Comparing Erikson to Piaget
Psychologists use the biological aspects of aging, from birth through old age, to understand the changes in behavior. One of the aspects of human development is the development of moral reasoning or, in more practical terms, maturing. In other words, social skill development is an important part of understanding how children, adolescents, and even adults interact with each other and make the important, often moral, decisions.
Two important theorists who worked on childhood and moral development were Jean Piaget and Erikson. Write an essay comparing the work of these two theorists. In Chapter 6 read the information on Erikson and Piaget and answer the following.
Briefly describe Piaget's and Erikson's theories about the stages of development.
Explain the differences and similarities between the two theorists in how they approached development.
Explain whether Piaget's and Erikson's explanations of social and moral development are applicable to today's children.