Essay on Applying Developmental Theories

As people grow from birth to their adulthood, they experience changes in their intellectual and cognitive functioning. Developmental theories best explain these developmental steps. The research study done on human development is numerous. These theories, therefore, suggest that different people may have different personalities depending on either nature or nurture. However, it may not be easy to understand how individuals act as they do. This paper aims to explain childhood experiences using various developmental strategies.

When I was a child, I was very optimistic and likable, but sometimes I would have irritable outbursts of anger. I have been raised as an only child for seven years, and I love my space a lot. I never learned to share because everything was mine. However, my parents decided to have another child who became fun at first, but when my baby sister turned three years old, I realized that I spent so much time with her that I did not admit that my parents barely checked up on me. I started to feel like the bond my parents and I had was fading because it was being split. I decided to run away from home that day because they did not want me there.

Sigmund Freud coined the psychodynamic theory. He explained that unconsciously driven intrapsychic processes could explain behavior. This theory explores the profoundly rooted needs and desires of individuals(Ryan, 2018). Three components make up a person’s personality; the id, which is innate and is driven by the pleasure principle, the ego, which is developed to mediate between the id and the natural world; and the superego, which is operated by moral principles. In light of the childhood experience, my id overshadowed my ego as I expected my parents to love me the same way without question. However, through the ego-driven reality principle, I realized that my parents had an added responsibility to the family. It was my duty to love and support my sister the same way they did.

Erick Erikson developed the psychosocial theory. This theory suggests that there are eight stages of development and that each step best explains how the next stage of a person’s life may turn out to be. I was ten years old when I ran away from home, which placed me in the industry versus inferiority stage (Diamond, 2020). I used to be very smart when I was in preschool, but suddenly my grades started disappointing when my sister was born because most of the time, I watched her as my mother ran other errands. My efforts are no longer appreciated, and my father was not interested in my results anymore. I ended up feeling inferior because of a lack of attention from my parents.

Maslow developed the humanistic theory, and he suggested that people act the way they do because the behavior is reinforced or trained based on their desires for rewards(Winston, 2016). He means that humans are naturally good and will make good decisions if all their needs are met. I was always a good daughter to my parents because I had everything. I was obedient, and I stayed home when they wanted me to, and every evening when my father came back from work, he had a present for me for always being a good daughter. However, that somehow stopped, and I stopped being the good daughter they always wanted me to be because the behavior is no longer reciprocated with a reward.

In conclusion, traits can be picked from various circumstances from our childhood, and they are better explained by the different theories presented by other scholars. The psychodynamic theory focuses on the id, the ego, and the superego aspects of personality. The psychosocial stages emphasize the eight stages of development and suggest that each stage is a step that every individual goes through. The psychosocial stages indicate that there are goals to be met in each location, and if those goals are not met, they may affect an individual’s personality during adulthood. Therefore, it is essential to know that personality is an integral component of an individual’s personality and that childhood experiences significantly determine character.

References

Ryan, J. (2018). Class in psychodynamic theory, research, and practice. Psychodynamic Practice, 25(1), 44–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/14753634.2018.1556725

Diamond, M. A. (2020). Psychoanalytic organization theory and identity: a psychosocial framework. Journal of Psychosocial Studies. https://doi.org/10.1332/147867320×15803493574409

Winston, C. N. (2016). An existential-humanistic-positive theory of human motivation. The Humanistic Psychologist, 44(2), 142–163. https://doi.org/10.1037/hum0000028