In this class, I was encouraged to understand and critique human development models and theories in the light of a non-biased worldview. In doing so, I learned to describe human development from a lifespan theory perspective and to interact with some significant contemporary issues in human development. The course allowed me to connect the physical, mental, emotional, sociocultural, and spiritual aspects of human development while examining my own issues. My three-year-old daughter Ludi has always wanted to be independent even before she could walk. One day, while everyone was setting up the table for breakfast, she wanted to pour her own milk to her bowl of cereal. Of course, my biggest pet peeve is having to clean after something that could have been avoided so I shouted for her to wait, to which she replied, “I can do it.” I always wondered why she behaved this way, whether this behavior or her actions related
to her age, our family dynamics, or her personality. Questions like these are what developmental psychologists seek to understand. Different theories have been developed in an attempt to explain the various aspects of human growth developmental theories provide a set of guiding principles and concepts that describe and explain human development by better understanding how and why people change and grow. One of the most influential theories of human development is psychoanalytic theory. Many modern theories of counseling or psychotherapy are
extensions, modifications, or reactions against psychoanalytic theory. Analytic theory examines the factors that motivate behavior by focusing on the role of the unconscious. Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson are examples of theorists who support this approach. Freud was a pioneer of psychoanalytic theory of personality and his psychosexual development theory. Erikson expanded Freud's theory in many ways and developed his own theory of psychosocial 2
