Assignment Unit 5
Growth and Development, Communication
Using the following questions, compare and contrast the major theories of
human development.
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What are some differences between Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson's
development theories? Freud’s theories explain psychosexual
development. According to his theory, certain parts of the body assume
psychological significance as foci of sexual energy; which may help to
explain normal behavior that parents may confuse as abnormal behavior.
Erikson’s work proposed a popular theory about psychosocial child
development. He viewed development as a lifelong series of conflicts
affected by social and cultural factors. Erikson believed each conflict must
be resolved for the child and adult to progress emotionally.
What are some differences between Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg's
theories? Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is a comprehensive
theory about the nature and development of human intelligence. This
theory deals with the nature of knowledge itself and how humans
gradually come to acquire, construct, and use it. Kohlberg’s cognitivedevelopment theory postulates that, although knowing what behaviors
are right and wrong is important, it is much less important than
understanding and appreciating why the behaviors should or should not
be exhibited.
 Give an example of a situation that could lead to an
unsuccessful resolution of Erikson’s conflict theory, leaving the
individual emotionally disabled for each age group: Infant,
toddler, preschool, school age, and adolescence. Infant: when
parents/caregivers don’t respond to the crying of an infant or
the care is inconsistent, the infant may develop a sense of
mistrust. (2) Toddler: if a child is criticized, overly controlled,
or not given the opportunity to assert themselves, they will
begin to feel inadequate in their ability to survive; may
become overly dependent upon others, lack self-esteem, and
feel a sense of shame or doubt in their abilities. (3) Preschool:
preventing a child from interacting with other children &
involving themselves in play. (4) School Age: not encouraging
or restricting a child from taking initiative to achieve goals.
Discouraging a child from living to their full potential. (5)
Adolescence: parents attempting to keep child “their baby”
as long as they can, not promoting independence and not
allowing the child to grow up.
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Based on the following questions, identify the major milestones of each period
of lifespan development: Infant, toddler, preschool, school age, and
adolescence.
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What are some physical developmental milestones for each age group?
1)Infant: 2 months…fontanels close, birth weight doubles by 6 months
and triples by 1 year, grows teeth; 2)Toddler: birth weight quadruples,
run, permanent teeth start to erupt; pull or carry toys while walking;
climb on furniture and playground equipment; 3)Preschool: growth
appears more rapidly in the legs than in the trunk, accumulation of
adipose tissue declines, muscles grow faster than bones; 4)School Age:
gain between 4-7 pounds each year, improvement in motor skills, and
growth spurts; 5)Adolescence: enlargement of testicles in boys,
appearance of pubic hair, & breast development in girls
What are some major features of social development for each age group?
1)Infant: prefer to see faces over objects, prefer listening to people’s
voices over other noises; 2)Toddler: taking turns with playmates, imitate
friends & family; 3)Preschool: shares with friends and family (less selfish),
less dependent on parents/caregivers, interact while playing instead of
just playing side by side; 4)School Age: learn to cooperate in group
settings, spends a lot of time talking with peers, & learns to use problem
solving skills; 5)Adolescence: becomes more autonomous from their
parents, spends more time with peers, & begin exploring romantic
relationships and sexuality
What are the 3 stages of adulthood according to Erikson? (1) Intimacy vs
Isolation, (2) Generativity vs Stagnation, (3) Ego Integrity vs Despair
Communication with children must reflect their developmental thought
process. Match each developmental stage with the communication guidelines
important at that stage. Include the page number of the text book from where
you based your answers. (Stages may be used more than once.)
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a. Infancy
b. Toddler
c. Pre-school
d. School-age years
e. Adolescence
____a____ Focus communication on the child; experiences of others are of
no interest to children in this stage. (pg 81)
____a____ Children in this stage primarily use and respond to nonverbal
communication. (pg 44)
____e____ Seeking opportunities to offer choices should be utilized with
this age child. (pg 47)
____c____ Children in this stage interpret words literally and are unable to
separate fact from fantasy. (pg 44)
____e____ Engaging in conversations about their interests is a suggested
communication approach. (pg 45)
____c____ Children use words they do not fully understand. (pg 44)
____ b____Teaching should occur immediately before procedures. (pg 45)
____c____ Children in this stage require explanations and reasons why
procedures are being done to them. (pg 44)
____e____ Children in this stage have a heightened concern about body
integrity, being overly sensitive to any activity that constitutes a threat to it.
(pg 154)
____e____ Children in this stage are often interviewed first, before their
parents. (pg 157)
____e____ Teaching in this age group should occur in a time frame that the
child has time to develop strategies for dealing with the situation. (pg 45)