Kohlberg & Erikson
Kohlberg believed that children develop
a moral code and awareness of respect,
empathy & love through interactions
with others
Preconventional Stages:
develops in the first 9 years of life

1. Obediance & Punishment


Sense of right & wrong
Individualism & Exchange

Right & wrong determined by rewards
Conventional Stages:
adolescence

3. “Good boy/ Nice Girl”


Classifying moral behavior as to whether it will help or please
4. Law & Order Stage

Equate being good with respecting authority & obeying the law
Postconventional Stages
about 10-15% of population reaches these

5. Social Contract/Individual Rights


Recognition that rights can supersede laws that are restrictive
or destructive in nature
6. Universal Ethical Principles

Your own conscious becomes the ultimate judge, commit
yourself to equal rights & respect for all above all else. Have
great sense and respect for justice.
Erikson’s Theory of 8 Stage Development

Everyone is born with a purpose, and they work towards
that purpose through 8 stages of conflicts throughout life.
1. Trust v. Mistrust

Infants needs are met or neglected – this shapes their
ability to trust.
2. Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt

Toddlers explore the world and feel shame from failures
& reprimands. This shapes their development of will
power through negotiating the experiences of success &
failure
3. Initiative vs. Guilt

Children act creatively and are playful with purpose.
Severe punishments at this stage can inflict paralyzing
feelings of guilt.
4. Industry vs. Inferiority

Education & learning social skills marks this stage.
Provides feelings of confidence, although could potentially
lead to the equation of self-worth with productivity
5. Ego-Identity vs. Role Confusion

Sense of who we are while considering the past, present
and future. Exploring different interests, opinions,
perspectives & niches until we find where we “fit”

Erikson coined the phrase “identity crisis”
6. Intimacy vs. Isolation

Build close relationships & experience love. Also
exposures to heartbreak and rejection.
7. Generativity vs. Stagnation

Finding pride in your work on behalf of future
generations or through social activism. Stagnation being a
sense of ‘stuckness’; a lack of legacy.
8. Ego-Integrity vs. Despair

Either feeling satisfied & at peace with the holistic view of
your life lived OR a sense of despair over the reality of
impending death.