Erikson and Humanistic Theories of Individual Development (Essay Sample)

Erikson and Humanistic Theories of Individual Development
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Erikson’s theory of individual development specifies the psychological, physical, and emotional landmarks and the way they connect to particular development tasks within each stage. The personality behaviors manifested by people are inborn temperament behaviors while an individual acquires others as she or he develops with respect to the challenges and support received in the process of their development. According to Erikson, the stages are the same globally, and the ages at which an individual is said to have undergone are equally universal. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that Erikson never had a large pool of knowledge about societies and cultures except his own and therefore the universality of his philosophy are questionable.
The major argument in Erikson’s theory is that a person experiences a conflict at every stage that may or may not be effectively resolved in that stage. Further, he attested that although there is a prime issue at every stage, the stages are not watertight. Concerns of a single stage overlap with concerns of another and the way an individual has handled earlier concerns determines how an individual will resolve later issues. More importantly, there is a link between current patterns of feelings and thinking and past resolved or unresolved developmental issues. However, he also asserted that developmental obstacles at a given stage could be fixed at any point.
The first stage of individual development according to Erikson is the trust versus mistrust that spans from birth to one year. During this stage, when children are steadily offered all their basic needs including warmth, clean diapers, warmth, loving affection, as well as, soothing from care providers, they will learn to trust others within the surrounding to love, as well as, care for them. These children will also believe that the universe is good. However, when care providers neglect children and fail to provide them with their basic needs steadily or when providers offer rough care, children will learn to mistrust their care providers and believe that people will not often support them when their needs arise. The next stage is the autonomy vs. shame and doubt that spans from one to three years. According to Erikson, when infants are independent, they feel self-assured that they can initiate their decisions and choices and that those decisions and choices will be positive experiences. Accordingly, Angi (2009) claimed that children become independent if care providers are supportive and provide the children with the conducive environment to make their decisions and to test with their bodies, as well as, problem-solving skills without ridiculing or shaming the child. Nevertheless, when infants feel doubt and shame, they believe that cannot make valid choices and not capable of doing daily tasks. This, therefore, will begin inhibiting a positive self-esteem since these infants start perceiving themselves as stupid (Meacham & Santilli, 2009).
The third stage of Erikson theory of individual development is the initiative versus guilt that spans from 3-6 years. According to Erikson, when infants develop initiative, they carry on developing their self-concept and acquire a desire to attempt new things and learn new things while being accountable for their actions to a certain extent. Erikson further opined that if care providers carryon with offering children with a secure environment to experiment and correct stimuli to learn, the infants will continue to seek their purpose. Nevertheless, if the care providers attempt to establish several strict boundaries around what infants can do and to enact several responsibilities on infants, these infants will feel high level of guilt for their incapability to finish tasks perfectly.
Inferiority versus Industry is the next stage of Erikson's theory of individual development. In this stage, Erikson claimed that school age infants are capable of carrying out several tasks that contribute to a feeling of industry. When children cannot perform responsibilities and have unsettled issues from previous stages, then the feelings of inferiority may emerge (Munley, 2011). In the industry versus role confusion stage that spans from the age of 12-18, adolescents attempt to discover their responsibility in this universe and attempt to make a decision regarding several various moral issues. In this stage according to Erikson, adolescents must learn to perceive themselves independent from their guardians or parents. To Erikson, when these objectives are not achieved, then role the results are the role confusion (Munley, 2009).
The sixth stage of the Erikson’s theory of individual development is the intimacy versus solidarity. As opined by Snarey (2112) isolation takes between 18-35 years. During this stage, the young adults make the effort of forming connections with others, as well as, marriage. Usually, families are started during this stage of life. When adults are incapable of developing positive relationships, then the results may be isolation or solidarity (Angi, 2009). Another pivotal stage of individual development according to Erikson is the generatively versus stagnation of self-absorption that spans from 35-65 years. In this stage, adults are in full control of their lives and work. In fact, they attempt to transmit their legacy to their infants, as well as, individuals around them that is generatively. Nevertheless, when they cannot finish these roles, they become increasingly stagnant in their growth (Meacham & Santilli, 20009).
Integrity versus despair is the last stage of individuals’ development that spans from 65 until death. Erikson opined that in this stage, an adult examines her or his life and determines the achievements made. When that individual feels that achievements realized were due to something, he or she did then a sense of integrity fosters while if he or she feels that there is no achievements made so far, and then the result is the feelings of despair.
Relevance of Erik Erikson’s Theory of Individual Development to Care Setting
As claimed by (Ford, 2009), it is prudent for the care providers to understand the Erik Erikson’s theory to respond and provide the needs for their patients. For instance, an old man having regular bad mood may be suffering from despair and the care worker could better assist him. In addition, care workers can collect information regarding patients through using Erikson's theory of individual development and offer patient-centered care. Furthermore, care workers (nurses) are endowed with the responsibility of assisting tackle lack of functioning matters and becoming conversant with this theory would enable them do so (Meacham , Santilli , 2009). Nurses being conversant with this theory can assist in reviewing patient's symptomatic behavior in the scene of traumatic earlier experiences, as well as, struggles with present developmental tasks (Goodyear, 2008). In fact, caregivers can assist in identifying inpatient's faulty behavior according to previous stages and experiences and assist them look for psychological assistance including a counselor. Caregivers can assist patients with difficulty in development stages through offering care directed to a suitable stage.
Humanistic Theory of individual development
Humanistic theory is a psychological viewpoint propagated by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers that accentuates the human capability for growth and choice. The prime assumption for this theory is that humans possess free will and are not just destined to behave in particular ways or are zombies blindly responding to their setting. This theory points out that the psychology or subject matter is the human subjective endurance of the universe that implies how the people experience things and the reason they experience such things. This theory examines human behavior through the eyes of the observers, as well as, through the eyes of the individual exhibiting the personality. This theory states that the behavior of an individual is linked to her or his self-image and feelings.
As opposed to the behaviorists, humanistic theory states that individuals are not exclusively the product of their surroundings. Rather, the theory examines the human meanings, understandings, as well as, the experiences involved in teaching, growing and learning (Munley, 2008). This theory stresses on characteristics, which are common by everyone including grief, love, and self-worth and caring. According to (Rogers, 2008), humanistic theory is rooted upon the notion that everybody has the capability to contribute to the community and be likable and good individual when their demands are met. Carl Rodgers and Abraham Maslow propelled the humanistic theory movement but it Maslow who established the pyramid of demands.
According to Maslow, satisfying the needs in an appropriate manner would enable peop...