Jean Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development Jean considered himself a genetic epistemologist focused on "How we come to know." Piaget's theory proposed by the various stages of a child in which the transition from one stage to another follows a sequence. While some of his ideas have been supported through more correlational and experimental methodologies, others have not. For example, Piaget believed that biological development guided movement from one cognitive stage to the next. Data from cross-sectional studies of children in a variety of Western cultures appear to support this claim for the sensorimotor, preoperational, and concrete stages of operations (Renner, Stafford, Lawson, McKinnon, Friot, & Kellogg, 1976). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Eric Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development He developed his theory much later than Piaget, but he also addressed development with eight unique stages throughout a person's life. New obstacles characterized each phase; how the person deals with obstacles at a stage determines the consequences. Accordingly, the naming of the phases was done with the likely outcomes in mind. Eric's theory covered identity, isolation, trust issues, insecurity, guilt at various ages, from a toddler up to twelve years old. Differences Erik's theory focuses on the entire eight-stage life development process. It states that the environment interacts with an individual to influence his or her development. At each stage you encounter a crisis and success depends on how you deal with the challenges. The skills acquired in moving to another phase reduce insecurity in the individual. These challenges occur throughout an individual's lifespan, from childhood to older age. Piaget's theory of cognitive development examines a person's mental processes. Its emphasis is mainly in the early stages under the age of twelve. The development of cognitive skills occurs from infancy to the operational stage (above 12 years of age) where abstract thoughts make sense. The naming of the phases represents the cognitive ability achieved in the child and in the adult. Despite the use of stages, both differ in the temporal aspect; Erikson's theory holds that the first stage ends at the age of one year, while Piaget postulates that the first stage ends at the age of two. Their views on the developmental process show notable differences in late adolescence. Piaget sees the adolescent as a rational being with rational thoughts. Erik assumes that at this stage the adolescent focuses on independence in decision making, relationships, and self-discovery. Piaget's stages came from research and observation while in Erikson's case they came from experience. Since Erickson belongs to the psychoanalytic school of thought, he emphasizes that the ego constantly changes, altering the individual's personality. Piaget focuses exclusively on changes in his four-stage theory, totally ignoring the ego in his analysis. Erikson uses social context as the basis of his theory. Piaget based his theory on the assumption that the child's senses and abilities are determinants of development. Similarities between both of these theories examine the issue of developmental psychology using stages to explain the process. Each of the theories assumes that each stage presents different challenges in the development process. Thus, subsequent stages build on each other to the extent that failure in the previous stage also precipitates failure