Question

Thirteen-year-old Ryan has begun to challenge many of his parents' values and to express his own set of highly idealistic standards. Compare and contrast the explanations for Ryan's behavior that would be given by Kohlberg and by Erikson.

Answer 1

Ryan is in his early adolescence. Adolescence is a stage to adulthood. At this stage of life the concrete thinking is replaced by abstract thinking, children begin to question and challenge the values and principles, and are set out to explore their own identity.

Kohlberg's moral theory would place Ryan in third level of moral development which is the Post conventional level of morality. At this level of morality, individuals are set to challenge the existing values of their immediate surroundings and set their own idealistic standards. They begin to realize that they have separate identities and should have their own set of beliefs and values.

Similarly, according to Erikson's theory of development, Ryan is in the stage of identity vs role confusion. He is exploring his own identity and hence challenging his parents' values and expressing his own set of beliefs and values is a part of this process.

In this manner both the theorists would explain that Ryan is in a major transition phase that would have a great impact on his future stages of life.