Piaget's Theory & Stage of Development
This process of schema development tries to fit new experiences into existing schemas
assimilation
An infant explores freely but shows distress when the caregiver leaves and is comforted upon return.
Secure attachment (Mary Ainsworth - Strange Situation test)
A baby who consistently receives care develops confidence that others are reliable.
Trust vs mistrust
An 22-year-old feels “in between” adolescence and adulthood with few clear norms.
emerging adulthood
An older adult shows slower recall of names but can still recognise familiar faces and perform well on learned tasks.
decline in explicit memory with relatively preserved implicit memory
Concrete operational period (7-11 years)
An infant displays contradictory or confused behaviours toward a caregiver, often linked to instability.
Disorganised attachment
A young adult avoids commitment and struggles to form close relationships.
Failure in intimacy vs isolation
An adult becomes better at vocabulary and general knowledge over time.
crystallised intelligence
A 48-year-old becomes increasingly self-focused, disengages from community, and shows little interest in guiding others.
stagnation (erik eriksons)
A toddler searches for a hidden toy only after 18 months, demonstrating this key cognitive milestone.
Object permanence
This theory suggests early caregiver relationships form internal working models that guide later relationships.
A middle-aged adult mentors younger colleagues and contributes to society.
Generavity
Preconventional - Avoiding punishment
There is a big decline of this type of intelligence during adulthood
fluid (crystallised intelligence remain stable)
A child believes that all four-legged animals are dogs. After encountering a cat and hearing it "meow", the child creates a new schema for "cat"
Accommodation
This _____ predicts successful and confident peer relationships while this _____ predicts problems with anxiety, anger and aggression
Secure attachment and disorganised attachment
An older adult feels regret and dissatisfaction when reflecting on life.
despair (integrity vs despair stage)
A person justifies civil disobedience by appealing to abstract principles like justice and human rights rather than social rules or authority.
post-conventional morality
Severe memory loss beyond normal aging may indicate this condition, which is not typical development.
A child believes the moon is “following them,” illustrating difficulty distinguishing perspectives. What concept is this describing?
egocentrism
This study demonstrated that infant attachment is based on "contact comfort"—physical warmth and softness—rather than just nourishment.
Harlow's Monkey Experiment
An adolescent struggling to choose a career path is experiencing conflict in this stage.
identity vs role confusion
A person recognises that two opposing ideas can both contain truth.
Dialectic thinking (post-formal operational thought)
A retired individual maintains high well-being and life satisfaction despite physical decline, reflecting successful resolution of this stage.
integrity (Erikson’s integrity vs despair)