Of the three theories given, psychosocial and social constructionist theories of identity will be summarised and shown how these theories compare when studying the identity of those with physical disabilities. Erik Erikson (later expanded by James Marcia) devised the psychosocial theory of identity, in which human beings go through eight stages of identity development (Phoenix, 2007). During these periods each person goes through a normative crisis; however stage five, adolescence is regarded as the most important stage as this is where identity must be achieved. In Erikson’s theory, psycho (self) conjointly with social (hence psychosocial) interactions are the factors that forge our identities. Psychosocial theory states that we all have a variety of identities that are combined to make one coherent vision of self.
Having Fun With Operational Definitions Adapted from teachpsychscience.org Directions: Identify and operationally define the independent and dependent variables in each of the following research ideas. Research Idea #1: A social psychologist was interested in whether people are more likely to exhibit conformity when they are in situations that make them feel nervous and unsure of themselves. What is the independent variable? How would you define it operationally? What is the dependent variable?
The fourth stage, industry vs. inferiority, happens during the school years of childhood. Erikson’s fifth stage of identity vs. role confusion is seen during adolescence and early young adulthood. As we begin the years of adulthood, we are in the sixth stage, intimacy vs. isolation. The seventh stage, generativity vs. stagnation, also known as self-absorption, takes place our years of mature adulthood. The last stage, during our senior years, Erikson called Ego Integrity vs.
Cognitive development requires an individual to analyze their experiences and properly form concepts. There is a conscious effort and motivation in this theory. Freud describes unconscious urges in his psychoanalytic theory and claims there is a constant battle or obsession with unconscious impulses and sexual impulses. Observable behavior is emphasized in Albert Bandura’s social learning theory. Bandura believed that humans are able to learn through modeling.
Erikson’s Timeline PSY/203 February 20, 2011 Erikson’s Timeline Brief explanation of Erikson’s eight stages of life. The first stage of Erikson’s eight stages of life is trust verses mistrust. During this stage the infant develops a bond which links him or her to their care providers and establishes a sense of security in the world. Stage two known as autonomy versus shame and doubt, is when a toddler begins to form a sense of an autonomous self. Next, is stage three initiative versus guilt parallels Freud’s phallic stage, describes young children as struggling with dynamics of power and sexuality.
Erikson introduced the idea of a psychosocial moratorium which is a temporary suspension of activity. During this time, adolescents try out different roles in order to decide which suits them best. This role sampling and resolution of role confusion leads to the establishment of the adult identity. The reason that it is so important to form an identity is that it enables the individual to cope well with the demands of life and to form adult relationships. If this crisis is not resolved then a lack of identity (or role confusion) results which can lead to four kinds of behaviour.
On the other hand, cognitivists believe that by reflecting on our own experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world. Though theses two schools of psychology are very much different, they do have their similarities. Behaviorism and cognitivism are similar in that they both attempt to explain and describe how learning occurs in individuals. Both are also valuable learning theories. They observe the response individuals make to different situations or different conditions.
The Fictitious profile that I have chosen for this paper was one of a lower class Hispanic adolescent teen named Juan. Then main functions of an adolescent teen are to learn from ones actions, start to make own decisions, decide whom your friends will be; this is your last step before becoming an adult. Another major function of an adolescent is Identity vs. Role Confusion some get lost in this stage. At this point development is determined by what a person does. An adolescent must struggle to find his or her own identity through social interactions, developing a sense of morality and right from wrong.
Secondly, it will talk about the three parties involved – the bully, the victim and the bystander and it will explore some issues of concern for these three parties. Thirdly, this essay will look at some of the ‘core-beliefs’ that help create a bully and a victim. Fourthly, it will explore the issues that are important for the counsellor when working with this issue, these will include; using C.B.T. with bullies and victims, the influence of school culture and policy and the need to include whanau and teachers. The essay will finish with a conclusion summarising all of the points covered.
[8] 5-8 Answers at this level will demonstrate a good understanding of the question, with links to relevant sociological material such as G. H. Mead’s account of how children learn through interaction with others. Well-chosen references to psychological theories of cognitive development, such as the work of Piaget, may also provide a relevant backdrop for answering the question. At the top of the band the explanation will be detailed and well focused on the importance of the interaction process itself. (d) Assess the claim that sociologists have exaggerated the importance of socialisation in shaping human behaviour. [11] 5-8 Answers that are limited solely or mainly to a sound account of the functionalist theory of socialisation would merit the lower part of this band.