Lifespan Development Controversies

Controversies in Lifespan Development

• Nature vs. Nurture:

  • Nature emphasizes the role of genetics and biology in shaping behavior (inherited traits).
  • Nurture highlights the influence of environment (family, culture, education).
  • Both factors play crucial roles, but experts may prioritize one depending on their area of expertise.
  • Understanding both perspectives is essential for comprehending human development.

• Continuity vs. Discontinuity:

  • Continuity suggests that development is a gradual process without clear-cut stages.
  • Discontinuity proposes that development occurs in distinct, separate stages.
  • Both perspectives can apply to different aspects of development.

Freud's Psychosexual Stages of Development

• Freud's theory centers on the interplay of the id, ego, and superego, impacting behavior throughout life.

  • It focuses on how sexual pleasure associated with specific bodily zones affects development.

• Oral Stage (Birth to 18 months):

  • Pleasure derived from mouth activities (sucking, feeding).
  • Fixation can lead to dependency in adulthood (e.g., smoking, nail-biting).

• Anal Stage (18 months to 3 years):

  • Pleasure is centered on controlling bodily functions (toilet training).
  • Fixation can result in control issues (e.g., messy or overly neat personalities).

• Phallic Stage (3 to 5 years):

  • Pleasure is focused on the genitals.
  • Boys experience the Oedipus complex (desires for the mother, fear of the father).
  • Girls experience penis envy (desires for a penis, jealousy toward males).
  • Fixation may influence gender identity and masculinity/femininity.

• Latency Stage (5 years to puberty):

  • Sexual impulses are dormant.
  • Focus shifts to friendships, hobbies, and school.

• Genital Stage (Puberty to adulthood):

  • Formation of mature sexual relationships and productive work.
  • Successful development leads to healthy relationships and emotional well-being.

• Criticisms of Freud's Theory:

  • Freud's theory is often criticized as overly focused on sexuality.
  • It lacks strong empirical evidence.
  • It doesn't adequately address adult development after adolescence.

Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development

• Erikson's theory builds on Freud's work but focuses more on social and emotional conflicts rather than sexual ones.

• It outlines eight psychosocial stages, each characterized by a specific developmental crisis that needs resolution for progress to the next stage.

• Key features:

  • Focus on social relationships.
  • Stages involve positive and negative outcomes based on conflict resolution.

• Stages overview(briefly):

  • Trust vs. Mistrust (infancy)
  • Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt (toddlerhood)
  • Initiative vs. Guilt (early childhood)
  • Industry vs. Inferiority (middle childhood)
  • Identity vs. Role Confusion (adolescence)
  • Intimacy vs. Isolation (young adulthood)
  • Generativity vs. Stagnation (middle adulthood)
  • Integrity vs. Despair (late adulthood)

Behaviorism and Social Learning

• Classical Conditioning (Pavlov):

  • Learning through association. Stimulus association links behavior with a stimulus.
  • Neutral stimulus paired with an unconditioned stimulus ultimately elicits a conditioned response.

• Operant Conditioning (Skinner):

  • Learning based on reinforcement and punishment. Reinforcement strengthens behavior, while punishment weakens it.
  • Used for altering habits and behaviours

• Social Learning (Bandura):

  • Learning can occur through observation of others' behaviors (modeling).
  • Learning may occur without explicit reinforcement.
  • Observed learning frequently involves imitating the behavior of others