Theories of Life

The theories of Life try to explain different theories about life and human development. some of these theories try to explain the origin and purpose of life and some of them will look on the human life development such as the Levinson’s Season of Adulthood | Theories of Life Stages and Human Development.

Overview of The Theories of Life

These are some of Theories of Life which we will be looking in details and try to determine there real life application and there weakness

COGNITIVE THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT

This theory was developed by Jean Piaget (1896–1980). He believed that thinking is a central aspect of development and that children are naturally inquisitive. However, he said that children do not think and reason like adults (Piaget, 1930, 1932).
Piaget said that children develop schemata to help them understand the world. Schemata are concepts (mental models) that are used to help us categorize and interpret information. By the time children have reached adulthood, they have created schemata for almost everything. When children learn new information, they adjust their schemata through two processes: assimilation and accommodation. First, they assimilate new information or experiences in terms of their current schemata: assimilation is when they take in information that is comparable to what they already know. Accommodation describes when they change their schemata based on new information. This process continues as children interact with their environment. Read more about Piaget's cognitive theory of development

PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT

The theory of Psychosexual development was developed by Erik Erikson (1902–1994). He took Freud’s theory PSYCHOSEXUAL THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT and modified it as psychosocial theory. Erikson’s psychosocial development theory emphasizes the social nature of our development rather than its sexual nature. While Freud believed that personality is shaped only in childhood, Erikson proposed that personality development takes place all through the lifespan. Erikson suggested that how we interact with others is what affects our sense of self, or what he called the ego identity.

According to Erikson (1963) During infant stage which is birth to 12 months development of a child depends on trust. As toddlers (ages 1–3 years) begin to explore their world, they learn that they can control their actions and act on the environment to get results. Once children reach the preschool stage (ages 3–6 years), they are capable of initiating activities and asserting control over their world through social interactions and play. According to Erikson, preschool children must resolve the task of initiative versus guilt. During the elementary school stage (ages 6–12), children face the task of industry versus inferiority. Children begin to compare themselves to their peers to see how they measure up. In adolescence (ages 12–18), children face the task of identity versus role confusion. According to Erikson, an adolescent’s main task is developing a sense of self. Adolescents struggle with questions such as “Who am I?” and “What do I want to do with my life?” Along the way, most adolescents try on many different selves to see which ones fit.

People in early adulthood (i.e., 20s through early 40s) are concerned with intimacy versus isolation. After we have developed a sense of self in adolescence, we are ready to share our life with others. Erikson said that we must have a strong sense of self before developing intimate relationships with others. Adults who do not develop a positive self-concept in adolescence may experience feelings of loneliness and emotional isolation. People inmiddle adulthood, which starts from 40's and extends to the mid-60s. The social task of middle adulthood is generativity/productivity versus stagnation. Generativity involves finding your life’s work and contributing to the development of others, through activities such as volunteering, mentoring, and raising children.

From the mid-60s to the end of life, we are in the period of development known as late adulthood. Erikson’s task at this stage is called integrity versus despair. He said that people in late adulthood reflect on their lives and feel either a sense of satisfaction or a sense of failure.

HAVIGHURST'S LIFE DEVELOPMENT STAGES AND TASKS

Havighurst development tasks
Are the array of skills and ability that human being across their lifetimes. His theory mediates between natural, seemingly innate development and development supported or required by other people in person’s life, it focuses on the accomplishment of person usually make during a given period of time, for example adolescents experience significant change in their bodies during puberty, both the mind and the body change because of new hormones pumping through the blood stream and new cognitive capabilities.
Young adolescents find themselves thinking new thoughts having new desires and having an essentially new body to get used to.
Read more about Havighurst's life development stages and tasks