Life Span Perspective Paper
Cindy Amundson
Psy/375
April 11, 2011
Professor Deborah Wilkerson, M.A., ABD
The study of human development is a science. It is based on theories, data, analysis, critical thinking, and sound methodology (Berger). Five characteristics of Development that will be discussed in this paper are multidirectional, multi-contextual, multicultural, multidisciplinary and plasticity. There are also five theories of development which are psychoanalytical, behaviorism, cognitive, socio-cultural, and epigenetic theory. Together these characteristics and theories can be used together to get a better understanding of the human development and how much genetics play a role in development and how much the
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These fields include but are not limited to psychology, biology, sociology, anthropology, neuroscience, economics, religion, history, medicine, genetics and others. Multi-contextual aspects refer to the part of development which influences the development of an individual based on historical, family and economical conditions.
Theories of Development There are five theories of development which are psychoanalytical, behaviorism, cognitive, socio-cultural, and epigenetic (Santrock). These theories help develop an outline from which to explain the patterns and problems of development (Berger). I am only going to discuss two of these which are psychoanalytical and behavioral. Psychoanalytical theory of development originated from Sigmund Freud. This is considered the theory that created the foundation for which the other four theories developed (Polan E. & Taylor D.). Freud’s theory is based on the idea that development which occurs in the first six years of life occurs in three stages which are oral, anal phallic stage and are sexual pleasure centered. The oral stage pertains to the stimulation of the mouth which can be obtained through sucking during infancy. The anal stage pertains to the stimulation of the anus which can relate to the awareness of using the bathroom through potty training during early childhood ages of development. The phallic stage pertains to the
There are various theories of development that provide a strategic framework on how individuals and societies interpret the growth. development and learning of human beings. Throughout the history of psychology, psychologists have proposed numerous theories to predict and interpret different aspects of human behavior. Some theories are well-supported by researchers; and others, are still under examination or partially accepted by researchers. Two theories, Erikson's Theory of Psychological Development, and Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development are both well-accepted and have helped to contribute to our knowledge of the human mind and behavior. Theories such as Freud's Psychosexual Theory have not had much success and have been replaced by other theories to explain human growth and development. Spiritual development is a dimension that has as much significance as psychological and cognitive development.
The chapter discusses how human development is affected by the nature in which a person is born into. It discusses how worldviews regarding child 's development vary among different regions throughout the continents. The chapter goes into the similarities of cultures as well as the differences of how humans develop across the board in all areas of thought in different regions of the world. The author tries to link human development with cultural aspects of how problem solving occurs as far as cultural influences are concerned. The nature of human development may occur in a pattern with all types of cultures and background.
So in conclusion the life span of development is simply psychological studies that form the very conception of the theory which is until the death of humans. It also has an insight of the relationship development as well that can be seen with in different stages of one’s development along with the five characteristics stages too. Even though Piaget and Freud did have very different theories on the different
There are five different aspects of development these are Physical development, cognitive development, communication, social and emotional development, and moral development.
The study of human development is a rich and varied subject. We all have personal
ARDA sleeps virtually all of the time, only waking when hungry, cold, or wet. He usually drifts back to sleep toward the end of the feeding.
Behaviorist Ivan Pavlov introduced the ideas of classical and operant conditioning as ways that humans and other species learn. Classical conditioning promotes the idea that a positive or
Human development is the biological and psychological development of a person throughout one’s lifetime. There are many significant pieces of human development including psychological, and theological concepts. The three psychological concepts I will focus on are Social, Cognitive, and Moral development. Since my knowledge in these topics is slim, I will borrow the theories and knowledge of a couple people who have actually put in the work over many years of research.
The Development theories are so important to discover since they improve our understanding of human growth. There are theories set to prove that human development is created by nature and nurture. On the other hand, there are some theories that take a strong position that nurture is more important than
B. F. Skinner thought of personality in terms of the effects external stimuli have on behavior. This emphasized the mutual interaction of the person or "the organism" with its environment. An example of this is something a baby learns. If a baby cries and receives attention, it teaches the baby that in order to get attention they need to cry. Princess Diana learned that external stimuli have a huge effect on her behavior.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss two concepts of human development and how each of them relates specifically to one individual’s life experiences. I chose to interview and discuss specific experiences that shaped my father, R. Schein (R.S.). Additionally, I will explain the impact that risk factors and protective factors had on his development.
Human development theories are theories intended to account for how and why people become, as they are. These theories provide the framework to clarify and organize existing observations and to try to explain and predict human behavior. It is important to recognize the complexity of human development and the theories that explain human development. (Berger, pg. 23). The three theories that have influenced by development are Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Theory, Abraham Maslow’s Humanism and Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory.
There are four major theories of the Human Development. The first one being Psychoanalytic theory. Freud and Erikson, were the ones that helped create it by using two different theories. Freud came up with psychosexual theory which is proposing that sexual desire is driving force behind development. There was total of five stages from infancy, toddlerhood, early childhood, middle childhood and adolescence. With these stages, it calorized them into what they are growing up. Erikson had a total of eight stages that dealt with the mind and behavior aspect. With these eight stages, a developments forms from infancy to all the way to late adulthood. An example would be a girl at age of 8 saw her parents get divorced having that event in her life made her think relationships for wont work like her parents did.
Human development is a process that occurs throughout the lifespan, and lifespan development theories offer frameworks for which to understand human growth. Different approaches focus on specific aspects of human life to determine which has the most significant influence on development. However, one theory usually does not account for all variables of human growth so more than one perspective may be used to analyze development. Two such perspectives, the behavioral and the contextual, explain development in different ways. The behavioral perspective focuses on observable behavior, while the contextual perspective focuses on interrelated systems that influence development. When applied to the case study in the index, the differences in the behavioral and contextual theories become evident.
Human development can be studied by researching both physical and mental development. It can be studied by focusing on the external human body, along with the processes and intricate systems that have been developed by our body. It can also focus on the human brain, specifically on the internal development of human behaviour and interaction. Consequently, I have built my degree plan to represent both viewpoints in development.