A Glimpse of Developmental Psychology

Isn’t it interesting to learn about a branch of psychology that deals with the growth of an individual throughout his lifespan- not just physical growth but mental, social and cognitive too? That’s exactly what is meant by developmental psychology (also known as life-span psychology). There are a number of stages through which an individual passes on in his life. Each stage consists of unique characteristics and experiences which help in shaping an individual. Many prominent psychologists have given their notable contribution in this field of psychology.

The Three Heroes

We all have been hearing about the term ‘ego’ from childhood- mostly in a negative manner. “This guy has a lot of ego” or “I really like the way you have shaped your ego”. Both these contrasting statements have only one word common- ego. Along with viewing the background of ‘ego’, let’s dive deep into the world of ‘id’ and ‘superego’ as well.

• Id: It focuses on the ‘pleasure principle’, which states that the needs should be met under any circumstance as it’s the priority. This form of thinking can also be called selfish thinking. The best example of this is a newborn- he doesn’t care about the circumstance or situation; his basic needs of sucking and feeding should be met. It basically operates from the unconscious part of mind.
• Ego: It focuses on the ‘reality principle’. It is more mature compared to id and it knows its limitations well. The ego engages in secondary process thinking, which orients towards problem solving.
• Superego: It focuses on the ‘moral principle’. It is more concerned about the morals and values of society. It generally starts at the age of 5 years. As it is a mature one, it generally tries to suppress the childish impulses of id.

Theories of development

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory of Development: Erik Erikson was a prominent psychologist who made a notable contribution in the field of developmental psychology. He gave the famous theory of 8 stages of psychosocial development. They are as follows:

1. Trust vs. Mistrust
2. Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt
3. Initiative vs. Guilt
4. Industry vs. Inferiority
5. Identity vs. Role Confusion
6. Intimacy vs. Isolation
7. Generativity vs. Stagnation
8. Integrity vs. Despair

Piaget’s Cognitive Developmental Theory: Jean Piaget was the founder of this theory which stated that how a particular set of thought processes influence how one interacts with the world around him. He proposed 4 stages of a child’s development. They are as follows:

1. Sensorimotor stage
2. Pre-operational stage
3. Concrete operational stage
4. Formal operational stage

Freud’s Life stages of Psychological development: Sigmund Freud clarified 7 stages of psychological development. Lets’s have a look at them.

1. Prenatal stage
2. Early childhood
3. Middle childhood
4. Adolescence
5. Early adulthood
6. Middle adulthood
7. Older adults

Parenting styles

1. Authoritative parenting style: This type of parenting consists of more discipline and control and less love and warmth. They are very strict in nature and always put pressure on their child to be at the top.
2. Permissive parenting style: This type of parenting involves extreme leniency. The parents are not bothered about their child’s mistakes and leave him to himself. This can result in carefree nature in child as he is pampered a lot. This may lead to a lot of negative consequences.
3. Authoritarian parenting style: This form of parenting is the perfect blend of authoritative and permissive parenting styles. The parents are balanced in nature- not too strict and not too lenient. Children raised in this environment grow up to be successful and responsible adults.
4. Rejecting/ Neglectful parenting: This type of parenting is the worst as the parents don’t play an active role in their child’s lives. They are least bothered and are engaged in their own work only. These children feel alone and a lack of confidence is also seen in them.

Conclusion

A lot of research has been done in this field of psychology as it was the favorite at that time. Each and every area of development from children to older adults has been thoroughly researched and discussed by the renowned psychologists. It consists of many categories in it and it gives us a deeper insight into the different stages of our life. Each stage is important and problem in one might have a negative impact on the others too. All in all this branch of psychology is very fascinating!

References

McLeod, S. A. (2019, September 25). Id, ego and superego. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/psyche.html