Baltes Life Span Theory of Development Versus Piaget Theory

2. BALTES LIFE SPAN THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT

VERSUS

PIAGET THEORY

The life-span model brought to attention that development is not limited to childhood but can proceed until the end of life. Baltes life-span development includes the study of consistency and change in human behavior from conception to death (ontogenesis). It is not really a theory because it is not identified with a single model. It is a subject matter divided into many fields of specialization. This theoretical perspective has six different principles:

Development is a life-long process, multidirectionality and multidimensionality, development as growth and decline, plasticity role in development, socio-cultural condition influence on development and finally, contextualism as a paradigm.

From the observation of his own kids, Piaget developed the theory of cognitive development. It includes four different stages: the sensorimotor stage, from birth to age 2; the preoperational stage, from age 2 to about age 6; the concrete operational stage, from age 6 to 12; and the formal operational stage, which begins around age 12 to later in life.

In this paper, I will discuss each of Baltes life-span developmental psychology characteristics and how they relate to Piagetian theory of cognitive development.

1. Development is a life-long process

Baltes suggested that development extends over the entire life-span; no age period controls the nature of development. At all stages of life, both continuous and discontinuous processes work together. Also, there is the possibility of change that does not start at birth but which exists in later stages of life.

Piagetian theory of cognitive development is consistent with Baltes view from birth to around age 15. However, many differences start to exist after that age. For instance, life experiences and skills play an important role in cognitive development. Piaget did not mention how this will occur after the final stage of cognitive development; the...