Final answer:
Developmental psychology explores theories like Erikson's psychosocial development, Piaget's cognitive development, and Kohlberg's moral development to understand how individuals grow and change throughout their lives. These theories address the social, cognitive, and moral tasks we must navigate and are valuable despite their individual criticisms and limitations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Major Developmental Theories in Psychology
When discussing the development of psychopathology within the context of client-centered therapy, it is actually more common to refer to the works of psychologists like Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget, and Lawrence Kohlberg, whose theories address various aspects of psychological development. Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development is particularly relevant, as it includes eight stages that cover the entire lifespan, from birth to death, highlighting the social tasks and crises that we need to master to develop a healthy sense of self. Piaget's theory of cognitive development describes how children think, learn, and reason as they grow, divided into distinct stages. Lastly, Kohlberg's theory outlines stages of moral development, proposing that our capacity for moral reasoning deepens as we mature.
Developmental psychologists consider these theories within three domains of development: physical, cognitive, and psychosocial. While not exhaustive, these theories provide deep insight into how individuals evolve over their lifespan and how experiences, biology, social interactions, and cognitive processes shape this development.
It is important to note that these theories have been contrasted for their strengths and weaknesses. For example, Erikson's stages of development receive praise for acknowledging the lifelong process of development and the impact of social experiences. However, each theory has faced criticism, such as Piaget's underestimation of children's cognitive abilities in certain stages, or Kohlberg's moral development stages, which may not account fully for cross-cultural variances in moral reasoning.