Erikson's Psychosocial Analysis

Superior Essays
Emotional development was the focal point of chapter eleven. The chapter provided an overview of Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, attachment, emotion, temperament and personality, and supporting children who exhibit emotional challenges. Throughout the chapter, bioecological factors were also discussed. As children grow older, they experience multiple changes with regard to their reasoning skills, cognitive processes and language abilities. Additionally, children see changes in their social-emotional domain. Psychodynamic theorist Erik Erikson proposed that children develop from the various changes in life. His eight psychosocial stages consists of age-related conflict that individuals must overcome at in order to gain personal …show more content…
This need is fulfilled throughout our lifespan through the bonds created. A child’s first attachment begins with the infant and the caregiver. Theorists have attempted to create theories between infants and their caregivers. The ethological attachment theory originated by John Bowlby is the perspective that highlights the benefits to children creating strong ties with caregivers. In the process of forming attachment, children learn about themselves and their environment. Bowlby proposed four phases in attachment development. First stage is preattachment (birth-6 to 12 weeks) in which infants use social signals to prompt care from adults. The second stage is attachment in the making (6 to 12 weeks through 6 to 8 months). During this stage, infants turn to care to adults who regularly care for them and begin to recognize the rhythm of interactions between caregivers. Third stage is referred to as clear-cut attachment and it occurs between 6 to 8 months until a year and a half. This stage consists of the infant showing preferential attachment to one person or a small group of regular caregivers. Infants may also display stranger anxiety when they fear unfamiliar adults. The last stage is reciprocal relationship where infants make inferences about their parents and caregivers. They begin to interact with adults so that they take direction from them but also proclaim their desires. During early childhood, young children rely on familiar caregivers, teachers and begin building supportive relationships with peers. Throughout middle childhood and adolescence, relationships with parents may change, as adolescents prefer closer relationships with friends and romantic partners. Theorists have noted individual differences in children’s attachments. The classifications of attachment are the following: secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant and disorganized and disoriented

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In 1963, Erik Erikson became one of the most recognized psychodynamic theorist. He built his practice on the importances of social relationships and human development (Jeffrey S. Nevid). Erikson reformed Sigmund’s stages of development to eight stages. Erikson’s modified these stages as psychosocial development (Jeffrey S. Nevid). Erikson believed that our personalities were based on how we deal with crisis and challenges we encounter during each stage of development.…

    • 101 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Essay On Attachment Theory

    • 1305 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Applying Theory Attachment Attachment is the connection that forms between a main caregiver. John Bowlby (1970) found that a child’s emotional development is built on a foundation of trust and security. While working with rebellious adolescents, Bowlby found parallels in their family histories and their deviant behaviour. Many of these adolescents had unstable home lives in their early years of childhood; they had no mother figure in particular. He believed that the first relationships the infant engages in, has a direct effect on later behaviours.…

    • 1305 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Every day people interact within different types of relationships, whether they are with friends, family or significant others. We have a need for these relationships. One of the most important relationships that provide support for an individual is the one we have with our parents. Multiple studies have shown that children rely on their parents for a sense of security in early development because of how the parents respond to their child. This sense of security that is given to the child helps the child develop their sense of emotion.…

    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    These four functions are crucial in creating a positive temperament and establishing goodness of fit. Based on Bowlby’s functions of attachment model, comes the investigation of attachment styles. Ainsworth contributed to the importance of attachment through an experiment called, “the strange situation”. This was conducted on infants aged nine to eighteen months, where they’re left in a room with a stranger without their mother, after some time the stranger leaves and the mother reenters the room. From this study, Ainsworth not only investigated the caregiver as a base for exploration, but also found four styles of attachment.…

    • 1227 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Significance Attachment theory, first formulated by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth is one of the leading frameworks in developmental psychology. Originally there was three attachment classifications, secure, avoidant, and ambivalent (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978). Securely attached infants are distressed when a parent leaves yet soothed and happy when they return Avoidant infants do not show a preference for the mother and are not excited when she returns. Ambivalent infants do not explore much and are distressed when the mother leaves yet not comforted when she returns (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978).…

    • 1188 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Reflecting on these arguments and our childhood relationships with our own parents can help us develop the skills needed to provide effective guidance and nurturance. The infant brain develops within an interpersonal context, where structural and functional networks are shaped by the nature and quality of early caregiver and infant interactions. Environmental influences in infancy are particularly the quality of the infant and caregiver relationship and emotional interactions with each other this context, has been appealed to shape neurological, psychological and social development and have potential long-term effects on psychological and emotional functioning. Psychoanalytic developmental theory and attachment theory is initially described by Bowlby. John Bowlby noted that the close attachment relationship between responsive caregivers and infants from about 6 months to 2 years of age.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Since Bowlby proposed the Attachment Theory in 1958 other scientists have discovered that an uncertain attachment during the early years can notably strain both the developing brain and body, thus resulting in long-term psychological and physical problems. This means that there is a significant impact on the child if an attachment isn’t formed, as during their early years babies experience relationships through their senses. However, “attachment influences a child’s immediate all-round development and future relationships” (EYFS 2007, http://www.earlyyearsmatters.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/eyfs_positive_reln_person(1).pdf). This means that if a positive and secure attachment has been formed then they are more likely to form important and trusting relationships with other significant adults later in life, as they are more confident in being open about managing and discussing their feelings and problems with other adults.…

    • 376 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Bowlby claimed that there was a critical period of around three and a half years during which an attachment must be formed and that the attachment could not be broken. He also claimed that infants must form one strong attachment with the main caregiver or the infant would experience social and emotional problems later in…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The child does not attach to anyone? Whatever it may be, a small factor can make a large impact on an infant’s security. Bowlby’s theory suggests that over time when an infant’s accommodation are failed an insecure attachment pattern might merge (Solberg, 2012). Even if their needs are being met at home, if their needs are not being met at the child care services than then the child is at risk developing an insecure attachment. Mary Ainsworth defines insecure attach infants as crying a great deal and demanding a great deal of attention from other mothers.…

    • 1342 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Attachment is commonly referred to as an important developmental attribute in younger infants and children . It is a crucial bond formed between an individual and their primary care giver and according to Bowlby, it is critically important to the child that this bond is formed ( Cassidy, 1999). Bowlby emphasized the importance of the primary caregivers and the impact that they have upon a child. For example, if an infant fails to form a secure, affectionate attachment with the mother or main caregiver, then this can greatly impact upon the individuals later romantic relations later in life and can lead to the development of personality disorders (Emmelkamp & Timmerman, 2006). Many psychologist that have focused their attention into attachment…

    • 906 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The theory of attachment was developed by John Bowlby. Attachment is well-defined as the formation of a psychological and emotional relationship between a primary caregiver and a child, not necessarily the child’s biological parents. Bowlby emphasized that the tie a child develops with his or her caregiver can be categorized as Secure, Avoidant, Resistant/ambivalent/Anxious, and disorganized attachment. These connections children develop for their caregiver will be the primary template for all future relationships; therefore, “parents” must attempt to form a well-developed and nurturing bond between them and their children, in order to prevent future psychological disorders. In Secure attachment, the child known that the primary caregiver will be there when needed, the child tends to reach out to the caregiver when feel scared, concerned, hungry, or sick.…

    • 839 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Attachment The Attachment Theory maintains that the bond between an infant and his or her primary caregiver greatly influences personality, cognitive ability, and relationships throughout life. Psychologist Mary Ainsworth studied attachment patterns through an experiment known as the Strange Situation in which a mother left a child in a room for short period of time either alone or with a stranger; the child’s behavior was assessed when the mother left and when she returned. Three different patterns were observed. They are secure attachment, avoidant attachment, and ambivalent attachment.…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    “Bowlby believed that attachment behaviors are instinctive and will be activated by any conditions that seem to threaten the achievement of proximity, such as separation, insecurity and fear” (McLeod, 2016). Bowlby created 3 theories of attachment that young children have towards their mothers. First is secure attachment; it is where a toddler is securely attached to his caregivers and will openly explore when they are present. The secure child can engage with strangers and often become upset when they can no longer see their caregiver. The next one is an Anxious-ambivalent attachment; this is where there a resistance.…

    • 1175 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Attachment Styles Essay

    • 1770 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The phrase “attachment” was initially introduced by Bowlby in 1958. Edward John Bowlby was a British psychologist who was distinguished by his interest in children’s development and his revolutionary work in attachment theory which was the starting point in psychology. From Bowlby to Mary Ainsworth who was a developmental psychology known for her experiment The strange situation. There are different ways in which we attach to the people in their lives and how we categorise the types of attachment. The main study that assesses attachment styles is by Ainsworth and Wittig in 1969.…

    • 1770 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Contrary to Freud’s psychosexual development theory, psychologist Erik Erikson came up with a different theory which is known as the Psychosocial Development theory. This theory as explained in textbook Lifespan Development 4rth Edition consists of eight different stages in which Erikson believes every individual must go through in order to successfully accomplish development at every stage.(Boyd, Johnson, Bee, 2011) Each one of Erik Erikson stages presents us with a different challenge we face at different times of our lives. (Boyd, Johnson, Bee, 2011) I use the word “challenge” with regards to the fact that every stage is presented with a term versus another.…

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays