Three Stages Of Human Development

Developmental psychology addresses a broad range of human development. Covering the period from pre-natal growth to late adulthood, it can offer greater understanding of healthy human development, as well as provide deeper insight into human nature and human behavior. Knowing about other people is essential for cultivating healthy relationships with them. Before one can know other people, however, one must know oneself, and especially, one must know God. John Calvin (1559) acknowledged this truth when he wrote,
Without knowledge of self, there is no knowledge of God. Our wisdom, insofar as it ought to be deemed true and solid wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But as these are connected by

Psychoanalytic Theory, popularized by Freud and Erickson, believes that unconscious drives, usually originating from childhood, motivate human behavior. Freud advanced psychosexual stages, emphasizing sexual urges during development. Erikson advanced psychosocial periods, underscoring family and cultural influences during growth. Freud’s stages culminate in adulthood, which he believes lasts throughout life, while Erikson recognizes three stages during adulthood. Behaviorism, pioneered by John Watson, emphasizes observable human behavior. This theory focuses on learning with classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social learning theory. Piaget focused on mental growth and introduced four periods of cognitive development. Cognitive theories consider how an individual’s thinking changes as he or she

I recall my father describing how the right side of my forehead was underdeveloped. I do not know what factors contributed to these circumstances but they have not contributed to any long-term consequences, as I am alive and well. Erickson’s first stage of psychosocial development during the first year of life is trust versus mistrust. Infants learn to trust and feel secure if their basic needs for food, comfort, attention, and so forth are met. I seem to have developed mistrust at this time. I am the youngest of three children, only ten months younger than my sister and two years younger than my brother. Caring for three children this close in age is difficult for any mother. My mother, however, had additional challenges to contend with. Diagnosed as manic-depressive (now called Bipolar), she was subject to extreme mood swings. She alternated between severe depression, where she would stay in her room for days, and manifesting violent outburst (although never physically abusive to me), to happy and energetic. This cycle would repeat itself every few days and would continue throughout my childhood and adolescence. My parents were upper-middle class so my physical needs for food, drink, shelter etc., on Maslow’s progression, were well met. According to Attachment Theory, however, I became insecure-avoidant, developing anxiety (Berger, 2014, p. 191). This anxiety would color my perception of experiences for