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This theory maintains that cultural and cognitive factors sh…

This theory maintains that cultural and cognitive factors shape behaviors. For example, parents can teach a child through scaffolding and understanding the zone of proximal development (e.g. giving them enough support to master tasks and then gradually withdrawing oversight so they can become independent and self-sufficient over time).

This theory believes that at each stage of life, children an…

This theory believes that at each stage of life, children and adults must accomplish a major task in order to progress in their development. For example, the first stage is trust versus mistrust.  Once this stage is complete, the individual progresses through the following stages:  autonomy versus shame/doubt; initiative versus guilt; industry versus inferiority; identity versus role confusion; intimacy versus isolation; generativity versus stagnation; and integrity versus despair.