Developmental Theories

Identifies ten stages of ego (understanding of self) development to reach a higher level of development

Ego development starts from infancy

The final development makes one as an autonomous self (self-reliant person who accepts oneself and others as multi-faceted & unique)

Young Adults

The transitional self-aware level between the conformist stage and conscientious ways

They begin to understand and accept individual differences

Able to appreciate others as individuals in reciprocal relationships

Similar to Erikson’s theory, one must have a clear sense of themselves in order to form intimate relationships

Adolescence/Early Adulthood

Identity vs role confusion → faces many decisions at this time in their lives

In result, they acquire the basic strength of fidelity

Early Adulthood

Intimacy vs isolation

True intimacy is based on the ability to trust and share your truth with others, in doing so, you must have a clear sense of who you are (identity, which is formed in the earlier stage)

Erikson believed that women may develop identity and intimacy simultaneously (Gilligan mentions that women had the ability to determine who they are during their relationships while men had to develop their identity first.

Adulthood

Generativity vs stagnation → struggle / decide how to impact society

By doing so, you acquire the strength of caring

Some acquire by having children, some acquire this by doing “great works”

Early adulthood is a stage in which individuals are launched from their famillies of origin

Three developmental tasks must be mastered to accept emotional responsibility for themselves

Stage 1

Individuation

Separate emotional identity from the family of origin

Choose what to take with them & leave behind

Stage 2

Develop new intimate relationships outside of family of origin

To acquire necessary social and emotional support

Stage 3

Must take a tentative commitment to a career or workplace

Adult

3 tasks / stages must be mastered to become a self-sufficient adult

Parents must accept change in their children's relationships with others as well as the relationship between parents and child (

This theory emphasizes the importance of change in response to a crisis

Early adulthood: age 17-early 40s

Early adult transition (17~22): prepare an adult life structure

Emphasizes changes in the attachment between adult child and parent.

Not necessarily physical separation (allow individual to participate in the adult world)

Early Adulthood (age 22-28)

Time to build a structure of life (pattern or design of life)

4 major task of this period:

Forming a dream and giving it a place in the life structure

Forming mentor relationship

Forming an occupation

Forming love relationships, marriage, and family

The Age 30 Transition: (age 28-33) re-evaluate the life structure that they formed in their early twenties to determine whether they are living out their dreams

Time to “get real”

Dream: individuals sense of self in the adult world and is the core of the life structure (occupational accomplishments, family, and community roles)

Development in adulthood does not occur in predictable stages (internal biological clock and external social clock)

Four interrelated internal and external dimensions of development:

The individual psychological dimension describes emotional maturity and independence, and the maturity of mental processes

The individual biological dimensions describes physical and sexual maturity

The cultural sociological dimension describes the expectation and opportunities that each society defines for individual

The environmental dimension describes the physical, economics, and political environment in which the individual lives

Development occurs when a change in one dimension requires an adjustment in one or more of the other dimensions

However, if the individual fails to become financially independent, they may continue to live with parents, forgo marriage, and adjust their sense in their own maturity

Disagrees with stage theories

A lifetime of continuous changes in which individual might experience periods of stability

Four elements determines the path that individual lives will take:

Individual characteristics like gender, race, intelligence, family background, personality, and education

The range of skills individuals have for coping with stress or change

The availability of social support networks

The nature and timing of stress that requires response

Agreed that early adulthood is a time for acting on dreams of adolescence however you can change the life structure at anytime

Individuals can expect role changes (leaving school, starting work, getting married)