Final answer:
Erikson's theory of psychosocial development focuses on how social interactions shape our sense of self and identity. Piaget's theory of cognitive development explains how children think and reason as they grow. Behavioral theories of learning highlight the role of external factors in shaping behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development
Erik Erikson proposed a theory of psychosocial development that emphasizes the social nature of our development. According to Erikson, our interactions with others affect our sense of self and identity. He identified eight stages of psychosocial development that individuals go through from infancy to old age, each with a unique psychosocial task to master. These stages include trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame and doubt, initiative vs. guilt, industry vs. inferiority, identity vs. role confusion, intimacy vs. isolation, generativity vs. stagnation, and integrity vs. despair.
Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development explains how children think and reason as they grow. He proposed four stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. In each stage, children develop new cognitive abilities and ways of understanding the world. For example, in the sensorimotor stage, infants learn about the world through their senses and motor behaviors, while in the preoperational stage, children start to use symbols and engage in symbolic play.
Behavioral Theories of Learning
Behavioral theories of learning, such as classical conditioning and operant conditioning, focus on how our behavior is shaped by the environment through reinforcement and punishment. Classical conditioning involves learning through associations, where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a naturally occurring stimulus to produce a response. Operant conditioning, on the other hand, involves learning through consequences, where behaviors are strengthened or weakened based on the consequences that follow them. These theories emphasize the role of external factors in shaping behavior.