Instructions:

Apply the theories of development to your personal life experience by answering EACH of the following questions. Please write enough detail to thoroughly illustrate the concepts. Use the recommended word requirement.

1. Jean Piaget's Stage Theory of Cognitive Development: At what age do you feel you entered the stage of Formal Operational Thought? Explain the stage briefly and then focus on providing examples of ways your thinking has shifted to indicate you have developed into this stage of reasoning. (For instance, provide an example of how your views of justice or morality have shifted as you've matured.)

2. Developmental Stage Theory of Erik Erikson: Choose one stage from Erikson's Developmental Stage Theory and apply it to your own life. Explain the stage, age that it occurs, and how the central challenge of that stage played out in your life. What was the outcome of this stage for you? Did anything happen in your life prior to that stage that affected the outcome? How does the outcome from that stage affect how you are today? Provide specific details that demonstrate your understanding of the stage you choose.

3. Lawrence Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development: Considering the moral or ethical decisions that you have made in your life, describe one decision you made based on one of the three levels of moral development. Be sure to clearly explain the level of moral development and clearly identify the underlying ethical reasoning behind your decision. (For instance, you may explain a decision you made based on Preconventional morality when you were a child, or you may focus on a decision you made from a higher level of development as an adult.)

4. Developmental Milestones: Motor Development. The unfolding of biological potential is known as "maturation." Motor skill development in babies is mostly controlled by the process of maturation. Think about a child that you have known (yourself, your own child, a friend or family member). Describe how the child progressed from rolling over, to sitting, standing, and walking. At what age did each milestone occur? Did the development occur in a "typical" sequence based on what you've learned in your text? Is there anything that occurred in the child's environment that either delayed motor development or facilitated it? What is the difference between "maturation" and "learning," based on your readings and observation?