Now that we have talked about a few developmental theories, we can also
think about their application. Take Montessori, Freud, or Erikson and
provide two insights from their theories for either parents, teachers,
or law-makers. After each "nugget of wisdom" or insight taken from one
of these theorists, provide a concrete recommendation ("you should do
this....because....") from that theory.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFor a theorist, I chose to discuss Erik Erikson.
ReplyDeleteThe first theory I picked was Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt. This applies to children between the ages of 18 months and 3 years. Essentially Erikson states that during this stage it is critical for the parent to let the child Erikson states it is critical that parents allow their children to to be independent and explore the world on their own terms, but still be supportive and encouraging. The child should be allowed to fail in order to learn for themselves. A concrete recommendation could be "You should let your child dress themselves until they ask for help so they become more independent and don't feel over-controlled."
For the second theory I chose Identity vs Role Confusion. This applies to adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18. Erikson states that during this time adolescents are beginning to search for and find their sense of true self and identity. They are finding those things by evaluating their beliefs, values, and goals. This is a critical time for young adults because if they are not allowed to find themselves or if they can't find their own way, it could cause them to feel unhappy or make them find a negative identity. Finding yourself leads to important decisions like what career you'll have, where you'll live, who your family will be, and what kind of relationships you'll form; all critical things when it comes to being a successful human being in society. A concrete recommendation could be "Parents should never force their child to identify as someone they aren't. You should not tell your child what to be or to look a certain way because it will negatively impact their growth and development in the future."
Katy,
DeleteI liked your post! Those are very good examples. These are also two very important stages in developing a successful child. If the autonomy vs. shame and doubt stage goes wrong, a child could be scared to explore the world. if the other stage goes wrong, a child will never know their true self and be able to express their self.
I will discuss Erick Erikson’s psycho social theory. In Erikson’s fourth stage, industry vs. inferiority (ages 6-12), he explains that the child strives to be “good” or “the best” at something. The child may see other children his/her age that are better at a particular task than themselves. At this age, kids want to feel a sense of confidence in everything they do. This stage depends mostly on the child, but adults have some to do with the passage of this stage. If children successfully pass this stage, they will be competent. An application of this stage today would be if an 8-year-old wanted to play soccer and excel at it, and his mom didn’t let him. The boy could have otherwise grown his skills in soccer and been more successful. If the boy fails to pass this stage, he will develop a sense of inferiority, doubting his own abilities.
ReplyDeleteIn the fifth stage, identity vs. role confusion, Erikson talks about adolescents’ needing a sense of fidelity to one’s self. The conflict in this stage is essentially either “fitting into the group” or finding one’s own identity. The environment and peers are highly influential in this stage. If an adolescent wants to preserve their identity, they must not conform. An application of this stage today would be if an 18-year-old had no idea what they wanted to do or be when they got older. For example, a senior in high school not knowing if they want to get a college degree or not. If the adolescent passes this stage successfully, he/she will develop fidelity.
Great post Kayla! I also wrote about Erikson and I enjoyed learning more about a new stage and reading your explanation of the Identity vs Role Confusion stage. I think you provide good and realistic examples of applications for the different stages. Do you think that Erikson has the most applicable theory for current society? Do you think that if a child "fails" at one stage, it will completely throw their life off track?
DeleteKaty, I think that Erikson's theory is more applicable in today's current society when compared to Freud's psychosexual theory. I also think Erikson's theory is more socially acceptable to the people of today's society. I somewhat agree with Erikson in the sense that people do battle with particular conflicts throughout their whole lives. For example, many people struggle with body image, and this could have come from the conflict of identity vs role confusion.
DeleteFor this discussion I will be discussing Erikson's psychosocial theory. The first part of the theory I will discuss is Trust vs. Mistrust which applies to babies between ages 0 to 1. This is the time in an infants life when they rely on others (mom and dad) to care for them in all aspects. At this age, babies cannot talk, walk, or basically do anything for themselves besides cry and hope someone fulfills their needs. During this stage, a baby depends on mom or dad to make sure they are fed, dressed, carried around, and more. A concrete recommendation for this stage would be "parents should never neglect their baby and make sure the baby's needs are fulfilled/cared for, because the child cannot take care of themselves." If this stage is successfully completed, the baby should have a "hopeful attitude towards life." The next stage of Erikson's theory I will discuss is Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt which applies to children between ages 1 to 3. During this stage, children are learning to be more independent. Children will learn some ways to fulfill their own needs such as walking. During this stage, parents should be there to support the child, but let the child make mistakes and learn from them on their own. A concrete recommendation for this stage would be "parents should let the child learn things on their own (e.i. walking, picking things up, eating food, etc.) but if the child needs additional help and asks for it, the parents should help, because the child is learning to be more independent, but might not be able to do everything on their own." If this stage is completed successfully, the child should feel a "sense of control and mastery."
ReplyDeleteJillian, I enjoyed reading your post about Erikson's theory. I think his theory is more acceptable than Freud's psychosexual theory. Do you think that if a parent sometimes doesn't let their child walk, and carries them to get somewhere faster, affects the next stages of development?
DeleteI chose to study the theories of Montessori. Montessori emphasized the unique pace of a child's development and emphasizes the individuality and independence in learning. The first theory I chose is the respect for a child. Montessori believed that adults don't respect children and just force information on them and discipline them. A concrete recommendation to parents and teachers could be "You should give children choices when it comes to learning because it will make them become more individual learners and promote enthusiasm and curiosity in learning." This will make each child become more individual and giving them choices will make them more interested in what they are learning rather than forcing information on them.
ReplyDeleteThe second theory I chose was the sensitive period. The sensitive period talks about how each child learns different types of skills at a specific point in their development. A concrete recommendation to a teacher could be "You should be aware of each child's development and know when to introduce certain topics because the age period varies from one child to another." This will be the most effective way for each child to understand each topic to the full extent.
Leah, I chose to use Montessori's theories as well. I though them to be intriguing. One thing I question about her theories is if she lets them learn at their own pace, will that put them way behind? I feel like they should be able to 'push' them a little so they do not fall too far behind. What are your thoughts?
DeleteIn Erickson's stages of development, the first one, trust vs. mistrust, depends solely on the parents/caregivers. They should not abandon the children and should always meet the baby's needs promptly and accordingly. If this is done successfully, the child will pass this stage and have a "hopeful attitude towards life". Another example is stage stage 6, intimacy vs. isolation. It is natural as humans to depend on other people, but not without some independence, and put their trust into that person. A person in this stage should have someone else close to them in their life because it usually means they they have gone through the prior stages and have succeeded them and are now ready for a family.
ReplyDeleteMontessori's theory of development is to let children learn at their own pace and to not rush them. This ensures that they will learn better.
ReplyDeleteThe first insight is the sensitive period of order. This is when a child becomes upset when something is not in the right place, such as putting gloves in the shoe box. Since adults do not see this as an essential in their life they do not think of it. If one has kids they could try to keep everything organized or somehow discuss with their child that it will be put away in time.
The second insight is the sensitive period for language. This is when a toddler is learning how to talk, using new words, and the meaning of them. At first they will copy anything anyone around them says, even swear words. I have experienced this first hand with my little siblings and cousins. When around them we need to make sure we choose which words we use carefully, otherwise they'll repeat it without knowing what it means and then we've gotten mad at them. They don't know it's wrong because they are copying us.
Katherine,
DeleteFirst of all, great article! I love how the Montessori's theory of development works with children. Adults have completely forgot how the little ones think, when we let our children fixate on a specific task, they learn how to master that task. Therefore, children are learning at their own pace. The second insight is very important for children in the learning process, but I feel this is mostly accomplished at home with parents and family. Most of a child has a semi- well-built vocabulary before they even enter pre- school or kindergarten. The only set back I see is that children with the same age may be at very learning stages depending on how fast or slow they have mastered the tasks at hand.
Erickson’s psychosocial theory, based heavily on Freud’s psychosexual development theory, interested me the most because each stage seems very applicable and felt like something many could relate their childhood to, and are continuing to relate to during their lives. I liked how this particular theory was able to span through a person’s lifetime, and not just through adolescence. Erickson’s theory was very interesting and easy to understand which is why I felt that this would be the best theory to work with.
ReplyDeleteIn the early years of a child’s life, about 3 to 6 years, Erickson came up with the stage of “Initiative vs. Guilt.” This stage is when a child is finding out just what kind or type of person they want to be, and exploring or trying new things. This stage is when guilt can be applied such as when a child does something, and is told not to possibly using guilt. Creating a sense of guilt in a child at such a young, but very important stage in their life can negatively affect their self confidence later on. If a child was constantly being responded to negatively, they may become afraid of trying new things which would prevent them from learning and growing as a person. This stage is extremely important in a child’s development and should be made clear from the beginning from teaching a child right from wrong, and creating guilt within them.
The second stage from Erickson is, “Identity vs. Role Confusion.” I believe this is a stage many people have been able to relate to looking back into their adolescent years. This stage is important when children are trying to maintain their own identity and has many influencing factors. Many changes are taking place during this time in a child’s life which make it hard to maintain a certain identity. Children may feel the need to change themselves to fit into certain groups, clubs, etc. or they may be coming familiar with exactly who they are and want to be. Erickson said, “if children cannot integrate their identifications, roles, or selves, they face “identity diffusion” and the personality is fragmented lacking a core.” If a child is uncertain of their own identity, they may face great confusion or realization during this stage among all the new things they are experiencing. This stage is important for children to realize their true identity.
It's been a while since I've been 100% engaged, interested, and focused on a topic in my college experience. This happened when we talked about the three theorists and I was most interested in Erikson's theories of development. Erikson not only created an acceptable view on Psycho-sexual development but he also had help from looking over Freud's theories of developing an Superego.
ReplyDeleteOne insight that Erikson provides that is very useful for parents is the first stage of development, Trust vs. Mistrust. During this stage babies are crying nonstop, wanting food, water, sleep, and warmth from their parents. If all is provided and attention is given thoroughly through the first year then the result, that Erikson's says will happen, is that the child will have a hopeful attitude towards life. Along with this, stage 2 is also primarily helpful to parents because they are the ones who help their child walk/talk throughout this 1 to 3 age development. If successful and the parents allow their kids to do a lot of walking and talking the the child will gain a sense of control and mastery.
Another insight that Erikson provides are stages (3,4,and 5) that all deal with Education in the child's life. The first stage, Initiative vs. Shame, is dealt with around preschool/kindergarten. Teachers and parents play a factor in this stage and knowing that children are now capable of initiating and controlling their environment can allow them to teach responsibility. If successful the children will have self confidence and feel a purpose in life which is critical. The fourth stage, Industry vs. Inferiority, happens in elementary school and children start comparing themselves to EVERYTHING. They want to be the best in every action and if they aren't they feel inferior. Teachers and Parents can help show that even if the child can't do something they aren't inferior and they can always improve. If successful the child with build confidence in their actions and will get along with their peers. Finally the fifth stage, Identity vs. Role Confusion, happens during puberty. This stage deals with identifying one's self so if a child can't do that they will feel confused about their future and not find a career or passion they could pursue. If Teachers, Parent, and other environmental factors can help the child explore various roles and leave them to their thoughts then the child could develop a strong sense of identity and will have their own beliefs and truths.
Many can benefit form Erikson's psycho-sexual theories and luckily for them none of the stages deal with oral or anal phases like Freud does, which is just weird.
Montessori’s theory was that children should be allowed to learn at their own pace and be left alone to do so. She claimed that doing this allows the child to devote his or her full attention to that task until they have mastered it. This theory states that in raising a child, you should leave them alone with their tasks but be readily available to help them if they have questions or want to move onto another task.
ReplyDeleteShe also stated that we are wrong to think that children learn and think in the same way as adults. The things that adults may think are trivial, are actually fascinating to children. She pointed out the example of walking. Adults walk to get to a destination, while children walk to walk. They do it because they feel proud, enjoy it, and want to get better at it. With this, parents should enjoy the things that their children find interesting and stop and let them enjoy those tasks until they are ready to move on.
Great post on Montessori, MacKenzie. I really like Montessori's theory on allowing kids to learn things on their own, especially things they need to focus on instead of learning many concepts at once like they might if they attended a public school/preschool. It is very important that adults don't rush this process in order to ensure children have completely mastered their task. I agree with your points that parents should enjoy the child's task and accomplishment too, it is important and will only encourage the child to work harder at achieving their next task once they see the praise they receive.
DeleteFor this weeks discussion I have chosen to analyze Freud's psychoanalytic theory. Although Freud is mainly well known for his ideas toward the oral, anal, oedipal, latency, and genital stages of development, I took more of an interest in how he described human defense mechanisms in terms such as rationalization and displacement.
ReplyDeleteI found it very intriguing on how Freud presented rationalization as human's unnoticeable behavior of coming up with excuses to justify actions in order to cover up the true meaning. People always hear about couples breaking up because someone is moving or for whatever popular excuse played by the book. Hearing stories such as these makes parents, teachers, or peers realize reasons like this are simply excuses but people never really think about why the pure truth is so hard to display. I think one of Freud's insights regarding rationalization is that not only can we make up stories to cover up our point of view, but we can't even truly admit to ourselves why we commit to the actions we decide upon. Some reasons may be because we are not just afraid of hurting other people, but we may be afraid of exposing our ID or our inconsiderate selves. A good recommendation for this theory would be to make the truth revive from your unconscious to your conscious because once you are able to accept the truth without making excuses, others will be able to accept it as well.
I thought Freud’s explanation of displacement was oddly true. Whenever someone gets aggravated at something someone did or dislike that person in general, people often take it out on the people they are closest to. I think the biggest insight to take away from this defense mechanism would be that just because someone yells at you for something extravagant does not mean the anger is directed towards them. A good recommendation for this theory would be you should learn how to control your anger because being able to casually conversate about what is bothering you would have a smoother outcome instead of ranting to everyone not involved about your problems.
Very well thought out discussion Brianna. You brought some practical applications of some of Freud's theories that I had never thought about before. Specifically, I thought it was interesting how you brought down the complex concept of rationalization into something that we as humans can personally work on; because, I definitely agree that once a person can accept the truth about himself, that is when he can really express himself freely without the fear of what others might think. I also liked your recommendation for the act of displacement. I too think it is always wise to remember that when someone gets mad at you, it isn't always about something you have done. Or on the other side of that, do not get easily angered and take out your frustration on someone who has nothing to do with what actually has made you angry. Overall, you presented very good insights and suggested some practical recommendations for our somewhat problematic human defense mechanisms.
DeleteFreud and his theory of psychosexual development talks about the eight stages of progression. He also focused on how infants learn and interact with their own body parts; oral, anal, and phallic. Freud mentions how infants focus on what makes them happy, such as the oral stage. The oral stage is when everything an infant touch goes almost immediately in their mouth due to associating feeding with happiness and comfort. Although parents need to find a balance on when they give the infant too much or too little gratification. Parents must teach their children to be autoerotic or being self- efficient. If not taught, infants will have difficulties separating its self from the mother, or primary narcissism. Behind every child is two basic driving forces, arisos and denotose. Arisos is the desire to be happy and denotose is the dark part of people’s personality. A drive can bring conflict in various ways, this is ware the eight stages of progression come into play. The eight stages help break down the different stages all infants and children go through along with how they think during conflicts.
ReplyDeleteMontessori's " free choice" and "unconstructed" take on child development vastly contrasts Freud and Erickson's views of the way a child develops and learns different things. One thing that might be similar among these theorists is that they all had these "stages" that they thought children go through when developing. The first insight from Montessori's teaching is based on these stages that she called "sensitive periods." These sensitive periods are based on the idea that children go through these "Genetically programmed blocks of time" of peaked interest in learning different things such as grasping with hands, walking, and language. Montessori even goes so far as to say that if a child is interrupted or prevented from mastering each one of these periods that it will greatly hinder that child's development. A second insight that can be gained from Montessori's teaching was that she stressed the idea that children learn very differently than adults do, and parents and teachers should cater how they help children develop accordingly. One specific example that Montessori points out is how children learn and develop their language skills (during the sensitive period for language). She believed that children learn language very naturally, and at that certain sensitive period are able to absorb and comprehend language at a rate that far surpasses the rate that adults are able to learn a language.
ReplyDeleteMontessori's way of teaching and helping children learn with regard to her "sensitive periods" was a completely different system than any previous ways of instruction. She stressed the importance of letting a child learn at their own pace and allowing the child to have "free choice" on what things they wanted to learn or focus on. The role of the teacher turned from director to follower; their primary job was to make sure the children had everything they needed to learn and master whatever they were most interested in at the time. This hands off approach to teaching can give parents and teachers many valuable tips and insights on how they can better help their child or student develop. One solid recommendation that can be taken from Montessori's teachings would be to let children learn what they want to master when they want to master it. This is a valuable take away because if a parent or teacher does not let a child develop the skills that they have a desire to, the child might miss that "sensitive period" of time where they are most prepared to learn that specific skill. This could lead to an area of the child's life that is underdeveloped and might have severe consequences for their future. I think teachers and parents can learn a lot from Montessori's teachings, and I think that more of her ideas should be implemented in today's systems of child development.
For this discussion, I chose to discuss Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory. This theory is composed of eight stages ranging from birth to death. Each stage must be successfully completed before moving onto the next stage. The first stage of Erikson's theory is Trust vs. Mistrust which applies to infants from birth to one year old. During this time, infants are completely dependent upon their parents. A child cannot feed, dress, or transport themselves and must rely on a parent to do this for them. A concrete recommendation for this stage could be “parents should ensure a child’s basic needs for survival are met because the child needs to learn that they can trust their parents." According to Erikson’s theory, once a baby develops a sense of trust, they will be able to trust the world and see it as a safe place. If this stage is successful, the baby will develop a hopeful attitude towards life. Erickson's third stage, Initiative vs. Guilt, applies to children aged three to six years old. During this stage, children are able to try new things and interact with others. A concrete recommendation for this stage could be "parents should let their child explore and try new things because if they don't the child may develop feelings of guilt." According to Erikson's theory, if a child begins to feel guilty, they will not try new things and will be stuck in this stage. However, if this stage is completed successfully, the child will develop a sense of purpose in life. As a person successfully completes Erikson’s eight stages of development, they will eventually find themselves at the last stage, Integrity vs. Despair. Once this stage is successfully completed, a person will gain wisdom and be able to look back and feel satisfied with who they have become.
ReplyDeleteErikson’s theory with the eight stages of life was one thing that I found rather interesting from the three we’ve talked about, and I was very intrigued by Initiative vs. Guilt. The idea that this is the stage where children start to try things in life and see whether the impact they have on them is negative or positive. I feel like this could be applied when kids are trying to help their parents around the house, so they’ll do small tasks with laundry, dishes, cooking, baking, etc., even though it may not be exact. Exampled: my younger sister, when she was about 3, wanted to help Mom, so she put the clothes she found in a basket in the dryer, even though they were actually just cleaned, they just hadn’t been folded yet. I feel like this should be incorporated with positivity, because the children are trying to help their parents around the house, and rather than be berated for doing it incorrectly, they should be praised for having the initiative to do the chores.
ReplyDeleteThe second stage that intrigued me was Industry vs. Inferiority. This stage was something I thought would have a really strong impact on children, because this would be the stage where I would think that kids would start to have a drive to find their purpose. They’re going to start with what they’re good at and kind of try to cut out what they’re not good at. I also believe that if they find that they aren’t really proficient at anything, they would kind of lose the drive to do anything. I feel like it would have an effect on their success drive in life because this is where it would start to take hold. I believe if parents encourage their kids to try lots of things, regardless of whether they’re good at it or not.
This week, I will be writing about Erik Erikson and his psychosocial theory, specifically his points on trust vs mistrust as well as initiative vs guilt. The trust vs mistrust stage occurs in infants (0-1 years old). Erikson explains that this stage really controls infants outlooks on life. If their needs can be met, they feel as though they can trust the universe. Their needs can include needing to be transported, warmed, fed, nurtured, and taken care of. Parents and caregivers are truly the ones in charge of ensuring infants needs are met because the infants themselves are incapable of doing all of those things themselves. This stage could be fully applied today when a baby cries in the middle of the night because they are hungry. Parents will wake themselves up to go take care of the baby and make sure they are happy. This will prove the trust in the parent and the baby will be content.
ReplyDeleteFollowing this stage a few years later is the initiative vs guilt stage. This stage occurs in children's lives when they are between the ages of 3 and 6 years old. During this stage, children begin to sense their purpose in life as well as try new things. While they strive to do the right things and behave, they often may not always do good things. During this stage to discipline and explain that the child has done wrong, parents may reprimand them by saying things such as “good little girls/boys dont do that.” This is guilt for things they may have been trying which can ultimately lead to them being scared to try new things since they’d previously gotten themselves in trouble. An example of this could be a child picks flowers from the garden for their mother because they think it’s is a nice thing to do but mom gets mad and makes them feel guilty them because they picked flowers she was growing and wrecked the garden. This stage is important and can help children develop initiative they need to get through life.
I will be referring to Erikson’s psychosocial development theories in this post. The first theory I will be discussing is initiative vs. guilt. In the initiative vs. guilt stage the child learns to become a leader rather than a follower. They do this by initiating activities, planning games, or leading a team. A suggestion I would give parents for this stage is to treat the child’s curiosities as important questions. I say this because if a parent acts like a child’s questions are a nuisance the child will feel guilt and not want to ask future question in fear of parental dissatisfaction. Erikson believed that too much guilt would result in the child being slow to interact with others and could inhibit creativity.
ReplyDeleteThe second stage I will be discussing is industry vs. inferiority. In this stage the child gains confidence in their abilities from positive reinforcement from parents, teachers, and peers. If child is not supported in his abilities he may feel inferior to others and have a lack of self-confidence. I believe parents can aid in this by rewarding the child after achieving some accomplishment.
Montessori’s theory of Development will be the theory I am discussing. In this theory, Montessori states that children learn differently than adults, and that children learn from their own “maturational promptings”. She also said that there are sensitive periods in which children go through specific windows of learning.
ReplyDeleteWithin these sensitive periods, is the sensitive period of walking. This is where a child learns how to walk and goes from being helpless to being active. In this period, children are also driven by an urge to attempt. A recommendation that one can gather from this information is children are going to try to be “sneaky” and waddle away from the crowd once they have this sense of freedom, so parents need to be understanding that this is bound to occur.
Another period is the sensitive period for order. This occurs when children are about 18 months to 2 years old. Children begin putting items where they belong and become upset when things do not go their way. This can be understood as what America calls the “terrible 2’s”. What parents and teacher need to take away from this is that, at this age, children are going to become cranky and possibly throw a tantrum if not given the proper environment to succeed and learn.
I will be talking about a couple of Montessori theories in this post.
ReplyDeleteMost of Montessori's theories apply to elementary school kids. One of them is about independence and concentration. The goal for education is that the teacher does not try to direct the child, instead they should encourage the student to be independent. By doing this, they are hoping to increase concentration in kids. When Montessori observed that happening she said "When given task that met inner needs at sensitive periods, the children worked on them over and over. And when they finished, they were rested and joyful; they seemed to possess an inner peace." She also added that this process is "normalization"
Montessori also brought up the theory of free choice. The kids can work on what they want. She believed that by having free choices, it usually led to work on the tasks that most deeply engrossed the. The teacher's role in this is a passive one as a observer. By watching the children, the teacher would try to guess the student's particular needs.
I think each of those theories are important in elementary kids daily life. However, there will be situations where they need more than just that. Teachers sometimes will have to get more involved than just watch them to fix certain problems or promote more growth.
I enjoyed reading a discussion that explains Montessori Theory, for me I have a hard time understanding the theory and why people like it. However I really liked this post and it has helped me understand this theory more and why teachers and guardians like Montessori school system. Thank you for the great post!
DeleteAfter discussing the different theorists in class this week I decided to write my discussion on Erikson. Erikson’s psychological theory considers how social factors interact with personality throughout life span. The two stages I found to be most interesting and make the most sense to me were stages 2 and 5.
ReplyDeleteAutonomy vs Shame and Doubt is stage 2 and covers ages 1-3 years old. Erikson believed to successfully pass through this stage we need to have a sense of control and mastery, this means that children need to feel independent and that they can complete tasks on their own. If the child gets scolded for trying different tasks by themselves or for being independent Erikson would argue this would hinder their development and that the child may grow to have fears or anxiety linked to doing things alone or to being independent. A recommendation I would make to a parent with a child or children in this stage is to give them as much freedom as you can. Allow them to try activities by themselves and only step in if they need help or if it seems they could hurt themselves. An example of this would be with going to the bathroom. Allow them to complete the task by themselves by, if the parent is comfortable, standing outside of the door and going in once they are done to help them if they need it. This is because this will let the child have the freedom that is described in this stage, they will feel in control and that they are able to master a skill by themselves.
Identity vs Role Confusion, adolescence, is stage 5. To pass through this stage Erikson says we need to have a sense of identity towards oneself. I feel like this stage is relatable because we all have gone through the phase in middle and high school where we try to find ourselves and find a friend group. In this stage it is imperative that the adolescence finds an identity and is able to know themselves. Due to this, it is important that the parent or guardian is able to support their loved one through this stage. I would recommend that the guardian or parent doesn’t push for their kid to act or dress a certain way but to support the kid through the different phases until the kid feels as though they have finally have a sense of identity.
Erickson’s psychosocial theory considers how social factors interreact and change one’s personality throughout their life. Erikson based his theory on Freud’s psychosexual development but without the weird mom stuff. I like the idea that we are always changing and have new stages we progress through. I can agree that I have gone through at this point in my life match all the stages in Erikson’s theory. I feel that this theory is widely accepted than Freud’s because it is relatable and doesn’t consists of topics like wanting to sleep with your mother and murdering you father.
ReplyDeleteOne of the stages I found most interesting was Initiative vs. Guilt. This stage takes place while and individual is between the ages of 3 and 6. The result of going through this stage is having a sense of purpose in life. To have this sense of purpose one must discover and explore new things. Children have incredible imaginations that they need to grow through seeing and learning from their environment. I feel that this stage is one of the most crucial times in development that everyone should go through.
Another stage that I found to be very interesting was the last stage Integrity vs. Despair. This stage being the last takes place in late adulthood or near the end of a person’s life. I found this stage to be intriguing because to go through it an individual must have gone through all other stages. A person that has gone through all other stages may come out with a sense of wisdom, or the may come out feeling that they’ve been cheated the life the deserve.
Montessori's theory of development was the most interesting of the theories to me because she believed that children learn differently from adults and adults should have little interference during their sensitive periods. Montessori was the first women to graduate from the U of Rome Medical school and was a physician. Montessori loved helping children that were cognitively delayed or had other disabilities holding them back from learning. Therefore, Montessori opened up the first school for extremely poor children and families. During school, she believed in the following: children should have free choice and work on whatever they choose to master, children should do the task over and over again until it is mastered or they have hit the peak (normalization), rewards and punishments are non-existent, and most importantly, adults should have very little interference with the daily tasks of children. For example, if a child is trying to master walking, the adult should have no interference and if they do interfere, this might disrupt their learning and they may potentially never move past this stage. Another essential stage to children is the sensitive period of order. In this stage children are very particular how objects are placed. They become upset and have to have everything perfect. Adults should not interfere with this stage.
ReplyDeleteI will be discussing Montessori's theories because I felt that they were more detailed than the other theorists. According to Montessori, you should not control the specific tasks that children are learning. you should let children pick the tasks they are trying to accomplish. It is thought by Montessori that children feel more rewarded after mastering a task when they meet their accomplishments independently.
ReplyDeleteIn the Sensitive Period for Grasping, you should not tell a child to "not" do something, such as put something in their mouth or not to explore something because that is how they learn. When they are in the sensitive phases like that, they are learning specific details and should not be limited on what they can learn from. Another would be the Sensitive period for Language, you shouldn't pressure your child into saying "Mama" or "Dada" because it might be at a time when the child is not ready for communication yet. The child will speak when it is ready and he or she has approached the sensitive period for that milestone.
Kelsey,
DeleteI agree that Montessori went into detail in her theories however the lack of control over infants frightens me. I understand that the parent should still stop the child from putting dangerous things into its mouth but there are also many germs found on random items a child could place in its mouth as well as small items can be a chocking hazard. Regarding the sensitive period for language if someone is following Montessori's method and not pushing speech they need to be very cautious because if a child misses their prime opportunity to speak they could fall extremely behind in their speech and grammar compared to other children their age.
Looking at Montessori's theory of children teaching themselves and gaining their own structure of learning is very interesting. I can see the benefits of placing your child in a system like Montessori, but is it always beneficial? Yes, it can teach children to be more independent and that way they can build onto what they have already learned, but what about socialization with teachers and other classmates? Being in that age group, it's a huge part of becoming who you are today is by interacting with other people and especially at a young age. As much as I don't like tests, quizzes, and finals, I do think that it is necessary to have them in school. With out tests how would you know where you sit in the class or in what department you may need further help. Montessori also believes that children should focus on one topic at a time, so they can master that one thing. Depending on the genetic make-up of the child, it may take them years to understand one topic. Time is a problem if you stay focused on one topic for too long. By focusing on one area, you're taking time away from moving forward onto new tasks.
ReplyDeleteErickson’s work seems to be the most applicable in modern society. All eight stages are important in their own way, one that should be brought to the attention of new parents with a newborn is trust vs. mistrust. A child is in the stage for about the first 12 months of their life. Infants are extremely limited in their communication, the only way they really know how to express their needs is to cry. During this stage, parents need to be very tentative to the child’s needs because this will create an environment where the child will gain a sense of security and learn to trust the people around them. Success in this stage of tending to the child’s needs, promotes trust and will carry over with them to future relationships as they grow older.
ReplyDeleteA second stage that teachers and parents should be aware of and prepared for is the identity vs role confusion. A child will generally enter this stage at age 12 and it will continue until they are about 18. At this time, a child is attempting to find their place in society, whether that be what they want to do when they grow up, who they want to be or their appropriate sex role. It is important to allow the child their own exploration to find their own personal values and beliefs because forcing them into a certain role could lead to feeling of negative identity and unhappiness. Success through this stage will lead to fidelity, the child will be able to commit themselves to others by accepting them and their differences.
Freud looked at developmental psychology and was very interested in psychosexual development. He studied children from birth to puberty. From the ages of 3-6 children are in the phallic stage and are interested and curious about their sex organs. For boys, they take on stronger feels towards their mother that continues later in life. This is the period where their superego develops. From ages 6-11 the latency stage is where they suppress all of these sexual and aggressive fantasies.
ReplyDeleteAll of the theorist including Freud see development in certain stages of life. But Freud emphasize in more on pre-adolescent behavior. He believes that all of our developmental behaviors are set before we reach our teen years.
According to Freud, to ensure proper development of children, parents need to be aware of the various stages of development. During the phallic stage when children have such a fascination with their sexual organs and the sensations that come from them, parents need to take care not to embarrass or scold the children for their behavior. If the child performs some of these actions in public rather than telling them not to do that, they should explain these types of activities should only be done in a private setting.
In the latency stage, when these sexual and aggressive fantasies progress parents should talk to their children and be open about these fantasies. As children move into puberty parents must recognize that the child needs to " free himself from his parents" and they need to be understanding and give him or her the space to do that.
I will be discussing Erikson's theories.
ReplyDeleteThe first theory I have chosen is the initiative vs. guilt theory which applies to children ages two to three. During this stage, children learn to assert themselves in social settings. If they succeed in this stage, they usually feel more capable to be more assertive and be more outspoken and not afraid to do or say what they feel. If they don't succeed, they usually feel self-doubt and guilt. A concrete recommendation for parents or teachers could be "you should let the child be okay with asserting themselves in certain situations so they don't learn to doubt themselves." That will make them feel like they are more capable of doing things for themselves.
Another theory is the the identity vs. confusion, which should apply around 12-18 years of age. During teenage years, children can receive many forms of rejection, or acceptance of ones values and sense of self. The children who's ideals are more accepted usually feel more control over themselves and their independence than those who aren't. A concrete recommendation to parents and teachers would be to "not put children down for their values and ideals," so that they feel more accepted and not confused about who they are. These recommendations can help children grow into the people they need to become.
The psychologist I want to discuss is Erickson. Erickson produced an 8-step psychosocial theory which discusses children maturing from birth to late adulthood. There are two stages that seem extremely influential to me. The first stage is identity vs role confusion which is prevalent in adolescence. This stage can be extremely dangerous because a child can choose to conform to their peers and fit in or they can stick to their identity. Many children want to fit in with their peers and if they do that, the child will be throwing all of the previous stages out of the window and not following their core beliefs that they have been forming. Parents play a huge role in raising a child and one major discussion with their child should be about fitting in with their peers and that it is more important to stick to their identity and create a sense of fidelity to oneself because if they conform Erickson says you will be stuck on this stage for the rest of your life. The second stage I find extremely important follows identity vs role confusion. Intimacy vs isolation occurs in early adulthood and is mainly influenced by your intimate partner. In this stage a person will be striving for true intimacy or unselfish love. True intimacy is often found between partners through sharing things and keeping trust in your relationship. However, trust can be broken leading to isolation due to infidelity, sharing secrets, and any other form of breaking one’s trust. Parents are one of the first intimate relationships that the child can witness and often what a child compares their relationships too. Parents should be striving for a loving relationship that has a strong foundation of trust beneath them because their children will witness the love and trust before them and have a great example for an intimate partner.
ReplyDeleteWhat interests me about Maria Montessori's child development theory is the lack of diversity between age groups. It seems as though her theory can be applied through all age groups. Some main principles of her theory are independence and observation. With Montessori's "independence" principle, the child is encouraged to find something that interests them. By giving them the opportunity to read, write, draw, or play without too much input from an adult, parents and teachers are giving the children a chance to develop their self belief and esteem. "You should use Montessori's 'independence' principle, because it helps children develop their self belief and esteem."
ReplyDeleteIt can be argued that Montessori's second principle, "observation", is how she developed her child development theories. Through this, she was able o employ an unbiased opinion on the children's needs. Observation can easily be used by parents and teachers to identify what their children's interests and needs are. For example, in the instance of a child that hits or bangs objects, get them a musical instrument. "You should use Montessori's 'observation' principle, because it helps you to provide your children an environment in which they are successful.
The psychologist I chose to discuss is Erikson. The first stage that really stood out to me was Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt. This stage is between 18 months to 3 years old. The reason I chose this stage is because this is when a child builds their self confidence because they are accomplishing things on their own and they don't need their parents help anymore. They are becoming very independent and that feels good to them. It's very essential for a parent to let their child go through this stage because they need to be able to provide for themselves, not to be dependent on others for the rest of their lives. They need to be able to fail and over come it themselves, not to avoid failure. A good example of this is when the child chooses what they want to eat, or what they want to play with. Honestly any example that includes a child making their own decision, is a good example of this stage.
ReplyDeleteThe next stage that stood out to me was Identity vs. Role Confusion. This is the adolescence stage (12-18). I chose this stage because this is one of the most important times of a teens life, because it shapes who they will become. Friends and peers have a huge influence on this stage, but parents do as well. Friends are around constantly to help explore and discover who they will become. If they don't figure that out that's where the role confusion comes from because now they don't know where they fit in in the society. A good example of this is when they join different groups (sports teams, singing, academic groups, etc..), because this gives them the opportunity to explore their options to what they want to pursue.
As we progress through life Freud and Erikson say we undergo a series of developmental stages, and Maria Montessori says we undergo a series of sensitive periods when learning. Of these theories, the two that stuck out the most to me is Erikson's stage autonomy vs. shame and Montessori's objectives on learning. I feel that these theories go hand in hand. Erikson's stage autonomy vs. shame covers the basics of all of Montessori's sensitive periods. Learning is a primitive time in our lives and that's why I feel like these stages are so crucial in development. Children need this period to gain a sense of self and independence. I am intrigued and support Montessori and Erikson's concept of allowing children to learn at their own pace and refraining from criticizing the child for failures and accidents. Parents and teachers should encourage the child to try until they succeed. However, one concern that might arise is the child not understanding structure or following rules. Although, I believe allowing children to learn what they want to learn is effective for them mastering certain topics; I am also curious as to if this will cause issues of children ignoring other topics they don't understand and therefore avoiding failure.
ReplyDeleteIn Freud's Anal stage (years 1-3) you would want to work with the child to use the potty as this is the stage where they are learning to control their bowel and bladder. You would want to work with them repeatedly to get the to go when and where you want them to. You would want to use some sort of rewards to inforce the proper potty. I think that a child will begin to respond after being given a reward multiple times for going in the potty as opposed to their pants. Then you move on to the Phallic stage (years 3-6) the child begins to notice their sexual organs and learns that sometimes it feels good to play with them, at this point you need to work with the child by teaching them not to do that in public. Some people would tell them that if they played with "it"(boys) it would fall off. The fear alone would scare them into not doing it. I believe that there are better ways to deal with that. Rewards are a proven way to reinforce the positive behavior that you would like to have your child exhibit.
ReplyDeleteThe first year of life for a child is perhaps the most critical, because the sense of “trust vs. mistrust” is developed. The mother/child relationship is critical at this stage, so it’s important for mothers to develop a bond with their children. Otherwise, a sense of fear/mistrust could develop and stick with the child for life. In order to create a sense of faith in the environment and the future, children need to trust their parents. Law makers could affect this stage by enacting laws regarding longer maternity/paternity leaves from work. More paid time off work means more time for the parent to be with the infant, therefore instilling a lifelong sense of trust in the child.
ReplyDeleteDuring the early childhood stage (autonomy vs. shame and doubt), children age 1.5-3 are beginning to develop personal, physical control and to strive for independence. This is a critical time in a child’s life because they are starting to learn basic skills and the idea that they can do tasks for themselves. During this stage, parents and teachers should encourage as much independence for the child as possible, so they can develop a sense of autonomy and control over themselves. Parents in particular should encourage independence because the child’s most important relationship is with their parents during this stage. If independence is not encouraged, children can develop a sense of self-doubt or shame.
During the “ego-identity vs. role-confusion” stage, children age 12-19 are struggling to find a personal identity. This is the stage with the most peer-influence, so who children choose to spend their time with will shape their existence. Parents should encourage children to associate with well-behaved peers, or to have a morally upstanding role model, because children’s identities are so easily shaped and molded during this period.
In this discussion I am going to be talking about Erickson's 8 stages. Two insights that Erickson brought up is the 8 needs never go away during life and that the only thing that changes is who you get your needs from. He also brought insight to that your child is going to become independent and drift away from you. The recommendation I would say to parents is you need to give your child tenderness and companionship because if not then they will not develop properly and it might cause issues further on in their life. I'd also tell them that this is based off multiple studies and Erickson's 8 stages of development. I might also tell the parents that it is completely normal for your kids to drift away according to his model.
ReplyDelete