Robert Havighurst is best known for identifying stages of growth in which way?

• A. Stages that require completion of the last one for success and happiness
• B. Stages of psychosexual development
• C. Stages of cognitive development
• D. Stages defined by psychoanalytic theory

Answer: (A)

Havighurst’s idea focuses on developmental tasks that a person is expected to master at each stage of life, and successfully handling these tasks leads to success and happiness. The key is that growth is seen as a sequence where each stage has specific socially defined tasks, and moving forward depends on meeting those tasks. This framing emphasizes that completing the tasks of the current stage—often built on the foundation of earlier stages—enables smooth functioning and well-being in society.

So, this description matches Havighurst’s view: stages defined by the need to accomplish certain tasks in order to achieve success and happiness. It’s not about Freud’s psychosexual stages, Piaget’s cognitive stages, or psychoanalytic theory in general, which are different theoretical traditions.