V.M.WESTERBERG'S SUPER BRIEF DEVELOPMENTAL THEORIES SERIES

SCHAIE’s LIFESPAN COGNITIVE THEORY

Klaus Warner Schaie suggests that adults' thinking follows a set pattern of 7 stages:

[Not everyone goes through all the stages within the suggested time frames]

1. The ACQUISITIVE STAGE [under 18] encompasses all of childhood and adolescence, and the

main developmental task is to acquire information for its own sake.

2. The ACHIEVING STAGE [20’s-30’s] Young adults no longer acquire knowledge merely for its own

sake but as preparation for participation in society. They use what they know to pursue goals, such as

career and family.

3. The RESPONSIBLE STAGE [30’s-40’s] is the stage where the major concerns of middle-aged

adults is about solving practical professional and personal situations, including protecting and

nourishing their spouses, families.

4. The EXECUTIVE STAGE [40’s-50’s] is the period in middle adulthood when people take a broader

perspective than earlier, including concerns about the world, society, politics. They deal with complex

relationships on multiple levels.

5. The REINTEGRATIVE STAGE [50’s-60’s] is the period of late adulthood during which the focus is

on tasks that have personal meaning.

6. The RE-ORGANIZATIONAL STAGE [60-65]. People who enter retirement reorganize their lives

and intellectual energies around meaningful pursuits that take the place of paid work.

7. The LEGACY CREATING STAGE [65+] Near the end of life, older people may create instructions

for the disposition of prized possessions, make funeral arrangements, provide oral histories, or write

their life stories as a legacy for their loved ones. All of these tasks involve cognitive competencies

within a social and emotional context.