preview

Piaget 's Theory Of Child Development

Decent Essays

Theories of Child Development
Child development is the study of how a child’s behavior and thought processes affect their ability to develop at the proper rate. There are many factors to be considered when referring to the development of a child as children are so easily moldable. A child starts out with a blank slate and from then on their experiences, their social groups, parents, environment and so much more will take part in how they will develop.
Two very influential people in psychology, Sigmund Freud and Jean Piaget, had an interesting take on what a child goes through as they develop through each stage. Freud and Piaget both came up with their own theories as to how a child grows cognitively throughout their life. These two psychologists set the standard for modern day practices with Freud’s realization of infants needs, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, and how Piaget shaped child development in modern schooling.
Sigmund Freud was one of the very first psychologists to delve into the topic of child development; he had a very unique outlook. Initially, people agreed with his theory called the Psychosexual Theory, which contains four stages. The first being the oral stage, this happens when a child is an infant. The child will experience and discover new things with their mouths. “…The infant may swallow that which is experienced as pleasant and spit out anything experienced as unpleasant.” (Garcia, 1995, p. 499) The next stage is referred to as the anal

Get Access