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MODULE VII: PSYCHOSOCIAL, PSYCHOSEXUAL, AND

HUMANIST THEORIES OF LEARNING
“There is in every child at every stage a new miracle of vigorous unfolding, which constitutes a new hope a new
responsibility for all.” – Erik Erikson

Commonly, learners are being criticized for acting against the norms of the community. Since teachers
(aside from parents) are the ones responsible for honing them, they should have enough knowledge on how
learners’ grow socially, emotionally, and morally. At the end of this module, you should be able to:
 explain the development of learners following the concepts of the different theories;
 assess classroom scenarios or situations where learning theories are applied;
 recommend appropriate dealings with learners applying the different theories.

LESSON 1: ERIKSON'S PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORY

Erik Erilkson's work described the development of human beings, including all the human lifespan-
from infancy to adulthood. He stressed the importance of interpersonal, social, and cultural influences in the
development of the people. Erikson saw that each stage presents its own specific challenges, which he called
crisis. He believed that these crises presented challenges in an individual's identity. Successful development
of the personality depends on meeting and overcoming these tasks or crises (Flenming, 2004). On the other
hand, Erikson coined the term epigenetic principle to refer to the different stages because he emphasized
that human beings develop through a predetermined unfolding of personalities in eight successive
psychosocial stages, wherein the progress through each stage is in part determined by the success or lack of
it in the previous stages. In his presentation, each stage involves a psychosocial crisis of two opposing
conditional forces (contrary dispositions) These are the syntonic or the first-listed positive disposition in
the crisis and dystonic, the second-listed negative disposition. He mentioned that there is malignancy if
there is too little of the positive and too much of the negative aspect. Maladaptation is also present if there is
too much of the positive and too little of the negative (Sokol, 2009).

Stages of Psychosocial Development

Stage One: Infancy (Trust vs Mistrust)

Starting from infancy to about 18 months, this first stage develops the infants to trust others. Letting
them feel that they are cared for is a paramount concern.. They should view the world as non-threatening when
caregivers provide reliability, care, and protection, children will develop a sense of trust. A lack of this will lead
to mistrust. Hence, it is implied that parents should provide the best possible means to give all the basic needs
of the infant like shelter, food, and water, and ensure that the place within which the infant moves is safe and
secured.

Stage Two: Early Childhood (Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt)

The prime ways to take good care of themselves should be taught to children from 2 to 3 years old.
Feeding themselves, toilet training, and changing their clothes are some of the examples. In this stage, they
ask themselves if they can stand alone or always need to rely on others. This stage implies that parents should
ensure that their children develop a sense of personal control over personal skills. Eventually, success leads to
feeling of autonomy; failure results in feelings of shame and doubt.

Stage Three: Preschool (Initiative vs Guilt)

Children, at this stage, are fond of doing things on their own. Exploration and play are crucial activities
for them to learn new ideas to apply in their lives. Children need to assert control and power over their
environment. Success in this state results to a sense purpose. If they exert too much effort and become too
authoritative, they will feel a sense of guilt.
Preschool teachers, therefore, should ensure that children are given sufficient opportunities to select
choices and act independently. For instance, in an art class, a teacher may give a chance for the pupils to
choose the colors or kind of paper they want to use. They may chunk activities, so they could take risks.
Completing nothing without any sense of independence and authority may cause them to feel guilty.

Stage Four: School Age (Industry vs Inferiority)

At this stage, levels of maturity and self-awareness are increased. Children always ask themselves how
they can be good. They are ensured to cope with the new social and academic demands. Success at this stage
results to a sense of competence, whereas failure leads to feeling of inferiority.

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Teachers need to ensure that, at this stage, children feel successful in their own learning Classroom
opportunities to apply their learning should be rich. As much as possible, the difficulty of each task is gradually
controlled so that the feeling of accomplishment is felt, and their industry is maximized.

Stage Five: Adolescence (Identity vs Role Confusion

Social relationships play a vital role at this stage, when their sexual identity is developed. Discovery
of oneself comes with the thought of where one should fit in a social circle. At this stage, too, adolescents
develop their framework of morality. Identity crisis, as a result of the transition from childhood to
adulthood, may also be experienced. It is a result of high expectations from others. Some of them may be
doubtful whether what they do is appropriate for their age. Failure to balance at this stage may result to
experiencing upheaval and role confusion. Hence, teachers should ensure that teens have the opportunities to
develop a sense of self and personal identity through collaborative tasks and activities.

Stage Six: Young Adulthood (Intimacy vs Isolation)

Finding the right partner confronts the young adults at this stage. Failure to do so results to fear of
spending the rest of their lives alone or isolated. Because young people interact most frequently with others,
they are most susceptible to feeling intimacy and loneliness. Although finding someone whom they can share a
lifelong commitment is not always the norm, some may opt to be single and forge a significant friendly
relationship with their peers and colleagues.

Stage Seven: Middle Adulthood (Generativity vs Stagnation)

Adults, at this stage, are mostly attached to their careers and professional journeys. They find life’s
meaning by contributing something to the community, taking responsibilities and control, and leaving an
indelible legacy. Success leads to feelings of usefulness or generativity, whereas failure to attain so causes
inactivity or meaninglessness.

Stage 8: Maturity (Ego Integrity vs Despair)

When thinking that they have contributed something valuable during their younger years, retired people
should feel a sense of fulfillment. Failure results in regret, bitterness, and despair.

LESSON 2: PSYCHOSEXUAL THEORY

Sigmund Freud’s Psychosexual Theory states the need to satisfy basic biological needs. His theory,
also emphasizes the theory of libidinal development; one of the earliest theories explaining how personality
develops in human beings He posited a series of universal developmental stages in which psychic energy that
focused on different erogenous zones. The psychic energy refers to the biologically based, instinctual zones
that energize behavior, thoughts, and feelings. The erogenous zones are the areas of the body that are
sensitive in successive stages of development. It is through this premise that the personality of a human being
is also influenced.

Personality Structure

Personality Structure
Id This is known as the biological drives with which the infant is born. t is said to be the earliest and
most primitive personality structure and refers to the unconscious and usually operates with the
goal of seeking pleasure.
Ego This structure is the rational, logical, problem-solving component of the personality.
Superego This is the structure based on the child's internalization of the adults attributes,
beliefs, and standards.

Summary of the psychosexual stages according to Freud

Psychosexual Age Description
Stage
Oral Birth- 1 year Infants find pleasure on doing oral activities like sucking, chewing, and biting; hence,
feeding activities are vital. In effect, infants weaned too early or abruptly may later
crave close contact and become overdependent on a spouse.
Anal 1-3 years Gratification is primarily caused by voluntary urination and defecation. Thus, toilet-
training produces major conflicts between children and parents. The emotional
climate that parents create can have lasting effects. For example, children who are
punished for toileting accidents may be messy, topsy-turvy, or wasteful.
Phallic 3-6 years Genital stimulation causes gratification at this stage. Children develop incestuous
desire for the opposite-sex parent (Oedipus complex for boys and Electra complex
for girls). Anxiety stemming from this conflict causes children to internalize the sex-

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role characteristics and moral standards of their same-sex parental rival.

Latency 6-11 years Traumas of the phallic stage cause sexual conflicts to be repressed and sexual
urges to be rechanneled into school work and vigorous play. The ego and superego
continue to develop as the child gains more problem-solving abilities at school and
internalizes societal values.
12 years onward
Genital Puberty triggers a reawakening of sexual urges. Adolescents must now learn how to
express these urges in socially acceptable ways. If development has been healthy,
the mature sex instinct is satisfied by marriage and raising children.

LESSON 3: MORAL DEVELOPMENT THEORY

Lawrence Kohlberg was the proponent of this theory. Moral development involves thoughts, feelings,
and behaviors regarding standards of right and wrong. It is consist of intrapersonal and interpersonal
dimensions.

Level Stage Description

Preconventional. Moral 1 Punishment and Obedience. One is motivated by fear of
reasoning is based on the punishment. One may act to avoid punishment or for the sake of
consequence or result of following the authority.
the act.
2 Instrumental- Relativist. One is motivated to act because of the
benefit the he/ she will get in return.
Conventional. Moral 3 Interpersonal Concordance. One is motivated to act by what others
reasoning is based on the expect in behavior.
convention, or norms of
the society. 4 Law and Order Orientation. One is motivated to uphold law and
order.
Post- conventional, 5 Social Contract, Legalistic. One’s moral judgment is motivated by
Autonomous, or community respect.
Principled. Moral
reasoning is based on 6 Universal- ethical principle. Moral values and principles are defined
enduring or consistent through the conscience.
concept of moral values
and principles and not just
following the law.

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REFERENCE

Source: Bulusan F., Raquepo M., Balmeo M., Gutierrez J., (2019). Facilitating Learner- Centered
Teaching. Sampalok Manila, RBSI

Education Department (BEED & BSED) Page 47