Child Development: Stages, Theories, and Moral Development

Posted on Aug 14, 2024 in Psychology and Sociology

Child Development: Stages and Theories

Child development is a fascinating journey, marked by significant changes in physical, cognitive, and social-emotional abilities. Understanding these stages and the theories that explain them can provide valuable insights for parents, educators, and anyone interested in the growth of children.

Stages of Child Development

Here’s a breakdown of key developmental stages, highlighting the typical characteristics of each:

Baby: Your baby enjoys playing alone. Physical movements are random and not purposeful.
Walking-age child (Toddler): The toddler enjoys playing independently with toys. They particularly like toys that involve body movement.
Preschooler: The preschooler enjoys watching peers and imitating others. They interact with some people while playing.
School-age children: Begin to borrow and lend toys. This age group often starts with simulation games. Two predominant types of games emerge during this period:
- Play (6-7 years): Involves an argument representing a real-life situation. Children assume roles, using substitutes or imaginary objects to represent and resemble adults.
- Games with rules (8-11 years): Emphasize respect for social cooperation and rules. Penalties are imposed when rules are violated. This type of game persists into adulthood.
Teen: Teens enjoy games and sports competitions. The primary objective for this age group is social contact.

Adoption of Perspectives

The ability to understand and take on different perspectives is crucial for social development. Here’s a breakdown of how this skill evolves:

Egocentric point of view (3-6 years): Children understand the difference between themselves and others but cannot distinguish their perspective from others. They can label others’ feelings but don’t see the cause-and-effect relationship between reasons and social actions.
Adoption and company outlook (6-8 years): Children realize that others have perspectives based on their own reasoning, which may or may not be similar to their own. However, they focus on one perspective and cannot coordinate various viewpoints.
Adoption of self-reflexive perspective (8-10 years): Children understand that others have perspectives and influence each other. They recognize that taking the place of others is a way to understand their intentions, purposes, and actions. They can coordinate perspectives.
Mutual adoption of perspectives (10-12 years): Children can step outside of a two-person interaction and see it from a third person’s perspective.
Adoption of socio-conventional perspectives (13 years and older): Children realize that mutual adoption of perspectives doesn’t always lead to complete understanding. Social conventions are seen as necessary because all members understand the group, regardless of their position, role, or experience.

Psychosocial Theory (Erikson)

Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory describes eight stages of development, each with a unique challenge that shapes personality and identity. Here’s a summary:

Basic Trust vs. Mistrust (From birth to approximately 18 months): This stage focuses on the physical feeling of confidence. The baby receives warmth from the mother’s body and her loving care.
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (from 18 months to 3 years approximately): This stage is linked to muscle development and control of bodily functions. The baby begins to control a growing sense of self-affirmation.
Initiative vs. Guilt (from 3 to 5 years approximately): The third stage of initiative is given at the age of play. The child develops activity, imagination, and becomes more energetic and talkative. They learn to move more freely and wildly, their language skills improve, and they constantly ask questions, which expands their imagination.
Industry vs. Inferiority (from 5 to 13 years approximately): This is the stage when the child begins preschool and school. The child is eager to do things with others, share tasks, or plan activities. They may feel dissatisfied and unhappy if they feel unable to do things well and perfectly.
Identity vs. Role Confusion (from 13 to 21 years approximately): The person is faced with discovering who they are, what they want to do in life, and where they are going. Parents should allow them to explore different roles and paths.
Intimacy vs. Isolation (from 21 to 40 years approximately): Intimacy is the ability to be close to others because you have a sense of who you are and are not afraid of”losin” yourself. Erikson speaks of maladaptive behaviors.
Generativity vs. Stagnation (from 40 to 60 years approximately): This period is dedicated to raising children. The main task here is to achieve a balance between productivity and stagnation.
Ego Integrity vs. Despair (from about age 60 until death): Individuals look back to evaluate what they have done with their lives. If the assessment is positive, it generates a sense of satisfaction, integrity, and achievement.

Moral Development

Moral development refers to the set of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to the criteria of good and evil. It has two dimensions:

Intrapersonal: A person’s value system and sense of self. It regulates a person’s activities when they are not involved in interactions.
Interpersonal: What people should not do in interaction with others. It regulates social interactions and arbitrates in disputes.

Moral Development (Piaget)

Jean Piaget’s theory of moral development describes how children’s understanding of right and wrong evolves:

Heteronomous morality (4-7 years): Justice and rules are seen as immovable properties of the world beyond people’s control. Children judge the goodness or appropriateness of behavior based on its consequences, regardless of intentions.
The moral self (10 years or more): Children become aware that norms, rules, and laws are created by people. When judging an action, they consider intentions, apart from consequences. They are capable of creating new rules in a game.

Between 7 and 10 years, children are in a transition between these two forms of moral thinking, exhibiting features of both.

Moral Development (Kohlberg)

Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development expands on Piaget’s work, outlining six stages of moral reasoning:

Level 1 (Before 9 years): Preconventional Reasoning

This level shows no internalization of moral values. Moral reasoning is controlled by external rewards and punishments.

Stage 1: Heteronomous morality: Morality is linked to punishment. We obey out of fear of punishment.
Stage 2: Individualism, instrumental purpose, and exchange: Individuals pursue their interests but also allow others to do the same.

Level 2 (From 10 years): Conventional Reasoning

This level involves intermediate internalization. Individuals adhere to certain principles or criteria (internal) that are the criteria of others (external).

Stage 3: Interpersonal expectations, relationships, and interpersonal conformity: Individuals value trust, care, and loyalty to others as a basis for social judgments. They adopt the moral standards of their parents to be seen as”good”
Stage 4: Social systems morality: Social judgments are based on understanding the social order, law, justice, and duty.

Level 3 (From 20 years): Postconventional Reasoning

This level involves complete internalization of morality, not based on external criteria. Individuals recognize the existence of alternative moral choices, explore different options, and decide based on a personal moral code.

Stage 5: Social contract and utility and individual rights: Individuals argue that values, rights, and principles underlie or transcend the law.
Stage 6: Universal ethical principles: Moral judgments are based on universal human events. When faced with a conflict between law and conscience, individuals follow their conscience even if it means personal risk.

Tasks for Child Development

As children progress through these stages, they face various tasks that contribute to their overall development:

Start a gradual process of autonomy and independence from parents, enabling them to integrate into new environments.
Develop a motivation to learn.
Learn the skills required for their development in the adult world.
Learn to regulate their conduct according to the situation.
Adapt to social norms.

By understanding the stages of child development, the theories that explain them, and the tasks children face, we can better support their growth and well-being.