INT103 Human Development across the Lifespan Report 2 Sample
Assignment Brief
You have to write 1800 word Reflective Essay
1. Which of Erikson's eight major stages is especially meaningful in terms of lifespan development, explain your answer? (400 words)
2. Using a fond childhood memory, compare and contrast Erikson and Freud’s theories of development. (1400 words)
In your answer consider the following;
-Which stage of development in Erikson’s theory does your memory fit into?
-Which stage of Freud’s developmental theory does your memory fit into?
-According to Erikson and Freud how impactful has this event has been to your development?
-Assess Erikson and Freud’s theories in terms of the explanation given to childhood events and the impact this has on lifespan development, refer to your fond childhood experience in your answer.
Please ensure to use at least FIVE recent ( less than 5 years old) research articles.
Follow APA 7th standard of referencing.
Solution
Introduction
The report will demonstrate the stage of initiatives vs. guilt proposed by Erikson. Through subjective memory, the significance of the third stage is unfolded. This also shows how the stage is essential in lifespan development. Erikson’s theory will also be contrasted with Freud's, referring to the reflective account of a old childhood memory.
Discussion
The third stage of Erikson's is meaningful in terms of lifespan development. Erikson's eight major stages signify an individual's psychological and physiological development. There are various factors and key outcomes for each stage that justify the gradual growth of a human. Considering the eight stages, such as trust vs mistrust, autonomy vs shame and doubt and others, stage 3, which is initiative vs guilt, is the most important aspect in terms of the psychological and physiological development of the life span. The factors of acquired knowledge in early childhood, certain adaptations and self-control matter the most in this stage (Cherry, 2022). Children have the power to interact socially, which presents a greater value of this stage when considering the eight development stages. New learning, control and power play a role mainly in shaping the attributes and behavioural patterns of a child. Therefore, it depicts the establishment of self-confidence with the help of various skills. On the other hand, children who are not fit at all to cope with the changes face the issues in terms of guilt and reduced initiatives to boost themselves. This particular conflict signifies the mental development that impacts the decision-making process and presents the motives of the children (Orenstein & Lewis, 2022).
Certain purposes have been integrated with this stage regarding friend selection, dress preference and many more, which signify the initiative to execute power and control over the external environment. Since children of 4 to 6 years of age can interact socially and are unknown, it creates a huge psychological change in habit and adaptability. The most crucial power initiative is the natural phenomenon of pushing the parents to accept any demand. Therefore, psychological development is prominent and becomes greater in the later stages, creating confusion within the mind regarding the action's outcomes. However, reduced maturity at this stage does not hamper the potential outcomes. It allows parents and guardians to look after their children and consult professionals for further development. Hence, the purposes and causes for any power action can be related to the initiative, which is important for the appropriate development of the psychological aspects (Rorije et al., 2023). Conversely, guilt is the perception that refers to the mis-achievement of desires. Thus, the importance of Erikson's eight stages of lifespan development differentiates the demographic characteristics of the children for effective and transparent understanding of gradual and systematic development for university assignment help.
The fond childhood memory is going to be discussed in the paragraph. Initiative vs Guilt is the primary stage that teaches the children about controlling impulses and sudden outbursts that leave the impression lifelong. I have such a memory of being a preschool student for around four years. My parents took me to hang out every weekend; it was a park or some beautiful places. At times, I did not prefer going to the areas that are incredibly remote and have no vibes. Someday, I insisted on going to malls and parks to participate in the game activities. I enjoyed playing with my peers and loved playing in the play zones. In the very childhood moments, I blended the positive sides with the negative ones. As good luck would have it, I was allowed to indulge in playthings and strolling in the area outside my home.
It felt good that my words were valued. A sense of initiative develops when the parents trust the toddlers with it. They listened to my words and fulfilled my demands for an outing. I took the initiative to arrange the friends and took them with me. I chose my dress and kept everything ready. Joy knew no bounds when we were going to my favourite places. I selected dresses for my mom; seeing her in that attire was an aesthetic feeling. At this stage, children want to do things on their own. The interplay of decision-making and leadership is the best gift children are blessed with. They love to push the boundaries and do wonders out of curiosity. Erikson advanced that the child's decision-making power is rooted in early childhood (Rorije et al., 2023). Guilt at this stage does not always refer to negative emotions. The fundamental instincts of children are intensive, and they don't want to sacrifice their interests for the sake of their friends.
According to Freud, the ID is represented by the primitive drives of the instincts. I can relate to this clearly, for I always love to take the first initiative to be followed by others. Guilt vs initiative keeps the balance between human life in the right place. Here comes the similarity between Freud and Erikson, highlighting the importance of childhood stages as developing behaviours (Lauro Grotto, Borozan & Battilotti, 2021). They think childhood is the seed time of life; some behaviours that cannot be changed are ingrained forever. Childhood is the exact time to grow a determined personality without being shaken forever. The behaviours also interact with each other, which can be an asset for a lifetime. After being caught up with my friends, I was hurt to find the parents ignoring my choices. I felt terrible and felt a sense of guilt, thinking I had chosen something worse. As per Freud, conflicts can develop when one discovers unacceptable feelings. The day went wrong when I was made to put on the dresses I disliked. Erikson suggested that the children must create an attitude of cooperation (Kesavelu, Sheela & Abraham, 2021). One day, my objection reached the extreme, and I vehemently shouted. I wanted to dress like the 'fairy queen' I watched on screen, but my father did not allow it. I went into a bad mood and felt guilty after creating scenes. I started doubting that the things I liked were worth liking. Children need to build confidence with time.
Erickson also states that kids feel great after helping somebody. That also happened to me, and standing by someone in need was great. But I did not like to be in the other person's shoes. Kids want to get the power of agency and control their surroundings. It gets perplexed easily on being prevented from doing the thing of liking. It is essential for the parents to have a hearty conversation with the kids and to shape their preferences. The stage of guilt VS initiative also develops responsibility (Orenstein & Lewis, 2022). This is to keep in mind that guilt results from failure. Kids having experienced nothing at this stage are always fearful of trying innovative things. Every child, including me, at 3-6, practises assertion and independence while playing. The theory of fraud leads to the psychosocial development of the child. Freud's theory also indicates that unconscious memories influence human behaviours (Beatey, 2023). The unconscious layers of the human mind also control the bayous and thought processes of the child. He also proposed the theory of talk therapy, which takes a crucial form in shaping human thoughts.
Childhood experiences and environments develop the future actions of human beings (Main, 2023). The presence of both the conscious and the unconscious mind affects the behaviour and the surroundings. Conflicts and communications can operate in the conscious mind. As far as I can recall, my instinct was also sharp in childhood. I loved taking part in the activities and getting the lead role. I expressed myself through various means that now seemed ludicrous. Children are imaginative, and so am I. I took the steps to get the attention of the family first. My thinking revolved around creative things. Kids also want to carry their voter identity. They need to be accepted by all. Freud thinks that it is the impulse that makes them active and vibrant.
On the other hand, considering my childhood memory in terms of initiative to go to malls and parks and insisting my parents can be aligned with the psychological theory of Sigmund Freud. According to this theory, personality and observation have been developed at the early stages of the lifespan, which refers to the trust vs mistrust stage of Erikson's development theory (Jones & Roundy, 2022). Therefore, psychological development is based on external factors such as parenting, nature, nutrients and many more. Additionally, the factors of conscious and unconscious mind play a crucial role in the development of individual psychology. The conscious mind and actions depict the ego-building and personality development in the early stage to fulfil the requirements. This stage of Freud's theory contrasts with Erikson's approach, which states that personality development is long-lasting and time-consuming. Thus, personality development signifies a child's attributes and behavioural patterns, which are prominent in the early stage. However, rapid changes can be observed in many cases, supporting Erikson's statement. Additionally, the real-time thinking and the experiences of my 4-6 years of age impacted me greatly regarding observation and social interaction with others. The shame and doubt in terms of self-confidence and communicating with unknown people is being reduced during this time, which also provides credit to my parents. That is the reason I mention the parenting approach in the early stages. Support and motivation trigger the initiatives to execute power and willingness, reducing guilt's negative impact and inducing psychological development.
The conscious challenges and guilt factors become unconscious and recessive by nature and reflect a greater stage for the ultimate development of the psychological aspects. I can relate both theories in the same perspective regarding selecting people to execute power and influence. It signifies the growing maturity of a child in choosing the right person to show attributes and specific behavioural patterns, such as father, mother, or grandparents. This choice is based on the psychological wavelength and my preference. For example, I choose my parents to insist or provoke them to get me to the parks or malls. This reflects my psychological orientation regarding my parents as a comfort zone and expecting positive outcomes of the argued desires. Hence, there is a common theme between Erikson's stage 3 and Freud's psychodynamic theory regarding identity development, sensing characteristics and interaction (Learning, 2020). Therefore, the theories have a huge influence on the psychological and psychosexual development of an individual related to the experience and external environment of the habitat.
Conclusion
The concise development phases and stages signify the emotional attachment and development of the children, reflecting the increment of attachment, mental expectations and psychological demands. Enjoyment, sadness, trauma and many more are factional segments of the psychological stage and belong to every stage of lifespan development. Thus, the expression of these factors matures with the stages, signifying the complex procedures of psychological factors of human beings.
Reference list
Beatey, C. (2023). Initiative vs Guilt (Psychosocial Stage 3) - Practical Psychology. Practical Psychology. https://practicalpie.com/initiative-vs-guilt/
Cherry, K. (2022, August 3). Understanding Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/erik-eriksons-stages-of-psychosocial-development-2795740#:~:text=Why%20Was%20Erikson’s%20Theory%20Important,at%20each%20point%20in%20development
Jones, J., & Roundy, L. (2022, December 31). Differences between Freud and Erikson's approach to psychoanalytic theory: Differences and analysis. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE55soly70M
Kesavelu, D., Sheela, K., & Abraham, P. (2021) ‘Stages of psychological development of child-an overview’, International Journal of Current Research and Review, 13(13), 74-78. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ponsekar-Anandapandian/publication/353020101_Stages_of_Psychological_Development_of_Child-An_Overview/links/611e47c41e95fe241ae0fbf7/Stages-of-Psychological-Development-of-Child-An-Overview.pdf
Lauro Grotto, R., Borozan, M., & Battilotti, G. (2021) ‘Infinite Singletons and the Logic of Freudian Theory’, Language and Psychoanalysis, 10(2), 46–62. https://doi.org/10.7565/landp.v10i2.5795
Learning, L. (2020) ‘Psychodynamic Theories’, Lifespan Development.
Main, P. (2023). Sigmund Freud's Theories. Structural Learning | Advancing Metacognitive Classroom Practice. https://www.structural-learning.com/post/sigmund-freuds-theories#:~:text=According%20to%20Sigmund%20Freud,%20the,id%20and%20the%20external
Orenstein, G. A., & Lewis, L. (2022) ‘Eriksons stages of psychosocial development. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing, Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556096/
Orenstein, G. A., & Lewis, L. (2022) 'Eriksons stages of psychosocial development',In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
Rorije, M., Damen, S., Janssen, M. J., & Minnaert, A. (2023, October) ‘Applying Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development to understand autonomy development in children and youths with deafblindness: a systematic literature review’, In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 8, p. 1228905). Frontiers. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1228905
Rorije, M., Damen, S., Janssen, M.J. and Minnaert, A., (2023) ‘October. Applying Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development to understand autonomy development in children and youths with deafblindness: a systematic literature review’, In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 8, p. 1228905). Frontiers. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1228905
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