Understanding Child Development Theories

This assignment explores the developmental theories of Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget to understand a child named Jack's challenges. It examines Jack's struggles with toileting and speech, analyzing potential causes related to his mother's absence and lack of proper toilet training guidance. The document emphasizes the importance of these theories for parents to comprehend their child's developmental needs and encourages specialists to provide parents with effective training strategies.

Running head: DEVELOPMENT OF JACK
Development of Jack
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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DEVELOPMENT OF JACK
Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development states a fact that every individual moves
through a procedure of distinct four different stages of cognitive as well as mental development.
It mainly depends upon the understanding about how different individuals gain knowledge and
focuses upon the concept about how natural intelligence is asquired by children (Demetriou et
al., 2016). He also was of the opinion that they take a very important part in process of learning
by the process of making observations and also learning about the world. With their through
interaction with the world, they continuously develop new knowledge, enhance their existing
knowledge and also link with the previously held ideas for accommodation of new information
(Barrouillet, 2015).
The theory of cognitive development by Jean Piaget states that how the child constructs
their mental model in the world. He then diageed to the idea that the mental abilities like the
intelligence is a fixed form of trait and are refarded as the development of the cognition as the
process that can occur due to the biological form of maturation and the several interactions with
the domains of the environment (Bjorklund & Causey, 2017). The other for stages of that are
needed to be discussed in relation for the case study is the Preoperational stage that depicts the
second stage of the cognitive theory of Piaget. The state begins around the age of 2 years and the
last until the age of 7 years. During this stage, the children begins to get themselves engaged in
the symbolic form of play and hence they learn to manipulate the essential symbols. However, it
has been noted by Piaget that they fail to understand the concrete form of logic.
The pre operational stage minly occurs between the ages 2 to 7. The language
development is one of the important aspect in this period. Piaget has noted that the child of this

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age do not have the ability of concrete form of logic and there are no form of the mental
manipulation that can be done by taking into account the view point of the other people that have
termed to be egocentrism (Parkay, Anctil & Hass, 2014).
However, during the stage of preoperation, the children becomes increasingly adaptive
towards using the symbols that have been evidenced by increasing the playing the pretendence of
the various broom is a horse. The phenomenon of role playing becomes on of the vital aspects of
this preoperationl stage. The children tend to play “mom”, “dad”, “doctor” and many other
charectors at this stage of development.
The changes that takes place at this time that have involved in the phase that are dramatic
phase for the learning and the growth where the children can undertake the interactions with the
environment that tends to gain new form of discoveries of learning from the various working
systems of the world (Parkay, Anctil & Hass, 2014). The children tend to develop the physical
actions such as crawling, walking and the other aspects of the languages that are gathered from
the people who are surrounding them. This form of the development of the language has its
beginning in the pre operational stages and lasts upto 7years of age. At this age they start to form
the capability to think in a symbolical manner. They also tend to connect the words as well as the
pictures for the representation of the various objects.
The number of important factors that can be identified that can impact the development
of the speeches and the languages for the instant in the particular case study. It has been reported
by Jack’s mother who have reported that he only speaks once or twice and most of the times he
is blabbering that means that he is trying his best for the communication with the people who are
suuroding him. The major cause of the ill development of the speech is the lack of spending a

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proper form of time with the adults with each case of the mothers as well as the members of the
family. It was been found as his mother was always engaged in work Jackhad problem in
developing the cognition. The researcher have stated that the toddlers tends to infer that the
intent of communication of the speakers. However, they tend to thereby use that form of
information that guides the language of the learning. They also infer form the excited tone of the
adults.
In addition, there are other reasons that are stated by the researchers is that we have seen
that the verbal form of environment influences the language that are learning and therefore the
children from one age to age three form of highly verbal families that are professional hear three
times more words than the low verbal form of families that are increasing the chances of the
proper form of speech development.
The theory that also holds importance unlike the theory of Piaget, helps in providing light
to the development of the psychosocial development of the children is known as the
Psychosocial theory of Eric Erikson. Erikson proposed his psychosocial theory that is based on
the psychoanalytic theory of Freud. His theory comprised of eight major stages that ranged from
infancy to adulthood. During each of the stages of development the individuals tend to
experience a crisis that results to the positive or negative outcomes on the development of
personality of the individual. In case of the current case study Jack is on the second stage of the
eriksons theory thai is autonomy versus shame and doubt.
This stage occurs between the ages of 18 months to approximately age two to three years. The
infant develops a sense of personal control over physical skills and a sense of independence.
Erikson states it is critical that parents allow their children to explore the limits of their abilities

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within an encouraging environment which is tolerant of failure. Success leads to feelings of
autonomy, failure results in feelings of shame and doubt (Mooney, 2013).
It has closely been observed that Jack’s mother has been very much concerned about the
development of toilet training of Jack. With the growing years, it might have happened that the
absence of his mother has had a viatl impact on the personality of Jack. It made him insecure and
scared of many things. However, it may so happen that Jack’s mother has never observed the
proper toilet training of Jack.
Nonetheless, the act of toileting in the washroom and using of the washroom needed to
bedone at the right age. Jack’s mother had a casual approach as she was unawre that improper
toilet training can make the child dependent and depressive. They may also inculcate the
problem of bed wetting which is a major sign of anxiety and insecurity.
Both the theories of Erikson and Piaget has given a major understanding of the cognitive
abd personality development of the children. These theories often acts as a framework for the
parents to understand that when is the time of various developments of the child. These theories
can also help Jack’s parents to understand is to why is he having the speech problem and as well
as the problem of toileting. Therefore, the specialist should provide his parents the proper
guideline to train their child.

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References:
Barrouillet, P. (2015). Theories of cognitive development: From Piaget to today.
Bjorklund, D. F., & Causey, K. B. (2017). Children's thinking: Cognitive development and
individual differences. SAGE Publications.
Côté, J. E. (2014). The dangerous myth of emerging adulthood: An evidence-based critique of a
flawed developmental theory. Applied Developmental Science, 18(4), 177-188.
Darling-Fisher, C., & Leidy, N. (2015). The Modified Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory.
Demetriou, A., Shayer, M., & Efklides, A. (Eds.). (2016). Neo-Piagetian theories of cognitive
development: Implications and applications for education. Routledge.
Mooney, C. G. (2013). Theories of Childhood: An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson,
Piaget & Vygotsky. Redleaf Press.
Parkay, F. W., Anctil, E. J., & Hass, G. (2014). Curriculum leadership: Readings for developing
quality educational programs. Prentice Hall.
Sacco, R. G. (2013). Re-envisaging the eight developmental stages of Erik Erikson: The
Fibonacci life-chart method (FLCM). Journal of Educational and Developmental
Psychology, 3(1), 140.

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Saxe, G. B. (2015). Culture and cognitive development: Studies in mathematical understanding.
Psychology Press.
Siegler, R. S. (2016). Continuity and change in the field of cognitive development and in the
perspectives of one cognitive developmentalist. Child Development Perspectives, 10(2),
128-133.