In every human’s life, development reflects both continuity and discontinuity. One aspect of the continuity discontinuity issue concerns whether the changes we undergo over the life span are gradual or abrupt. Continuity theorists view human development as a process that occurs in small steps, without sudden changes. In contrast discontinuity theorists picture the course of development as more like a series of stair steps, each of which elevates the individual to a new and more advanced level of functioning when an adolescent rather rapidly gains six inches in height and achieves sexual maturity. These changes may seem quite discontinuous. There are several theorists that have explored the continuity and discontinuity process. One example …show more content…
In the book “The Nature of the Child”, he summarizes what is now known about the psychological development of the child from infancy onward, and in doing so he challenges many current assumptions about the family and its influence. Freudian theory depends upon the assumption that the emotional environment of the child’s first five years has a persistent effect upon his development, which can only partially be modified by later events. Modern students of cerebral function partially support such a view by assuming that psychological experience involves changes in brain cells and their connections with each other. Kagan points out that “the development of the embryo contains frequent discontinuities in which some structures disappear after their mission has been accomplished, leaving no structural residue.” evidence is lacking that even severe emotional disturbance in early childhood necessarily has permanent effects upon adult adjustment. One study of European children who were adopted by American families because they had been left homeless by the Second World War showed that about 20 percent showed severe signs of anxiety. But, over the years, all of these symptoms vanished; the vast majority of the children made good school progress; and there was no case of academic difficulty among them.” Nor were there any persistent emotional difficulties in relation to their adoptive
Berger, K. (2011). The developing person through the life span. (8th ed., pp. 39-42). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
In this essay I am going to show my understanding of a child's early emotional development based on the psychoanalytical view of child development. I will show how emotional skills gained in the early years can be of a significant relevance to later life. I will show my understanding by illustrating it with the clinical material. Although I am focusing on the psychoanalytical approach to child development I believe that it is beneficial to present also some general background knowledge of child development.
“Although experience may affect human brain structure and function throughout the entire life span, evidence…..suggests that early experience may be particularly critical” (Rao et al., 2010). During the childhood years, adequate nurturance by parents has a large impact on optimal biological and psychological development. This includes neurological, social, emotional, and cognitive growth. Rao et al. (2010) broadly define nurturance as including “warmth, affection, and acceptance” (p. 1145). Like nurturance, many researchers have looked at the importance of similar issues such as attention, attachment, and bonding. Conversely, issues such as stressful environments and unstable relationships have been shown to have negative consequences on childhood development. The importance of this early childhood nurturance is evident in the story of Michel Oher as described in the movie The Blind Side. Due to his neglectful upbringing, Michael has many academic deficits including language problems as well as having limited social and stress management skills. However, when taken in by the Tuohy family Michael begins to thrive and flourish due to the encouraging attention he receives and the positive environment in which he now lives. Although Michael’s case is atypical, not every impoverished child gets a second chance, it does illustrate the effects that improper, and later adequate, nurturance has on a child and his or her development.
For my reflection paper I chose to write about chapter 9 that talks about lifespan development. This chapter grabbed my attention and I found it most interesting. In the textbookit discusses how there are certain factors that uncontrollably make us who we are. Those factorsare "unique combination of genes you inherited from your biological mother and father. Another is the historical era during which you grew up. Your individual development has also been shaped by the cultural, social, and family contexts within which you were raised." (Pg.352) The patterns of our lives are because of developmental psychology. "Developmental psychology is a scientific approach which aims to explain growth, change and consistency though the lifespan. Developmental
When studying human development, it is helpful to understand the main developmental domains (i.e physical, cognitive, emotional and moral) and the ways in which people develop within each domain at certain age stages. Use of psychological theories is also helpful to understand the reasons for this development and the ways in which it manifests at different age stages. The objective of this essay is to analyse the influences on development from conception to late adolescence. It will describe theories of lifespan development with information regarding my own development used to support these theories. It will be concluded that theories of lifespan development can be used to explain life experiences in the different developmental domains at different
Mahler, M., Pine, F., & Bergman, A. (1975). The psychological birth of the human infant: symbiosis and individuation. New York: Basic Books.
If a parent has a negative emotion and negative reactions to children’s expression of emotion, it will cause children to also have negative emotions and low social competence. It states, “children reared in families in which emotions, particularly negative emotions are not discussed freely may be deprived of information about emotions and their regulation and may conclude that emotions should not be expressed” (Eisenberg 255). Children will grow with a disadvantage in terms of their emotional and social competence. These kids will lack emotion because it was not discussed when they were younger and they will not know how to express how they truly feel since they were deprived. In the article “The Lifelong Impact of Childhood Experiences: A Population Health Perspective” it discusses that early childhood experiences have a powerful effect on one’s life. It also focuses on different statuses of the family as a child and that can also have an effect on how a parent is raising their child. It states “Across North America approximately 50 percent of single parent families live in poverty, more than twice as many as Western Europe”(Hertzman
Lifespan development is essential, as it is the changes that happen to us throughout a person’s lifespan. Our development occurs at ages stages where we develop from infancy till death. This essay will contain my life story to display the domains in 5 age stages in my lifespan development. The domains I will be exploring is in this essay is physical, emotional, cognitive, social, cultural and moral domain. The influence of biological and environmental play a significant role in my development. Development is influenced by nature or nurture and its affect will occur throughout lifespan. The changes that occur during development have stage. Each theorists has stages of development where they display the changes. This essay will explore my development that will support theorist such as Erikson, Vygotsky, Berk, Piaget and other theorist. The age stages of prenatal will display physical and emotional domain, Infancy (0-2) will portray social and emotional domain, young children (2-6) will show cognitive and social domain, middle childhood (6-12) will display socio-cultural and moral domain and adolescence will portray nature vs. nurture and cultural domain. Development is crucial for a healthy wellbeing. As a physiotherapist it is significant to understand development in age stages, as it will aid knowing how young children will react compared to an adolescence who is more development mentally, emotionally, physically, socially and culturally.
Erik H. Erikson was a significant psychologist that greatly changed the field of child development. In the 1950’s, Erikson advanced a Freudian approach in development. He viewed that social development as a series of eight challenges that people have to overcome. Each challenge has an outcome that’s either favorable or unfavorable. The outcome drastically affects a person’s personality. For example, in a favorable outcome, the result can leave a positive feeling. With a positive outlook, it’s easier for a person to cope with challenges in life. An unfavorable outcome can leave a person at a disadvantaged for the future. During the first couple challenges, Erikson believed that the caregiver has a great impact on a child’s development (Romero).
Individuals’ life and personal experiences play an important role in one’s development. As a matter of fact, the path from infancy to adulthood can be shaped by many factors that happen during the individual’s life. According to Drewery and Claiborne (2010), human development is an area of study that seeks to analyse and understand how ongoing changes affect people’s life and their development. There are many theories around human development, yet all of them share the notion that there are several universal stages that take place in every individual’s development: childhood, adolescence and adulthood (Drewery & Claiborne, 2010). This current essay aims to explore and analyse one of the three life stages that characterised human development:
Berk, L. (2010). Development Through the Lifespan (5th ed.). (J. Mosher, Ed.) Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon.
Today’s theory on development called The Life Course Perspective or Life Course Perspective examines an individual’s lifespan within a structural, social and cultural context. It examines how their history, to include transitions, affected thei...
... conclusion maturational theorist Arnold Gesell believes that a child will develop biologically and their environment has little involvement in a child’s development. Through a numerous of conducted experiments, he was able to put together and create a schedule of when milestones will occur which is known as the ‘Gesell Developmental Schedule’ where he was able to compare a child’s development to the standard norm. He also created the “Gesell Maturational Theory’, where heredity is of much more importance in their growth and development than the child’s nurturing environment. Gesell’s maturational theory is seen yet till today in a child’s everyday lives, from the time they are in the foetus till our adult life. His theory displays both strengths and weaknesses and other theorists challenging his theory but the debate between nature versus nurture will always arise.
The two theories that will be discussed throughout this paper are Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development and Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development. The major themes and concepts of the two theories share both differences and similarities. Specific emphasis will be placed on the earliest years of life and will also be related to separation, individuation, and attachment theory.
According to Erikson, human development occurs in eight stages though-out life. At each stage, individuals work through transitional conflicts a necessary mean of development by undertaking certain developmental tasks (Nugent, 2005, p. 99). The theories of Erik Erkson were used to analyze and interpret the responses.