LIFESPAN

DEVELOPMENT
Theories of Human development
Learning Objectives

 Explain the concept of theories.

 Discuss
the purpose of theories in
understanding of human growth and
development.
 Describe the types of theories
 Describe
the various theories of growth and
development.
Theories of Human development

Theory:
 They are ideas proposed to describe/explain certain
phenomena.
 Organizes facts/observations
 Guides collection of new data.
 Should be internally consistent.
 They are dynamic and always changing. As new
discoveries are made, theories are modified and adapted
to account for new information.
Theories of development

Purpose of Theories
 Theories of development provide a framework for
thinking about human growth, development, and
learning.
 Developmental theories provide a set of guiding
principles and concepts that describe and explain
human development.
Theories of development
 Purpose of Theories
 They provide a broad base of understanding about the
how's and why's of human behavior, which helps us
better understand ourselves and others.
 Theories create a basis for future research. Researchers
use theories to form hypotheses that can then be
tested.
Theories of development
Types of theories.
 Grand theories are those that present comprehensive ideas
e.g those proposed by major thinkers such as Sigmund Freud,
Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget.
 These theories seek to explain much of human behavior,
though often considered outdated and incomplete in the face
of modern research.
 Psychologists and researchers often use grand theories as a
basis for exploration, but consider smaller theories and
recent research as well.
Theories of development

 Minitheoriesdescribe a small, very specific

aspect of development.
A minitheory may explain fairly narrow behaviors,
such as how self-esteem is formed or early
childhood socialization.
 Oftenrooted in the ideas established by grand
theories, but they do not seek to describe and
explain the whole of human behavior and growth.
Theories of development
 Emergent theories are those that have been
created fairly recently and are often formed by
systematically combining various minitheories.
 These theories often draw on research and ideas
from many different disciplines, though not as
broad or far-reaching as grand theories. A good
example is the sociocultural theory proposed by
theorist Lev Vygotsky
Theories of development

 In order to understand human development, a number

of different developmental theories have arisen to
explain various aspects of human growth.
 Several famous psychologists, including Sigmund Freud,
Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget, and Lawrence Kohlberg,
describe development as a series of stages.
Theories of development

 Stages are a periods in development in which

people exhibit typical behavior patterns and
establish particular capacities.
 The various stage theories share three
assumptions:
People pass through stages in a specific order, with
each stage building on capacities developed in the
previous stage.
Theories of development
 Stages are related to age.
 Development is discontinuous, with qualitatively
different capacities emerging in each stage.
 Inthis unit we will discuss the following a stage
theories of development among other none stage
theories;
 Psychoanalytic Theories
Theories of development

 Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory:

 Piaget’s Cognitive-Developmental Theories
 Moral development by Kolberg, Gilligan
 Havinghurst,
Daniel Levinson,,Abraham
maslow,and Carl Rogers
Psychoanalytic Theory

 Developed by Sigmund Freud

 Psychoanalysisis both an approach to therapy
and a theory of personality.
 Emphasizes unconscious motivation – the main
causes of behavior lie buried in the unconscious.
Id Ego and Superego

14
Psychoanalytic Theory

 Psychoanalytic
theory of the conscious and
unconscious mind is often explained using an
iceberg metaphor.

 Consciousawareness is the tip of the iceberg,

while the unconscious is represented by the ice
hidden below the surface of the water
Psychoanalytic Theory

 THE CONSCIOUS MIND

 It includes everything that we are aware of. This is the
aspect of our mental processing that we can think and talk
about rationally.
 Events & experiences that are easily remembered or
retrieved are considered to be within one’s conscious
awareness. Example- Telephone numbers, birthday of self
& dates of special holidays.
Psychoanalytic Theory

THE PRECONSCIOUS MIND

 It includes all memories that may have been forgotten
or are not in present awareness but with attention
can be readily recalled into consciousness. Example-
telephone numbers, addresses once known but little
used.
 It is thought to be partially under the control of the
super-ego, which helps to suppress unacceptable
thoughts and behaviors
Psychoanalytic Theory

THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND

 It includes all memories that one is unable to bring to
conscious awareness. It is the largest of the three
topographical levels.
 It consists of unpleasant & non essential memories that
have been repressed & can be retrieved through therapy,
hypnosis & with other substances that alter awareness.
 According to Freud, the unconscious continues to
influence our behavior and experience, even though we
are unaware of these underlying influences.
Psychoanalytic theory of personality

 Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of

personality argued that human behavior was the
result of the interaction of three component parts
of the mind: the id, ego, and superego.
 Heconsidered the first 5 years of a child’s life to
be the most important ,because he believed that
an individual’s basic character had been formed
by the age of 5.
Psychoanalytic theory of personality

Freudian Components of Personality

 The Id The Ego The Superego
STRUCTURE OF PERSONALITY
ID
 The id is the only component of personality that is present from
birth.
 The id demands immediate satisfaction and when this happens
we experience pleasure, when it is denied we experience
‘unpleasure’ or pain. The id is not affected by reality, logic or
the everyday world.
Psychoanalytic theory of personality

EGO
 The ego is the component of personality that is responsible for
dealing with reality.
 It develop between the ages of 4-6 months.
 Initially the ego is 'that part of the id which has been modified
by the direct influence of the external world' (Freud 1923)..
 The ego has no concept of right or wrong; something is good
simply if it achieves its end of satisfying without causing harm
to itself or to the id. It engages in secondary process thinking,
which is rational, realistic, and orientated towards problem
solving.
Psychoanalytic theory of personality

SUPER EGO
Works on perfection/moral principle.
The superego incorporates the values and morals of
society which are learned from one's parents and
others.
It develops around the age of 3 – 5 during the phallic
stage of psychosexual development.
Psychoanalytic theory of personality

SUPER EGO
The superego provides guidelines for making
judgments.
 Two parts of superego
 The ego ideal: It includes the rules and standards for
good behaviors. These behaviors include those which
are approved of by parental and other authority
figures. Obeying these rules leads to feelings of
pride, & enhanced self esteem.
Psychoanalytic theory of personality
 Theconscience: includes information about things that
are viewed as bad by parents and society. These
behaviors are often forbidden and lead to bad
consequences, punishments & feeling of guilt.
 Egodefense mechanisms (or factors), defined by Freud
as unconscious resources used by the ego to reduce
conflict between the id and superego, are a reflection of
how an individual deals with conflict and stress.
Psychoanalytic theory of personality

 Weuse defense mechanisms to protect ourselves

from feelings of anxiety or guilt, which arise
because we feel threatened, or because our id or
superego becomes too demanding.
 Defense mechanisms operate at an unconscious
level and help ward off unpleasant feelings (i.e.,
anxiety) or make good things feel better for the
individual.
Psychoanalytic theory of personality

 Ego-defense mechanisms are natural and normal.

When they get out of proportion (i.e., used with
frequency), neuroses develop, such as anxiety
states, phobias, obsessions, or hysteria.
 Examples of defense mechanisms.
Ego-defense mechanisms

 Sublimation  Denial
 Rationalization  Repression
 Reaction Formation  Projection
 Identification  Displacement
 Regression
STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL
DEVELOPMENT
FREUD STAGES OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
 The theory of psychosexual development was proposed
by the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and
described how personality developed over the course of
childhood.
 Psychoanalytic theory suggested that personality is
mostly established by the age of five. Early experiences
play a large role in personality development and
continue to influence behavior later in life.
STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL
DEVELOPMENT
ORAL STAGE: BIRTH TO 18 MONTHS
 During the oral stage, the infant's primary source of interaction
occurs through the mouth, so the rooting and sucking reflex is
especially important.
 The mouth is vital for eating and the infant derives pleasure from
oral stimulation through gratifying activities such as tasting and
sucking.
 The primary conflict at this age is weaning process.
 If fixation occurs at this stage, Freud believed the individual
would have issues with dependency or aggression. Oral fixation can
result in problems with drinking, eating, smoking, or nail biting.
STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL
DEVELOPMENT
ORAL STAGE: BIRTH TO 18 MONTHS
Cont…
 Oral stage fixation might have 2 effects:
I. Neglected child might become psychologically
dependent adult continually seeking the oral
stimulation denied in infancy, thereby becoming a
manipulative person in fulfilling his/her own needs,
rather than maturing to independence.
STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL
DEVELOPMENT
ORAL STAGE: BIRTH TO 18 MONTHS
Cont….
 The over-protected child might resist maturation and
return to dependence upon others in fulfilling his or
her needs.
Theoretically, oral-stage fixations are manifested as
verbosity (talkativeness), smoking, continual oral
stimulus (eating, chewing objects), and alcoholism
STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL
DEVELOPMENT
ANAL STAGE:18 MONTHS TO 3 YEARS
 During the anal stage, Freud believed that the primary focus
of the libido was on controlling bladder and bowel movements.
The major conflict at this stage is toilet training--the child has
to learn to control his or her bodily needs.
 According to Freud, inappropriate parental responses can
result in negative outcomes
 Not resolved? anal retentive (rigid and obsessive personality)
or anal expulsive (messy and disorganized personality)
STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL
DEVELOPMENT
PHALLIC STAGE: 3-6 YEARS
 During the phallic stage, the primary focus of the libido is on the genitals. At
this age, children also begin to discover the differences between males and
females & become aware of sexuality.
Oedipus Complex (boys)
 Unconscious sexual desires towards mother, father is
competition .Simultaneously fears the dad- “castration anxiety”
Electra Complex (girls)
 Unconscious sexual desires towards father and mother is
competition .Eventually, the child begins to identify with the same-sex parent
as a means of vicariously possessing the other parent.
 Cont… If fixation occurs at this stage, it will lead to sexual identity problems,
difficulty in accepting authority.
STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL
DEVELOPMENT
LATENCY STAGE:6-12 YEARS
 During the elementary school years, the focus changes from
egocentrism to more interests in group activities, learning and
socialization with peers .
 The latent period is a time of exploration in which the sexual
energy is still present, but it is directed into other areas such as
intellectual pursuits and social interactions.
Cont…
 If fixation occurs at this stage, it will lead to inability to
conceptualize, lack of motivation in school or job.
STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL
DEVELOPMENT
GENITAL STAGE:13-12 YEARS
 During the final stage of psychosexual development,
the individual develops a strong sexual interest in the
opposite sex. This stage begins during puberty but last
throughout the rest of a person's life.
 If the other stages have been completed successfully,
the individual should now be well-balanced, and
caring. The goal of this stage is to establish a balance
between the various life areas.
STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL
DEVELOPMENT
SIGNIFICANCE OF PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY
 Knowledge of the structure of the personality important to
therapist working in the mental health settings. Acquire ;
 The ability to recognize behavior associated with the id,
ego and the superego assists in the assessment of
developmental level.
 Understanding the use of ego defense mechanisms is
important in making determinations about maladaptive
behaviors,
 Ability to plan interventions for client’s to change or help
the clients accepts themselves as unique individual.