WHAT CAN PSYCHOLOGY TEACH US ABOUT HUMAN DEVELOPMENT?
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INTRODUCTION
Psychology evolved out of both philosophy and biology. Discussions on the two
subjects date as far back as the early Greek thinkers such as Aristotle and Socrates.
The word psychology is derived from the Greek word ‘psyche’ meaning ‘soul’ or
‘mind’. Psychology is both an applied and academic field, that is the scientific study
Of behaviour and experience. Research into psychology helps us to understand and
explain out thoughts, emotions and behaviour. It can be applied to both living
organisms animal and human-life. Psychology is massive topic, and has many theories
This essay just looks at one of these theories, which is the theory of Sigmund Freud’s
on the elements that compose an individual’s personality and development. Human
development is also known as developmental psychology, it is the scientific study of
Systematic psychological changes that occur in human beings over the course of their
life span. Human development includes issues as to the extent to which development
Occurs through the gradual accumulation of knowledge versus stage- like
Development. There are many theories in this school of thought and the study of
psychology can teach us about development, and help explore the developing and
sometimes troubled ‘mind’, “one of life’s greatest mysteries“.
At the end of the last century the idea of psychoanalysis was developed by Sigmund
Freud. By using the “free-association” technique. He was able to uncover memories
Of his patients’ childhood, and he went on to use these as a basis for his theory of
Development(Nicky Hayes 1993 p.103). He also stated that children went through
three stages in the first five years; the oral stage, the anal stage and the phallic stage.
Each stage could have lasting effects on adult personality(Nicky Hayes 1993 p.104).
Sigmund Freud went on to say we have three aspects to our
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