Lifespan Development Theories PDF

1.2 Theoretical Perspectives in Lifespan Development 1. Controversies in Lifespan Development: ​ Nature vs. Nurture: ○​ Nature: Human behavior is shaped by genetics/biology (e.g., inherited traits). ○​ Nurture: Behavior is shaped by the environment (e.g., family, culture, educ...

1.2 Theoretical Perspectives in Lifespan Development 1. Controversies in Lifespan Development: ​ Nature vs. Nurture: ○​ Nature: Human behavior is shaped by genetics/biology (e.g., inherited traits). ○​ Nurture: Behavior is shaped by the environment (e.g., family, culture, education). ○​ Both sides are crucial, but professionals may favor one based on their expertise. Understanding both perspectives is key for understanding human development. ​ Continuity vs. Discontinuity: ○​ Continuity: Development is gradual, with no clear-cut stages. ○​ Discontinuity: Development occurs in distinct stages, each separate from the others. ○​ Both perspectives may apply to different areas of development. 2. Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Development: Freud’s psychosexual theory focuses on how the id, ego, and superego develop and influence behavior throughout life. He believed that development was shaped by sexual pleasure tied to different bodily zones at various ages. ​ Oral Stage (Birth - 18 months): ○​ Pleasure from mouth (sucking, feeding). ○​ Fixation leads to dependency (e.g., smoking, nail-biting). ​ Anal Stage (18 months - 3 years): ○​ Pleasure from controlling bodily functions (toilet training). ○​ Fixation leads to control issues (e.g., messy vs. overly neat personalities). ​ Phallic Stage (3 - 5 years): ○​ Pleasure focused on the genitals. ○​ Boys experience Oedipal conflict (desire for mother, fear of father). ○​ Girls experience Penis Envy (desire for a penis, jealousy toward males). ○​ Fixation can lead to issues with gender identity or masculinity/femininity. ​ Latency Stage (5 years - puberty): ○​ Sexual impulses are dormant. ○​ Focus on friendships, hobbies, and school interests. ​ Genital Stage (Puberty - Adulthood): ○​ Mature sexual relationships and productive work. ○​ Successful development leads to healthy relationships and emotional well-being. Critiques: Freud's stages are criticized for being overly focused on sexuality, lacking empirical evidence, and not addressing adult development after adolescence. 3. Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages of Development: Erikson built on Freud’s ideas but focused more on social and emotional conflicts rather than sexual ones. He proposed eight psychosocial stages, each involving a crisis that must be resolved to move to the next stage. ​ Key Features: ○​ Focus on social relationships and identity. ○​ Each stage has a positive (adaptive) and negative (maladaptive) outcome based on the resolution of conflicts. Stages: 1.​ Trust vs. Mistrust (Infancy): ○​ If caregivers meet needs, child gains trust. If not, develops mistrust. 2.​ Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt (Toddlerhood): ○​ Child learns to be independent. Overly controlling parents cause shame/doubt. 3.​ Initiative vs. Guilt (Early Childhood): ○​ Children explore their abilities. Too much criticism leads to guilt. 4.​ Industry vs. Inferiority (Middle Childhood): ○​ Focus on skills and knowledge. Lack of success causes inferiority. 5.​ Identity vs. Role Confusion (Adolescence): ○​ Teenagers explore their identities. Failure leads to confusion. 6.​ Intimacy vs. Isolation (Young Adulthood): ○​ Develop intimate relationships. Failure to do so causes loneliness. 7.​ Generativity vs. Stagnation (Middle Adulthood): ○​ Focus on contributing to society and future generations. Failure leads to stagnation. 8.​ Integrity vs. Despair (Late Adulthood): ○​ Reflection on life. Satisfaction leads to integrity; regret leads to despair. 4. Behaviorism and Social Learning: ​ Classical Conditioning (Pavlov): ○​ Learning by association: A neutral stimulus (e.g., a bell) becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., food) to elicit a conditioned response (e.g., salivation). ○​ Example: Dogs salivate when they hear a bell after repeated pairing with food. ○​ Real-life example: Food aversions develop (e.g., feeling nauseous after eating a certain food). ​ Operant Conditioning (Skinner):  ○​ Learning based on reinforcement (rewards) or punishment. ○​ Reinforcement strengthens behavior, while punishment weakens it. ○​ Example: A child gets a reward (reinforcer) for good behavior, making it more likely they’ll repeat it. ​ Social Learning (Bandura): ○​ Learning occurs through observing others (modeling), even without reinforcement. ○​ Key Concept: Observational learning (children learn by watching adults or peers). ○​ Example: Kids imitating aggressive behavior from adult models in Bandura's Bobo doll experiment. 5. Key Takeaways: ​ Freud’s Theory: Focuses on psychosexual development across stages, with fixation influencing adult behavior. Criticized for being too focused on sexuality and having weak empirical support. ​ Erikson’s Theory: Focuses on psychosocial development, emphasizing the importance of social relationships and identity throughout life. More applicable to a lifespan view of development. ​ Behaviorism: ○​ Classical Conditioning: Learning through association (Pavlov). ○​ Operant Conditioning: Behavior shaped by rewards and punishments (Skinner). ○​ Social Learning: Learning through observation and modeling (Bandura).