Question

Explain how you would use your understanding of one of the major developmental theories to deal with each of the difficulties listed below: a. Your infant daughter puts everything in her mouth, including the dog's food. b. Your eight-year-old son is failing math; all he cares about is baseball. c. Your two-year-old daughter refuses to wear the clothes you pick for her every morning, which makes getting dressed a twenty-minute battle. d. Your sixty-eight-year-old neighbor is chronically depressed and feels she has wasted her life. e. Your 18-year-old daughter has decided not to go to college. Instead she's moving to Colorado to become a ski instructor. f. Your 11 -year-old son is the class bully.

Short answer

Appropriate solutions could be identified through applying different developmental theories to each situation. These instances could be addressed by creating a safe environment for the infant to explore, combining the child's interest in baseball with math, providing limited clothing choices for the toddler, helping the elderly neighbour cherish the past, respecting the teenager's personal decisions, and implementing suitable interventions for the bully.

Step-by-step solution

Analyse Situation A

Using the theory of psychosexual development by Sigmund Freud, the infant's behaviour can be attributed to the oral stage of development, where infants explore their environment by sucking and putting everything into their mouth. This behaviour is normal and indicates a healthy exploration of their surroundings.

Analyse Situation B

Erikson's theory of psychosocial development could be used here. The child is in the industry vs inferiority stage. Parents can engage the child in math activities related to baseball statistics to get his attention and make learning more enjoyable.

Analyse Situation C

This behaviour, based on Karl White's cognitive-developmental theory, might show that the child is in the initiative versus guilt stage. Giving the toddler limited choices could offer a solution to make her feel in control and reduce getting dressed time.

Analyse Situation D

Applying Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, the woman seems to be struggling with the final stage, integrity versus despair. A possible solution could be helping the neighbour recall and recognize the life achievements and share wisdom with younger generations.

Analyse Situation E

Here, the psychosocial theory of identity vs role confusion by Erikson can be applied. The daughter is trying to establish her personal and professional identity. Parents should provide guidance but also respect her decisions.

Analyse Situation F

Using Bandura's social learning theory, the child's behaviour can be linked to a learned response. In this case, parents and school should implement consequences for negative actions and promote pro-social behaviours.

Key concepts

Psychosexual Development

Psychosexual development is a central concept in Sigmund Freud's theory of personality development. According to Freud, children go through a series of stages called the psychosexual stages, each characterized by different pleasures and fixations.
The first stage, known as the oral stage, occurs from birth to approximately 18 months. During this time, infants explore the world by putting everything in their mouths. This behavior is not only normal but also essential for development. It signifies a child's way of connecting and interacting with their environment.

• Oral stage: Focus on oral pleasure and exploration$$
• Occurs from birth to 18 months$$
• Healthy part of development$$

Understanding this stage can help parents recognize that their infant’s action of putting things in their mouth, like dog food, stems from natural curiosity and exploration. It's their way of experiencing the world, developing trust, and learning about their environment.

Psychosocial Development

Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development outlines eight critical stages through which individuals progress from infancy to adulthood. Each stage presents a conflict two opposing forces that need resolution to ensure a healthy development.
For example, the industry vs. inferiority stage between ages 5 and 12 focuses on a child's need to develop a sense of competence and achievement. School and social interactions become central, and feelings of competence arise through accomplishments. Conversely, if children struggle, they may feel inferior.

• Industry vs. inferiority: Focus on skill and ability development$$
• Occurs between ages 5 and 12$$
• Emphasis on achieving and competence$$

Understanding this can aid parents in engaging their academically struggling eight-year-old in meaningful math activities related to his interests, like baseball, to foster a sense of accomplishment and boost self-esteem.

Cognitive-Developmental Theory

Jean Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory provides a framework for understanding how children's thinking evolves through distinct stages as they age. Piaget believed knowledge is constructed through interaction with the environment and that cognitive development is a progressive reorganization of mental processes.
One notable stage is the preoperational stage, which occurs between ages 2 and 7. Here, children develop memory and imagination yet struggle with logic and seeing things from others' perspectives. The initiative vs. guilt stage in Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory aligns with this, confirming a child’s growing efforts to assert power and control by making decisions.

• Preoperational stage: Memory, imagination, and egocentrism$$
• Occurs between ages 2 and 7$$
• Initiative vs. guilt: Encouragement of independence$$

Parents facing issues with a toddler who refuses to wear chosen clothes can address this by offering limited outfit options. This empowers the child, reducing conflict while promoting healthy autonomy and decision-making skills.

Social Learning Theory

Albert Bandura’s social learning theory posits that people learn behaviors, norms, and values through observation, imitation, and modeling. Learning can occur directly through experience or indirectly by observing others.
This theory emphasizes the importance of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. For instance, children learn social behaviors by witnessing others receive rewards or punishments, thus learning expected standards of behavior.

• Learning through observation and imitation$$
• Influence of the environment on behavior$$
• Role of rewards and consequences$$

In the context of dealing with a bully, like an 11-year-old son displaying aggressive behavior, social learning theory suggests engaging him in positive role models, reinforcing pro-social behavior, and showing the consequences of bullying. This can encourage empathy and engagement in more constructive interactions.