Discuss how theories of human growth and development can help understand human behaviour.
Human growth and development is studied and researched with differing perspectives. There are many ways human growth and development can be looked at. Certain disciplines, such as, biology, psychology and sociology all have opposing viewpoints on the subject. The psychological viewpoint concentrates on the different processes of the mind, whereas, the biological approach is centred on genetics and environmental factors. The sociological viewpoint, however, focuses on individual thoughts and feelings as being socially constructed (Beckett and Taylor, 2010). Human growth and development is researched across the whole lifespan, however, for this
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For example, according to Hart, Blincow and Thomas, resilient therapy may help a child in gaining good relationships with family and friends by tapping into good influences and finding place for that child to belong. Resilient therapy recognises the importance of attachment theory and aims for the affected child to feel a sense of family cohesion. According to Hart, Blincow and Thomas,in providing a resilient mechanism, two things are achieved. Firstly, a sense of belonging, as this is protective and gives children a secure base to attend; psychologically, when feeling under threat. Secondly, with children experiencing a self of belonging somewhere, they are better equipped in facing rejection elsewhere.
Further to the attachment theory, Bowlby derived the term maternal deprivation, (Bowlby, 1959). Bowlby identified the first two years of a child’s life as the most critical time for bonding. Bowlby hypothesised that if there was a lack of parent and caregiver bonding by the age of 2 then maternal deprivations may result in the child suffering psychological damages that may be irreversible. According to Bowlby, children who suffered maternal deprivation at a young age may often become incapable of expressing empathetic emotions and affection later into their adult life.
In addition to Bowlbys ideas;
The majority of developmental theories say that children must develop a secure primary attachment in order to develop in a healthy manner. A secure and strong attachment is clearly essential for healthy future relationships. John Bowlby’s studies in childhood development led him to the conclusion that a strong attachment to a caregiver provides a necessary sense of security and foundation. Without such a relationship in place, Bowlby found that a great deal of developmental energy is expended in the search for stability and security. In general, those without such attachments are fearful and are less willing to seek out and learn from new
He drew on several different resources which included Harlow’s rhesus monkeys and Lorenz’s (1935) imprinting. John Bowlby’s evolutionary theory had stemmed from Lorenz’s (1935) study of imprinting. Lorenz showed in his research that young ducklings had an innate tendency to attach for survival purposes. Bowlby saw humans being just like animals also having that instinctive nature to attach for survival purposes this gives infants an adaptive advantage to survive. Bowlby also believed that infants had to form an attachment to their caregiver within a specific time frame, this being from birth to 2.5 years old. They would then go on to form several attachments to others at a later stage. If the infant did not form an attachment within the critical time frame then Bowlby believed they would be damaged for life they would go on to become socially, emotionally, intellectually and even physically damaged. Maternal deprivation hypothesis claimed that if the mother and infants attachment was broken in the primary attachment stage then this would also have a severe effect on the infant’s emotional development Bowlby (1951). Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis was mainly based on studies that were conducted in the 1930’s and they were based on children who were brought up in nurseries and
* M1 Discuss the principal psychological perspectives applied to the understanding of the development of individuals
This paper serves to apply the knowledge learned throughout the course, COUN 502, to the development and growth in my lifespan. I will aim to demonstrate a working knowledge of the theories, terminology, and concepts of human growth and development. I will show how these disciplines apply to my own life experiences and how I did throughout my key life events, through the use of empirical studies.
The field of study that examines patterns of growth, change, and stability in behavior that occur throughout the entire lifespan is called lifespan development. Lifespan development takes a scientific approach in its study of growth, change, and stability. This development emphases on human development. Developmentalists study the course of development in nonhuman species, the most popular examine growth and change in people. In contrast I will focus on the ways people and myself change and grow during our lives, with the consideration of stability in our live span. Together, these findings suggest that we will go through
Human development is a continuous process of maturing. When one examines the photographs of how they were when they were children and compare it to how they are now, they will notice many differences such as height and weight among others. There have been many studies focused on describing the human development and specifically human behavior in a social environment. The studies show that there are many factors that affect human development including biological, environmental, cultural and psychological factors. Throughout an individual's life, environmental factors influence their natural
John Bowlby and Maternal Deprivation Bowlby believed that maternal behaviour was instinctive in humans as it appears to be in animals. Mothers and their babies form an instinctive attachment to each other using genetically inherited skills such as smiling, grasping, crying and so on. If a separation occurs between mother and infant within the first few years of the child’s life, Bowlby believed that the bond would be irreversibly broken, leading to severe emotional consequences for the infant in later life. He referred to this as maternal deprivation. Bowlby claimed that maternal deprivation had the following consequences: 1.
One of the most important factors that affect child development is the relationship of the child with their primary caregiver. This is a tenet of developmental psychology known as attachment theory. John Bowlby, the creator of this theory, wanted to examine how early childhood experiences influence personality development. Attachment theory specifically examines infant’s reactions to being separated from their primary caregiver. Bowlby hypothesized that the differences in how children react to these situations demonstrates basic behavioral differences in infancy that will have consequences for later social and emotional development.
Attachment theory, put forth by John Bowlby, is in agreement with Freudian psychoanalytic theory in that our early experiences with caregivers shape our adult ability to love. In contrast to psychoanalytic theory, attachment theory focuses on what Bowlby called the attachment response (Belsky, 2013, p. 15-16). Basically, we are genetically pre-programmed to form attachments with others because this will help us survive (McLeod, 2007). Bowlby believed in monotropy, which is an attachment conceptualized as being a vital and close bond with just one attachment figure, typically the mother. This attachment to the mother is the most important and if it is broken or disrupted during the critical two-year period the child will suffer irreversible long-term consequences of this maternal deprivation. This risk continues until the age of 5 (McLeod, 2007). So, based on this, a child who is 4 or 5 and whose parents are going through a divorce may experience a disrupted attachment to the mother due to diminished or incompetent parenting. Long-term consequences of maternal deprivation might include delinquency, reduced intelligence, increased aggression, depression and affectionless psychopathy. Attachment theory, just as in
How does an infant develop into an adult? The answer is not as obvious as it seems. There are a variety of factors that contribute to human development. A person not only grows physically but also cognitively and socio-emotionally. This paper will explain two theories; one cognitive and one socio-emotional; about human development. The two theories will be described, compared, contrasted and individually evaluated based on the strong points and limitations.
The method in which children come into their development is a very significant procedure that every person should be able to recognize. Children are not all the same so their development is not the same either. In fact, most children cannot even be treated the same when in regards to their development. To get a better understanding that involves the way children and teenagers grow a person would need to really recognize and comprehend the model of human development. This essay will emphasis on the Bio ecological Model of Human development; the diverse systems that are within human development and also how each of the systems are different.
The resilience methodology seeks to build on strengths and strengthen the supports and opportunities of the child. Resilience plays a vital role in assisting a child in settling into a new placement, without experiencing major emotional difficulties. Three factors that promote resilience are secure base, Self-esteem and Self-efficacy(Grotberg, 2000). These can be influenced by positive experiences on a daily basis, some which will be highlighted throughout the assignment.
Bowlby’s attachment theory, as well as Erikson’s psychosocial theory, indicates that a child’s overall development is dependent on the care that they receive from their caregiver, more specifically their mother. Meeting the needs of the child and providing a
The development of a child is viewed from a number of different perspectives by several developmental theorists. While some say that development continues throughout the life, others would hold an opinion that children stop to develop as soon as they mature. Therefore, lifespan developmental theorists have focused on a number of areas while studying the development of an individual. Some of these areas include cognitions, social development, sexual development, moral development and more. Each of these theories is important in order to completely analyze the process whereby which a child matures and transitions into an adult.
Human growth and development is an incredibly complex process, influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. At certain times and for certain developments, genetic influences dominate, whereas at other times, environmental influences are more powerful which emphasizes the fact that genetic and environmental forces are always working together (Sigelman and Rider, 2009).