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  • Essay / Theories of Human Development

    In the history of psychology, there have been many different areas of interest. Human development, in particular, has been one of the interesting areas of study for many psychologists. Freud, Erikson, and Piaget are all great theorists with similar, but different, ideas about human development. Their theories of human development had humans passing through different stages of aging. Although all three theorists have common relationships in that they developed their ideas and theoretical stages for human development throughout the lifespan, each theory represents its own uniqueness as to what these stages were, on what they focus on and where they also relate to human development. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayFreud is known as the father of psychology. According to Freud, he believed that human development was fueled by inner forces (Essay UK, 2014). He believed that our sexual being was the most powerful of all inner forces throughout human development. That being said, Freud related everything to sex. So, nowadays Freud's theory of human development is called the psychosexual stages of development. According to Berger, the author of The Developing Person Through the Life Span, Freud believed that “human beings pass through different stages of life depending on which part of their body provides them with sexual gratification (Berger, 2014). » Erikson developed his theory inspired by Freud. Not only did Erickson focus on child development, but he also added milestones for the adult years. He focused on identity rather than sexuality, unlike Freud. Later, Erikson's theory became known as the psychosocial stages of development. It is also known for its eight stages of life; trust versus distrust, autonomy versus shame and doubt, initiative versus guilt, industry versus inferiority, identity versus identity confusion, intimacy versus isolation, generativity versus stagnation, and integrity versus despair (Berger, 2014). Keep in mind: this is just a sample. .Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.Get a custom essayPiaget also believed in developmental theory like Freud and Erikson. Its stages are recognized as the cognitive stages. These steps are based on what the child can do. That said, Piaget's theory focuses on child learning and development. According to Piaget, a child goes through four stages while growing up. Although Piaget and Freud were both interested in the child's abilities and senses, Piaget did not connect the stages with sexual desires, as Freud did. Piaget believes in four stages of development known as the sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operational stage, and formal operational stage (Berger, 2014). These three theories of human development each have their own good points and their own frauds. In other words, each of these theories has some value because they are not completely wrong, but they are also known to be subject to criticism because the theory is not a science and therefore cannot be applied in certain cases. To conclude, although each theory of Freud, Erickson and Piaget is similar in its timing and sequence of life events, they differ in their own goals. Freud focuses on sex, Erikson focuses on social ability, and Piaget focuses on cognition and the senses of.