How does an infant become an adult? The answer is not as obvious as it seems. There are a variety of factors that contribute to human development. A person grows not only physically but also cognitively and socio-emotionally. This article will explain two theories; one cognitive and one socio-emotional; on human development. The two theories will be described, compared, contrasted and evaluated individually based on their strengths and limitations. The first theory examined is Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive/Learning Theory. A child does not automatically know how to perceive his environment, but he can learn about the world around him and how to manipulate his environment by observing the people around him. According to Bandura (2002), “from a sociocognitive perspective, human nature is characterized [sic] by a vast potentiality that can be shaped by direct and indirect experience in various forms within biological limits” (pp. 271-272). . . Although much of learning by observing others occurs during childhood, a person can learn new skills or knowledge at any time in their life with the help of other people. The second theory examined concerns Erik Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development. Each stage of Erikson's theory involves a conflict/crisis that a person must overcome in order to evolve their personality. Rosenthal (1981) explains that “Each stage emerges because a new dimension of social interaction becomes possible with increasing maturity” (p. 526). Erikson associated each of the stages with an age group; however, a person may return to conflict at an earlier stage in their life. At the stage most commonly associated with adolescence (id...... middle of paper...humanity is about improving itself." This statement is relevant in regards to Bandura's theory, because if anyone 'one wants to learn from another person deserves to learn the highest quality of knowledge offered.' everyone around her. Works citedBandura, A. (2002).Cognitive theory in a cultural context. and Moore, S. M. (1981). Examining Erikson's stages of psychosocial development. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 10(6), 525-537.Sokol, J. T. (2009). life: an examination of Eriksonian theory from the Graduate Journal of Counseling Psychology., 1(2), 14.