Life Transitions
The study of human development provides understanding and explanation of how and why people change throughout life including all aspects of physical, emotional, intellectual, social, perceptual, and personality development. Development does not just involve the biological and physical aspects of growth but also associate with the cognitive and social aspects of lifelong growth. The study of development is important not only to psychology but also health care. This essay explores significant developmental theories and discusses whether early experiences and social development impact on the adult person, to what extent culture impact on development and an understanding of developmental psychology are important to nursing practice.
Do early life experiences and social development impact on the adult person? Early life experiences and social development have a significant impact on the adult person. Major theorists who acknowledge the importance of early life experiences and social development for future are Freud, Erikson and Bowlby. Freud and Erikson made outstanding contributions of psychosocial theories whereas Bowlby developed attachment theory. Although their approaches are divergent in their overall perspectives, they all concur that satisfied experiences in early life lead to positive effects on the successful or healthy development in later years. Freud’s theory of psychosexual development proposes five stages of development with the needs of each stages from birth to adulthood. The theory asserts that the requirements of each stage have to be fulfilled to progress towards the next developmental stage and unsatisfactory achievement at one stage causes anxiety resulting in the personality fixation at that stage (Baldwin & Bentley, 2012). Erikson expanded upon Freud’s theory throughout lifespan and believed that people maintain lifelong development. Erikson’s theory also proposes a sequence of development stages and the levels of achievement for the
Do early life experiences and social development impact on the adult person? Early life experiences and social development have a significant impact on the adult person. Major theorists who acknowledge the importance of early life experiences and social development for future are Freud, Erikson and Bowlby. Freud and Erikson made outstanding contributions of psychosocial theories whereas Bowlby developed attachment theory. Although their approaches are divergent in their overall perspectives, they all concur that satisfied experiences in early life lead to positive effects on the successful or healthy development in later years. Freud’s theory of psychosexual development proposes five stages of development with the needs of each stages from birth to adulthood. The theory asserts that the requirements of each stage have to be fulfilled to progress towards the next developmental stage and unsatisfactory achievement at one stage causes anxiety resulting in the personality fixation at that stage (Baldwin & Bentley, 2012). Erikson expanded upon Freud’s theory throughout lifespan and believed that people maintain lifelong development. Erikson’s theory also proposes a sequence of development stages and the levels of achievement for the
References: Bladwin, A. & Bentley, K. 2012, ‘ Concept of Growth and Development’ in B. Kozier & G. Erb, Kozier and Erb’s Foundation of nursing, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest, NSW, pp.396-415. Burton, L. 2013, ‘Phyical and cognitive development’ in S. Rochester (ed), Understanding the Person: Life Transitions, J. Wiley & Sons, Australia, pp. 1-37 Burton, L Peterson, C. 2010, ‘Lifespan Developmental psychology’, Looking Forward through the lifespan: developmental psychology, 5th edn, Pearson Education, Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW, pp. 4-29 Slavin, B.E White, F., Hayes, B. & Livesey, D. 2010, ‘Social Development’, Developmental Psychology: From infancy to adult, Pearson Education, Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW, pp. 250-289 Reflection