According to George Herbert Mead, which sequence best describes the specific path of development for individuals?

• A. Sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operational stage
• B. Preconventional stage, conventional stage, postconventional stage
• C. Preparatory stage, play stage, game stage
• D. Trust versus mistrust, autonomy versus shame and doubt, initiative versus guilt

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand that George Herbert Mead's theory focuses on the development of the self through social interaction, emphasizing stages related to role-taking and the formation of the 'self'.
2. Step 2: Identify the stages Mead proposed, which are the Preparatory stage, Play stage, and Game stage, each representing increasing complexity in the individual's ability to take the role of others.
3. Step 3: Recognize that the Preparatory stage involves imitation without understanding roles, the Play stage involves taking on roles of significant others in simple play, and the Game stage involves understanding multiple roles and the generalized other.
4. Step 4: Compare these stages to other developmental sequences mentioned, such as Piaget's cognitive stages (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational), Kohlberg's moral development stages (preconventional, conventional, postconventional), and Erikson's psychosocial stages (trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame and doubt, initiative vs. guilt), noting that these belong to different theories.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the sequence Preparatory stage, Play stage, Game stage is the specific path of development according to George Herbert Mead.