Which theorist argued that development continues across the entire lifespan?

• A. Sigmund Freud
• B. B.F. Skinner
• C. Erik Erikson
• D. Jean Piaget

Answer: (C)

Erik Erikson’s theory emphasizes that development continues across the entire lifespan. He proposed eight psychosocial stages from infancy to old age, each presenting a core crisis that shapes personality as people move through different life periods. This lifelong arc means growth and change don’t stop after childhood; identity, intimate relationships, work, and reflection on one’s life all evolve in adulthood and beyond. For example, adults face challenges like forming intimate relationships and cultivating a sense of purpose (generativity) as midlife tasks, and later strive for integrity by reflecting on a life well lived. This stands in contrast to Freud’s focus on early childhood psychosexual stages, Piaget’s emphasis on cognitive stages largely tied to childhood and adolescence, and Skinner’s behaviorist approach that centers on learning through reinforcement rather than a stage-based life-span framework.