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Running head: CASE NOTES 1

Case Notes

Learner’s Name

Capella University

Introduction to Psychology

Case Notes

January, 2018

CASE NOTES 2

Case Notes Client Name: Rose Client Age: 7

Case Worker Name: Learner’s Name Overview

A 7-year-old girl named Rose has recently been moved to a private school from a

public school. Her parents expect her to excel academically and are unwilling to accept any

grade below an A. Therefore, her parents do not allow her to play unless she finishes all her

school work. Unfortunately, she is unable to bear the pressures of the workload at her new

school. Moreover, as she is weak in mathematics, she is made to practice sums every day. For

each sum that she gets wrong, her father makes her do ten more so that she gets better at the

subject. As a result, she has developed a serious aversion to the subject and thinks she does not

have an aptitude for it. The increasing demands from her school and her parents are making it

harder for Rose to focus in school, and her grades in other subjects are also declining.

Therefore, she has started seeing herself as a failure and is often anxious. Rose once had a

panic attack at the thought of the next day’s mathematics test. Her parents are worried because

instances of such behavior are becoming more frequent.

First Developmental Theory

Jean Piaget’s theory on the cognitive stages of development describes the stages of

normal cognitive development from infancy through adulthood. There are four stages of

cognitive development in this theory as explained below:

1. The sensorimotor stage lasts from birth through 24 months. During this time, infants’

awareness and interactions are limited to objects in their immediate vicinity. They learn

about the world through trial and error, performing actions such as shaking objects or

putting things in their mouths. Between 7 and 9 months of age, they develop object

CASE NOTES 3

permanence, which is the understanding that an object continues to exist even when it

cannot be seen. This achievement is an indication of memory development.

2. The preoperational stage lasts from 24 months through age 7. During this time,

children become capable of perceiving things symbolically. They begin to engage in

pretend play as their imagination develops. Their thinking is egocentric, making them

incapable of perceiving someone else's viewpoint.

3. The concrete operational stage lasts from ages 7 through 12. During this time, children

start to show signs of logical reasoning. Additionally, they are more aware of things

and events that are external to them. Despite being aware of the differences between

their thoughts and the reality around them, they are unable to think in abstractions and

construct hypotheses.

4. The formal operational stage lasts from age 12 through adulthood. During this time,

individuals are able to establish a relation between symbols and abstractions as used in

subjects like algebra and geometry. This allows them to think abstractly and construct

hypotheses. Additionally, they are able to think of abstractions such as justice and

freedom. (WebMD, n.d.).

Second Developmental Theory

In contrast to Piaget’s theory, which focused on cognitive development in humans, Erik

Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development (as cited in McLeod, 2017) focuses on the

psychological and social needs of individuals at different stages of life. He suggests that there

are eight stages of psychosocial conflicts that all humans must resolve in order to be well-

adjusted:

1. The first stage—trust versus mistrust—starts at infancy and continues until about 18

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months. At this stage, infants must feel cared for and learn to trust their primary

caregivers, who in most cases are the parents. As babies tend to find the outside world

threatening, they gain a sense of security when they start to trust people around them.

2. The second stage—autonomy versus shame and doubt—starts at 18 months and

continues until the age of 3. At this stage, children should be taught the basics of self-

care. This can include teaching them to dress and eat independently. If they are unable

to take care of themselves, they might feel ashamed when they see other children of

similar age performing the same tasks.

3. The third stage—initiative versus guilt—lasts from the age of 3 till the age of 5. During

this stage, children can learn new concepts in school and apply them in daily life.

Failure to do so might bring about a sense of guilt in them.

4. The fourth stage—industry versus inferiority—lasts from the age of 5 till the age of 12.

At this stage, children start developing a higher level of self-awareness. They are able

to understand logical reasoning and scientific facts, while also becoming more

competitive. If they fail at a task everyone else has accomplished, they feel inferior.

5. Stage five, identity versus role confusion, is primarily centered on adolescence—a

period when young people are expected to develop their sexual identity through self-

discovery. However, certain adolescents may also experience confusion regarding

whether an activity is age-appropriate for them or not. At this stage, crises can arise not

only from adolescents’ expectations of themselves but also from the expectations of

people around them.

6. The sixth stage—intimacy versus isolation—is relevant to young adults who are

worried about finding a partner to spend their lives with. Failure to find a partner can

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lead to a fear of spending the rest of their lives alone.

7. Stage seven, which is called generativity versus stagnation, refers to 40–65 year-old

adults who strive to find meaning in their work and be relevant in society. Failure to do

so can make them feel unproductive.

8. The eighth and final stage is called ego integrity versus despair, and it focuses on

people who are above the age of 65. They feel the need to achieve a sense of

fulfillment at having accomplished something in their younger years. If they feel they

have not achieved much in their lives, they might experience a sense of despair.

Erikson suggests that a person faces a crisis at each stage of psychosocial development

because of a conflict between the societal needs and the person’s psychological needs. He

believes that with completion of each stage, a person develops a healthy personality and

acquires personality traits required to complete the next stage successfully (McLeod, 2017).

Both Piaget’s theory and Erikson’s theory can be used to understand Rose’s reaction to the

situation she is in.

Stage of Life

The industry versus inferiority life stage from Erikson’s theory of psychosocial

development is applicable to Rose’s case. This life stage occurs when children begin to attend

full-time school. At this stage, children develop a sense of self-awareness and become

competitive as they learn formal life skills such as (a) interacting with peers within a set of

rules, such as in a group project; (b) beginning a form of play that may have an elaborate set of

rules and requires teamwork, such as football; and (c) mastering subjects such as social studies

and arithmetic that require logical reasoning (Child Development Institute, n.d.).

Children might either become trusting or start doubting themselves depending on the

Comment [A1]: Wonderful summary of both Piaget and Erickson’s developmental theories! I like that you included a brief mention of each stage and on overall description of the theory. To further strengthen your summary, provide a few examples of what the theory might look like in action.

CASE NOTES 6

extent to which they are encouraged to take initiative. If they learn to trust themselves and take

initiative, they learn how to be industrious. If they find it hard to trust themselves, then they

start doubting their futures. Children who are filled with guilt and shame start feeling inferior

to other children who are similar to them in age and ability (Child Development Institute,

n.d.).

For example, Rose is struggling with mathematics, and her father's response to this is

to make her do more sums. This gesture might appear forceful and diminishes her sense of

control over the situation. She is prevented from understanding, in her own way, how to

improve in the subject. She is prevented from attempting her own solution and is instead given

a solution that may appear as a punishment. This causes her to doubt herself. Rose’s failure to

meet her parents’ expectations can lead to low self-confidence, low self-esteem, and an

inferiority complex, thus impacting her overall well-being. This is the crisis faced by children

when they are unable to overcome the industry versus inferiority stage successfully.

Consequently, she may find it harder to become autonomous or take initiative (Child

Development Institute, n.d.).

In addition to all of these issues, she also finds it hard to focus in school. While she is

being pressured to perform better in mathematics, the stress she is experiencing is affecting her

overall academic performance. She might struggle with subjects that she was good at in her

previous school. The anxiety caused by all of this can make her less capable of engaging in

play with her peers. Because they don’t understand the change in her behavior, they might

hesitate to engage with her freely. As a result, this change in her behavior might compromise

her overall well-being.

Piaget's concrete operational stage of cognitive development is also applicable in

Comment [A2]: Hi! Good statement on how Rose’s thoughts are impacted and how those impacts affect her well- being.

Comment [A3]: Hi! Thanks for sharing how Rose’s behaviors are affecting her well-being!

CASE NOTES 7

Rose's case. During the concrete operational stage, children are beginning to develop the

capacity to think logically. They have difficulty with deductive reasoning, which involves

using a particular principle to determine the final outcomes of an event (Cherry, 2018a). This

is most obvious in Rose's difficulties with mathematics, a subject that uses particular principles

(in this case, formulae) to solve a variety of sums. Further, her limited capacity for deductive

reasoning might prevent her from understanding why her parents moved her to a new school.

She might not be able to cope with the sudden change in her environment, resulting in a

vulnerable state of mind.

Additionally, after her move to the private school, she might be required to deal with a

more rigorous curriculum than she was used to. This puts her at a disadvantage with her more

competitive peers. This might be the reason she has started seeing herself as a failure and is

experiencing anxiety. Such behavior can indicate that she is developing an inferiority complex.

She needs help from her parents and teachers to face this crisis and find ways to resolve it.

Intervention or Recommendation

Rose’s parents can be of significant help in resolving her crisis by positively

influencing the development of her self-concept and self-esteem. Her parents can raise her

self-esteem and sense of autonomy by giving her simple tasks that require her to make

decisions. Rose’s parents should also realize that her anxiety is because of the pressure they

are putting on her to perform. In the context of Piaget’s theory, she is at a stage wherein she is

just acquiring the capacity for logical thought. Their expectation of her achieving an A grade in

a subject that is demanding for a child of this age may be more suited to an older child. Rose

will not be able to understand that the expectations placed on her are higher than what she

might be capable of. She might see this as a sign that she is inferior. They could minimize her

Comment [A4]: Great job looking at how Rose’s thoughts affect well-being as explained by a developmental theory!

Comment [A5]: Hi! Wonderful job describing Rose’s life stage based on Piaget and Erickson! Great job applying Piaget and Erickson to Rose’s case.

CASE NOTES 8

aversion to mathematics by making the subject seem like a fun activity and by praising her for

sums solved correctly instead of adopting the punitive method of making her do more sums

(Cherry, 2018b).

Further, the curriculum in her new school might be more rigorous than her previous

school. Setting up a study group with her peers in school can also help Rose feel more

comfortable at school. A high level of self-concept and self-esteem will help Rose stay focused

in school and improve her grades (Cherry, 2018b).

In order to become a well-adjusted human being, it is important for Rose to overcome

her psychosocial conflict of feeling inferior to others. The conflict might be aggravated by her

move to the new school, placing her at odds with her peers who are more attuned to the

demands of the school than she is. She might misunderstand this to be the result of her

inferiority rather than the circumstances she is in. She requires a conducive learning

environment to recognize her own capacity for learning. To enable this environment, the

school should build on Rose’s existing skills and knowledge with the help of conversation and

collaborative classroom practice. This might give her confidence that can help her become

industrious and overcome her feelings of inferiority (Frydenberg, Deans, & O’Brien, 2012).

Conclusion

Piaget’s theory of cognitive development and Erikson’s theory of psychosocial

development were used to examine the client’s situation in this case. The client, 7-year-old

Rose, has a tough time adjusting to her new environment leading to certain negative changes

in her behavior such as anxiety. These changes in her behavior have been explained with the

help of Erikson’s industry versus inferiority stage and Piaget’s concrete operational stage.

Children learn best in a positive environment with enough opportunities for learning, and

Comment [A6]: Hi! Wonderful suggestions for helping Rose! Will you discuss a bit more about how Rose’s current behaviors are affecting her current well-being?

CASE NOTES 9

caregivers such as parents can help instill the self-confidence and self-worth their children

need in order to survive in the world (Frydenberg, Deans, & O’Brien, 2012). Therefore, a

supportive environment and proper care from her parents can help Rose deal with the crisis

she is facing.

CASE NOTES 10

References

Cherry, K. (2018a). Concrete operational stage of cognitive development. Retrieved April 17,

2018, from https://verywell.com/concrete-operational-stage-of-cognitive-development-

2795458

Cherry, K. (2018b). Industry vs. inferiority in psychosocial development: Stage four of

psychosocial development. Retrieved April 17, 2018, from

https://verywell.com/industry-versus-inferiority-2795736.

Child Development Institute. (n.d.). Stages of social-emotional development in children and

teenagers. Retrieved from http://floridahealth.gov/alternatesites/cms-

kids/providers/early_steps/training/documents/eriksons_stages.pdf

Frydenberg, E., Deans, J., & O'Brien, K. (2012). Developing everyday coping skills in the early

years: Proactive strategies for supporting social and emotional development. Retrieved

from

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=FzCZEaZWJd4C&pg=PA13&lpg=PA13&dq=copin

g+with+erikson%27s+industry+vs+inferiority&source=bl&ots=bWQi88-

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McLeod, S. (2017). Erik Erikson. Retrieved from https://simplypsychology.org/Erik-

Erikson.html

WebMD. (n.d.). Piaget stages of development. Retrieved January 9, 2018, from

https://webmd.com/children/piaget-stages-of-development#1