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Both Freud's and Piaget's theories of development are best described as proposing what kind of development?

1. Continuous development

2. Propositional development

3. Discontinuous development

4. Sequential development

The correct answer is: Discontinuous development

Freud’s and Piaget’s theories of development are characterized as suggesting discontinuous development. In Freud's psychosexual stages, development is divided into distinct stages (oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital), where individuals must resolve specific conflicts at each stage before progressing to the next. This implies that development does not simply accumulate gradually; rather, it involves significant shifts in behavior, feelings, and thoughts as one moves through these stages. Similarly, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development outlines four specific stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Each stage represents a qualitative change in how children think and understand the world. Piaget emphasized that children cannot simply move from one stage to another without experiencing a distinct transformation in their cognitive processes. Both theorists argue that at specific points in development, individuals undergo fundamental changes that redefine their capabilities and perspectives, thereby reinforcing the notion of discontinuous development. This contrasts with continuous development theories, which suggest that development occurs gradually and cumulatively without marked transitions.