1
DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES AND TASKS
OF INFANCY, CHILDHOOD & ADOLESCENCE
INFANCY – BIRTH TO 1 YEAR
PSYCHOSOCIAL
STAGE
[ERIKSON]
Trust vs. Mistrust
DEVELOPMENTAL
TASKS
[HAVIGHURST]
[Note: Havighurst
described tasks of birth to
6 years as a single period.
They are divided here for
convenience only]
Basic Trust – a sense
of the world as a safe
place, people as
dependable and helpful.
Consistent, loving care
by nurturing person is
Learning to:
essential. Outcomes:
1. Achieve
hope, faith, drive,
physiological
optimism
stability
2. Take solid foods
Mistrust – develops
when nurturing care is
absent, deficient,
inconsistent or rejecting
Outcomes: suspicion,
insecurity, pessimism
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COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
[PIAGET]
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
LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT
PSYCHOSEXUAL
STAGE
[FREUD]
Oral - Sensory
Pleasures center
around gratification
found in use of mouth &
lips.
Oral activities include
sucking, biting,
chewing, vocalizing
2
TODDLER – 12 to 36 MONTHS
PSYCHOSOCIAL
STAGE
[ERIKSON]
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 selfconscious, ashamed or
is made dependent in
areas in which is
capable of taking
control.
Outcomes: selfconsciousness, lack of
control
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DEVELOPMENTAL
TASKS
[HAVIGHURST]
Learning to:
3. walk
4. talk
5. control elimination of
body wastes
COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
[PIAGET]
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)
LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT
PSYCHOSEXUAL
STAGE
[FREUD]
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.
3
PRESCHOOL – AGE 3-5 YEARS
PSYCHOSOCIAL
STAGE
[ERIKSON]
Initiative vs. Guilt
DEVELOPMENTAL
TASKS
[HAVIGHURST]
Learning to:
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
6. learn sex
differences & sexual
modesty
7. relate oneself
emotionally to
parents, siblings &
other people
8. form simple
concepts of social &
physical reality
9. learning to
distinguish right &
wrong, developing a
conscience
Guilt: occurs when
made to feel bad about
initiatives made
Outcomes: guilt,
anxiety, fear,
dependence
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COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
[PIAGET]
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
LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT
PSYCHOSEXUAL
STAGE
[FREUD]
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
4
PSYCHOSOCIAL
STAGE
[ERIKSON]
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
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DEVELOPMENTAL
TASKS
[HAVIGHURST]
SCHOOL AGE – 6 – 12 YEARS
COGNITIVE
LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT
DEVELOPMENT
[PIAGET]
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 egocentrism
-no longer fooled by
appearances
PSYCHOSEXUAL
STAGE
[FREUD]
Latency
-resolution of phallic
conflicts
-attention turned from
sexuality to tasks of
socialization
-quiescent period of
sexuality