their school life

Example: At Stage 1 through to Stage 3, At the pre-school stage (initiative vs guilt),

children normally like activities such as if parents do not give reinforcement for
drawing and coloring because these childrens efforts and do not allow children
activities give them satisfaction through to master basic motor skills, children will
expressing themselves in pictures have low self-confidence regarding their
abilities throughout life
Drawing increases their sensitivity in the 5
senses and the pictures drawn serve as a Low GPA or being suspended from primary
communication tool and reflect their /secondary school (industry vs inferiority)
thoughts are two good predictors of school drop-out
in later life

How well students do in the primary

grades matters more for their future
success than does their school performance
at any other time (Entwisle & Alexander,
1998)
During the adolescent stage (identity vs
role confusion), if adolescents fail to
integrate development of body and mind,
form their own identity, and decide on a
career choice, they will experience role
confusion
After the schooling years, failure to achieve
intimacy, generativity, and integrity will also
have adverse effects on the individual
This failures could lead to isolation from
others, lack of a sense of accomplishment,
lack of fulfillment and finally, despair
In light of the above, what can teachers do
to help their students?

Stage (Year) Implications

Trust vs mistrust Parents or caregivers should treat infants tenderly and
(Birth1) lovingly in order to establish a sense of trust in infants
ACTIVITY
Autonomy vs Give infants or toddlers the chance to carry out certain Put forward specific suggestions on
shame/doubt tasks (using the toilet, walking) on their own so as to implications in teaching and learning in the
(1-3) raise their self-confidence
classroom for Stages 3, 4 and 5 of Eriksons
Initiative vs guilt Allow children to play, imagine, make choices, and do Psychosocial Development Theory
(3-6) what they are confident about doing

Industry vs Give children the opportunity to interact with their

inferiority peers through appropriate t-l activities such as group
(6-12) discussion and projects
Identity vs role Organize activities where adolescents questions on
confusion puberty, sex, career choice can be answered; give
(12-18) them the chance to find answers to their questions;
always be there for them when they need guidance,
support and counseling

Marywsl/ipgkbl/jun 2015 3