UNIT 2: TRANSITION INTO YOUNG ADULTHOOD

Developmental Theories

Human Growth and DevelopmentHuman Growth and Development

Human growth and Human growth and development is the development is the study of how people study of how people change as they go change as they go through life.through life.

Development is similar Development is similar for everyone, but each for everyone, but each person grows and person grows and develops at an develops at an individual rate.individual rate.

Areas of DevelopmentAreas of Development

Physical developmentPhysical development - all the - all the bodily changes that occur as a bodily changes that occur as a person grows and ages. person grows and ages.

Intellectual developmentIntellectual development - a - a person’s ability to learn something person’s ability to learn something and then apply this knowledge to and then apply this knowledge to new problems and experiences.new problems and experiences.

Emotional developmentEmotional development - - changes in a person’s ability to changes in a person’s ability to establish a unique identity and establish a unique identity and express feelings. express feelings.

Social developmentSocial development - learning to - learning to interact with other people.interact with other people.

Hierarchy of Human NeedsHierarchy of Human Needs A psychologist named A psychologist named

Abraham Maslow developed Abraham Maslow developed a system of basic human a system of basic human needs.needs.

Hierarchy of human needs:Hierarchy of human needs:▫ Food, shelter, bodily Food, shelter, bodily

comfortcomfort▫ Safety, securitySafety, security▫ To feel loved, have a sense To feel loved, have a sense

of belongingof belonging▫ Self-esteem, approvalSelf-esteem, approval▫ Desire to live up to one’s Desire to live up to one’s

potentialpotential

Erik Erikson – Erik Erikson – 8 Stage of Life 8 Stage of Life from Infancy to from Infancy to Old AgeOld Age

Set up a chart in your notebook like this…

Stage Description Positive Outcome

Negative Outcome

STAGE 1: INFANCY -- AGE 0 TO 1 TRUST VS. MISTRUST

Description: In the first year of

life, infants depend onothers for food, warmth, andaffection, and therefore mustbe able to blindly trust theparents (or caregivers) forproviding those.

Positive outcomePositive outcome love, affection and stable love, affection and stable

environment = trustenvironment = trust

Negative outcomeNegative outcome mistreated, abused or mistreated, abused or neglected = mistrust.neglected = mistrust.

STAGE 2: TODDLER -- AGE 1 TO 3AUTONOMY (INDEPENDENCE) VS. DOUBT (OR SHAME)

Description: Toddlers learnto walk, talk, use toilets, anddo things for themselves.

Theirself-control and self

confidencebegin to develop at this

stage.

Positive outcomePositive outcome

Freedom to explore = Freedom to explore = autonomy or self autonomy or self confidence confidence

Negative outcomeNegative outcome

No freedom = feeling of No freedom = feeling of worthlessness.worthlessness.

STAGE 3: EARLY CHILDHOOD -- AGE 3 TO 6 INITIATIVE VS. GUILT Description: Children have newfoundpower at this stage as they havedeveloped motor skills and becomemore and more engaged in socialinteraction with people around them.They now must learn to achieve abalance between eagerness for moreadventure and more responsibility, andlearning to control impulses andChildish fantasies.

Positive outcome: If parents are encouraging, but consistent indiscipline, children will learn to accept withoutguilt, that certain things are not allowed, but

at thesame time will not feel shame when using

theirimagination and engaging in make-believe

role plays.

Negative outcome: If not, children may develop

a sense of guilt and may come to believe that it is

wrong to be independent.

STAGE 4: ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS -- AGE 6 TO 12 COMPETENCE VS. INFERIORITY Description: School is the important

event at this stage. Children learn to make things, use tools, and acquire the skills to be a worker and a potential provider. And they do all these while making the transition from the world of home into the world of peers.

Positive outcome: If children can discover pleasure in intellectual stimulation, being productive, seeking success, they will develop a sense of competence.

Negative outcome: If not, they will develop a sense of inferiority.

Stage 5: Adolescence -- Age 12 to 18Identity vs. Role Confusion

Description: This is the time when we ask the question "Who am I?" The adolescent must integrate the healthy resolution of all earlier conflicts. (trust, independence, conflict…) Adolescents who have successfully dealt with earlier conflicts are ready for the "Identity Crisis", which is considered by Erikson as the single most significant conflict a person must face.

Positive outcome: If the adolescent solves this conflict successfully, he will come out of this stage with a strong identity, and ready to plan for the future.

Negative outcome: If not, the adolescent will sink into confusion, unable to make decisions and choices, especially about vocation, sexual orientation, and his role in life in general.

STAGE 6: YOUNG ADULTHOOD -- AGE 18 TO 40 INTIMACY VS. ISOLATION

Description: In this stage, the mostimportant events are love relationships. Nomatter how successful you are with your

work,said Erikson, you are not developmentallycomplete until you are capable of intimacy.

Anindividual who has not developed a sense ofidentity usually will fear a committedrelationship and may retreat into isolation.

Positive outcome: Adult individuals canform close relationships and share with

othersif they have achieved a sense of identity.

Negative outcome: If not, they will fearcommitment, feel isolated and unable todepend on anybody in the world.

STAGE 7: MIDDLE ADULTHOOD – AGE 40 TO 65 GENERATIVITY VS. STAGNATION

Description: Erikson refers to theadult's ability to look outside oneself andcare for others, through parenting, forinstance. Erikson suggested that adultsNeed children as much as children needadults, and that this stage reflects theneed to create a living legacy.

Positive outcome: People can solvethis crisis by having and nurturingchildren, or helping the next generationin other ways.

Negative outcome: If this crisis is notsuccessfully resolved, the person willremain self-centered and experience stagnationlater in life.

STAGE 8: LATE ADULTHOOD -- AGE 65 TO DEATH INTEGRITY VS. DESPAIR IMPORTANT Description: Old age is a time for reflecting upon one'sown life and its role in the big scheme of things, andSeeing it filled with pleasure and satisfaction orDisappointments and failures.

Positive outcome: If the adult has achieved a sense offulfillment about life and a sense of unity withinhimself and with others, he will accept death with asense of integrity. Just as the healthy child will not fearlife, said Erikson, the healthy adult will not fear death.

Negative outcome: If not, the individual will despairand fear death.

SUMMARY

No one moves through all 8 stages with only successes.

Successes need to outnumber the failures. Can become stuck in a stage. Struggle to create a healthy personality is

what makes life satisfying.