Psychoanalytic theories, primarily developed by Sigmund Freud and later expanded by Erik Eriksen, focus on the intricate structure and development of human personality. Freud’s model delineates three core components:
Social antogenesis focusing on selfhood, spiritual selfhood and ancestral selfhood.
5. Contextual perspective
Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory
4. Macro-systems: historical changes over time creating cultural and sub-cultural systems with own set of values.
3. Exo-system: social systems that you are not actively involved in, but have an impact on your development eg. workplace, media, goverment.
2. Meso-systems: interaction between micro-systems eg. peer groups at school.
1. Micro-systems: relates to immediate environment and family influence on development.
The development of a child is anchored in a series of complex and interactive systems in the environment:
4. Biological perspective
Development is mainly influenced by biology and genetics by the following theories:
3. Evolutionary theory: focus on selection & adaption
2. Etiological theory: focus on biological survival
1. Maturational theory: focus on the biological plan for your body.
3. Behaviourism
3. Operant conditioning (Bandura)
Bandura believed that children learn by observing others and role models. His experiment entailed observing that children treated the dolls in the same way they in turn observed the adults treating the dolls.
2. Observational learning (Skinner)
Skinner believed that behaviour that is rewarded will be repeated as apposed to behaviour that is punished will avoided. He observed pigeons playing table tennis.
1. Classic conditioning (Pavlov & Watson)
Learning process where a neutral stimuli results in a specific response after the process of conditioning has been completed. Watson observed Little Albert and Pavlov observed his dogs.
Behaviour is learned and formed by the environment as studied by Pavlov, Watson, Skinner and Bandura
2. Cognitive perspective
Jean Piaget observed that children use the cognition that develops their own theories about their environment and develop through the own curiosity. Piaget developed four (4) stages of cognitive development:
4. Formal operational stage ( 11 - adulthood) when the individual demonstrates abstract thinking, logic, deductive reasoning, comparison and classification.
3. Concrete operational stage (7 - 11 years) when the child's reasoning becomes focused and logical.
2. Pre-operational stage (2 - 7 years) when the child learns to uses language, symbols, letters and numbers.
1. Sensorimotor stage (0 - 2 years) when the child learns by looking, touching, sucking.
1. Psycho-analytic perspective
Eriksen introduced the 8 stages of development distinguised by psycho-social crisis (PSC), basic virtue (BV) and age:
Stage 8
(PSC) Ego integrity vs despair (BV) Wisdom (Late adulthood)
Stage 7
(PSC) Generality vs stagnation (BV) Core (Middle adulthood)
Stage 6
(PSC) Intimacy vs isolation (BV) Love (Early adulthood)
Stage 5
(PSC) Identity vs role confusion (BV) Fidelity (Adolescence)
Stage 4
(PSC) Industry vs inferiority (BV) Competency (6 -puberty)
Stage 3
(PSC) Initiative vs guilt (BV) Purpose (4 - 6 years)
Stage 2
(PSC) Autonomy vs shame (BV) Will (2 - 3 years)
Stage 1
(PSC) Trust vs mistrust (BV) Hope (1 year)
Psycho-sexual development (Freud) derived in five (5) phases:
5. Genital (puberty - adulthood) seeks pleasure from penis/vagina eg. sexual intercourse and sexual impulses emerge.
4. Latent (6 - puberty) has little to no sexual motivation
3. Phallic (3 - 6 years) pleasure moves to the genitals and starts to get pleasure from penis/clitoris eg. masturbation
2. Anal (1 - 3 years) focus on eliminating and retaining feces and get pleasured from the anus eg. withholding
1. Oral (0 -1 years) focus on oral stimulus like suckling.
Freud explained the structure of personality as:
3. Superego
Follows the rules of society
2. Ego
Follows the reality principle
1. ID
Follows the pleasure principle
Studied extensively by Sigmund Freud and Erik Eriksen, the theory operates on 3 basic assumptions:
3. Influenced by sexual & aggressive urges
2. Influenced by early childhood experiences.
1. Influenced by unconscious experiences & conflict
Developmental issues
Continuity vs Discontinuity
Is development solely and continuous or age specific?
Nature vs Nurture
Is behaviour a result of inherited or acquired influences?
Passive vs active involvement
Is information soaked up or due to interaction with the environment?
Universality vs cultural concepts
Do all children go through the same experiences or is specific behaviour limited my cultural influence?
To identify potential problems, it is important to know the norm:
Developmental areas
Social development: interaction patterns, relationships, socialising, moral development
Personality development: the self, self-concept, identity & self-value.
Cognitive development: learning, memory, moral reasoning, language, creativity.