IB Psychology 1 H435-2 Erikson’s psychological theory of psychosocial development in adolescents has been supported and disputed, showing many strengths and weaknesses, by a multitude of case studies most specifically Rutter et al and Espin et al. Erikson’s theory describes the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan and shows how he believes that personality develops in a series of eight different stages. Each stage in Erikson’s theory is concerned with becoming competent in an area of life and experiencing a conflict that serves as a turning point in development. He believes that if the “stage” is handled well, the person will feel a sense of mastery but if the stage is handled poorly, the person will emerge with a sense of inadequacy. In Erikson’s view he sees these conflicts centered around developing a psychological quality or failing to develop that quality.
Outline and evaluate the psychodynamic approach to abnormality The psychodynamic approach assumes that experiences in our earliest years can affect our emotions, attitudes and behaviour in later years without us being aware that it is happening. Freud suggested the mind or psyche has three parts: the conscious, the preconscious, and the unconscious. Freud suggested that individuals can never be aware of the contents of the unconscious. Freud argued that childhood experiences play a crucial part in adult development, including the development of adult personality. Every child must pass through the so-called psycho-sexual stages; how a child experiences these stages plays a crucial role in the development of his/her personality.
Bowlby proposed that an internal working model (IWM) developed in childhood will determine or affect later adult relationships and how successful they are. Ainsworth’s strange situation helped develop three main types of attachment: secure, resistant and avoidant. Secure children develop a positive model of themselves and relationships as their primary caregiver was sensitive, emotionally responsive and supportive. Resistant children have parents who were inconsistent in their care giving, resulting in the child having a negative image of themself - often seeking attention but not finding comfort when they receive it. Avoidant children often have rejecting parents, which leads to them developing an internal model which makes them think they are unacceptable and unworthy.
In trying out possibilities, emerging adults must adjust to disappointments in love and work, and their explorations also extend risky behaviors of adolescence. A wide array of personal attributes and social supports foster resilience. Erikson’s Theory: Intimacy versus Isolation According to Erikson, what personality changes take place during early adulthood? In Erikson’s theory, young adults must resolve the conflict of intimacy versus isolation, balancing independence and intimacy as they form a close relationship with a partner. Research confirms that a secure identity fosters attainment of intimacy.
To identify the transitions which children may face can help us to support and manage them. Children may first experience signs of separation anxiety when starting a nursery or a new setting. This may be the first time they have been left by their parents in the setting and the first time they have had to interact with other children of same age. At this time children have limited socialising skills. This is where observations are essential.
Intimate relationship development during the transition to adulthood: Differences by social class. In J. T. Mortimer (Ed. ), Social class and transitions to adulthood. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 119, 25–39. 26 SOCIAL CLASS AND TRANSITIONS TO ADULTHOOD NEW DIRECTIONS FOR CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT • DOI: 10.1002/cd Romantic and sexual relationships begin in adolescence and develop into more serious and committed relationships in early adulthood, often leading to cohabitation, joint parenthood, and marriage.
Trust vs Mistrust (0-1yr): the infant develops a sense of trust in the world if his or her needs are met [Existential Question: Can I Trust the World?] Autonomy vs Doubt (1-3yrs): the toddler develops a sense of independence through bladder and bowel control [Existential Question: Is It OK to Be Me?] Initiative vs Guilt (3-6yrs): the child learns to initiate actions, especially during play, indicating a move to cognitive, not just physical independence [Existential Question: Is it OK for Me to Do, Move, and Act?] Industry vs Inferiority (6-12yrs): the child competes against his or her peers in producing acceptable work in school [Existential Question: Can I Make it in the World of People and Things?] Identity vs Role-confusion (adolescence, 12-19yrs): the teenager develops a sense of identity, strives for more self-understanding and establishes goals for the future [Existential Question: Who Am I and What Can I Be?]
According to Ericsson’s psychosocial theory, an infant/toddler’s first conflict is trust vs mistrust of its environment. This is decided depending on whether the baby’s needs are met. If so it will trust its environment. Physically the baby throws, kicks, waves its arms and rolls from side to side. These
You could view children becoming abusers themselves via Freud's ego and super ego theory, which it could be argued that in early development a child sees the way to get what they want and or need via coersion, violence, complaining, yelling, or how ever the child perceives the parent obtaining that which they want. We could also argue from Erikson's psychosocial stages that the children are not being taught what correct hope, will, love, trust, fidelity, care and wisdom truly are. My personal theory is that if we look into Bandura's social learning theory that can give us a better understanding of the development of children into adult abusers or victims. “Children learn to hit by watching other people in real life and on television. Adults learn job skills by observing or being shown them by others.” (Bandura, A.)
The path to one’s sex-role identity begins with the psychodynamic view: boys typically become fascinated with their fathers and girls typically become fascinated with their mothers. The social learning view follows, in which children observe and mirror individuals of the same sex as themselves. This is seen when boys model their father’s act of shaving and when girl’s imitate their mother’s act of putting on makeup. The cognitive-developmental view contrasts the social learning view in that it theorizes the assumption that children passively absorb gender-relevant information around them. By age three, toddlers are able to identify themselves as either boy or girl.