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Psychology importance education
Psychology importance education
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I am currently a Human Development major with a concentration in School and Society. During my freshman year at Merrimack College, I explored the Human Development major and took a few classes to figure out what career pathway I wanted to take. Human Development caught my eye immediately because I have always enjoyed helping and giving back to others. After taking several Human Development courses regarding Education and Psychology, I have decided to become a Guidance Counselor in a high school setting. The Human Development major accommodates people who are interested in Education and Psychology and wish to gain a better understanding of the continuum of development. Human Development and Psychology go hand in hand because one must understand …show more content…
One of these topics includes understanding the different stages of life and the psychological development of people of all ages. In Psychology class we learned about numerous Psychologists who had theories related to this important concept. One of the psychologist’s was named Erik Erikson. Erikson believed that there are eight stages of development across the lifespan and during each stage, there is a specific psychosocial crisis that most people face. Since I am planning on working with high school students, it will be essential that I fully understand the stage of development that they are in. Since high school students are in their adolescence, the central issue they would be dealing with would be identity versus role confusion. As Erikson explained, during this time “Teenagers work at refining a sense of self by testing roles and then integrating them to form a single identity, or they become confused about who they are” (Myers 209). Adolescence is a critical time in development because people are trying to figure out their identity and where they fit in society. Studies have shown that adolescents who have positive relations with others in their peer group tend to have a better sense of their well-being and have a more positive outlook on life. On the other hand, some adolescents have a hard time fitting in and becoming part of a peer group. This causes much stress on the individual and can cause the adolescent to isolate themselves from
The psychosocial stage represented by adolescence, as we can see from Erikson’s model, is the resolution of the conflicts raised by the profusion of role changes in adolescent life. Healthy resolution of these conflicts would mean that the person would be able to adjust to the changing role demands of the period of adolescence while still retaining a strong sense of their own lasting personal identity. If the increasing role demands of adolescence placed too great a stress on the individual, then identity diffusion would result. This means that the individual would become confused about who they were, in view of all the different roles which they seem to be acting
The idea that adolescence is a time of “role experimentation” and a “stage of identity formation” (Erikson, 1956) has existed for decades, dating back to Erikson’s definition of the life stage: Identity vs. Role Confusion. In this stage, as the adolescent begins to be conscious of how their identity is perceived by others, a heightened level of identity awareness develops.
Is adolescence really about fitting in or not standing out? Do you have any responsibility to those students who do not fit in? Do you hear that? Hush, and listen closely. Do you hear it now? The cries for help of the kids who don’t fit in with the crowd. The cries aren’t always loud. Sometimes they don’t make a sound. Stop and listen to them. Take responsibility for those kids and stand up for those kids who won’t stand up for themselves.
He named this stage of development, identity vs. role confusion. At this age children explore their individuality and independence. They develop a sense of who they are and where they belong. Those adolescents who are given proper encouragement and reinforcements at this stage of development, will develop a sturdy sense of identity and also a feeling of individuality. Those adolescents who continue to be uncertain of themselves and their wishes will feel unconfident and uncertain about themselves and their future. Adolescents who complete this stage successfully will lead to a strong dependability, which Erikson defined as being capable to live by the world standards and
This period is marked by physical, social, moral and emotional development (Davies, Hartdegen, Haxell, Le Geyt & Mercier, 2012). It is a time when the adolescent’s sense of self or identity is becoming much more clear and they are beginning to understand their role in society, starting to question the morals of others and contemplating their own moral and ethical beliefs (Davies et al., 2012). During this time Erik Erikson believed that adolescents are faced with the psychosocial stage of identity versus role confusion (Berk, 2008). Adolescents explore their values and role in society, overcoming this conflict to better understand their own identity, however if they do not fully overcome this conflict, Erikson believed that the adolescent would be confused about their values and future adult roles (Berk, 2008). This conflict was clearly demonstrated in my own development during the late teenage years when I experienced both the results of failing to overcome and then overcoming Erikson’s fifth psychosocial stage. At age eighteen I finished secondary school and began my tertiary studies, I had been accepted into the degree I had wanted to study since middle childhood, however I quickly learnt that I was enjoying neither my studies nor my experience of life in halls of residence. I discontinued my studies after only
Lynda remembered her adolescent years as a time of many changes, “high school was a roller coaster, and I think it is for every teenager. I had so many different clothing and hair styles; even friends moved on frequently, you realize you’re not into the same things.” Peer relationships plays a very important role in this stage of development as the adolescent tries to answer the question “Who am I?” The adolescent is making a search for identity, they are experimenting and they begin to realize things about themselves that help them form an idea of who they are and what they want in life. According to Erikson, healthy resolution of the earlier conflicts now serves as a foundation in the teenager’s search for an identity. A strong sense of self-control and feeling of independence is the result of a positive resolution of this stage. Unsuccessful resolution of this life stage will lead to what Erikson called role confusion; these individuals will lack a feeling of self, they may drift from job to job and jump from one relationship to another, not knowing what they really want in
During this time, people will find themselves facing the task of self-discovery. Everything from what they believe in, what they want in life, to discovering who they are as a person (Santrock 2014). Technically, I am still in this stage. I remember facing many questions like where I wanted to go to school, what I wanted to study, and even questions on what kind of lifestyle I wanted to live. During the times these questions were usually asked, I was extremely insecure. I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere and that I wasn’t pretty enough. As I progressed through this stage I started to see what really made me happy and where I wanted to fit in with society. An increase of independence can lead to better interactions with schools, neighborhoods, and communities (Sokol 2009). I started to get involved with student senate, Dance Company, and community service during the earlier years of adolescents. I didn’t start out doing these things but I had to adapt and change to participating in things that didn’t make me feel uncomfortable. I have had more than one identity crisis; I went from being a total stoner, to partying/drinking every day, joining the Mormon religion, practicing Buddhism, and then to wanting to live in a van for the rest of my life. As I reach the end of this developmental stage, I have a sense of self. I have learned to respect others regardless of differing factors like religion. In Erikson’s theory of Psych-Social development, I successfully made it through this developmental period and gained the skills necessary to
He implemented eight psychosocial stages which includes trust versus mistrust. One example of the specified inclusions are infants. In order to come to a resolution for these feelings of insecurity, infants look towards their care givers for care and stability to fulfill their desired needs. With autonomy versus shame stage, children begin to assert their independence, utilizing their skills otherwise they will end up doubting their abilities. Initiative versus guilt is another stage where pre-scholars develop initiative by devising and carrying out bold plans. These people plan activities, developing a sense of initiative with others therefore feeling secure in their ability to lead and make decisions. The identity versus role confusion stage is noted as Erikson’s most popular. He characterized adolescence as a crucial and critical time of identity development. To achieve a sense of identity some adolescents attempt to define and explore who they are regarding their career choice, religion, political views, sexual orientation etc., figuring out a way to fit into society. According to Erikson, “the adolescent mind is essentially a mind or moratorium, a psychosocial stage between the morality learned by the child, and the ethics to be developed by the adult” (Erikson, 1963, p.245. As they go through the different sexual and
The Human Development’s concepts, theories and so on give me a better understanding to explain why people act in different kind of situation that they have. Make me more appreciate the value of taking Human Development class.
The main issue that children face during this stage is self-identification. Adolescents are making the transition to adulthood and trying to figure out exactly who they are. Children during this time, often experience an identity crisis as they explore many different beliefs and value systems in the search for self-identity (Woolfolk, 2013, p.102). Societal forces, such as race, sex and class, also play an important role in self-identification, especially in regards to African American youth. Erikson believed that the search for identity encompassed not only how an individual viewed him or herself but also how they were viewed by society (Brittian 2012). African Americans, between the ages of 12 and 18, grapple with the same issues all adolescents experience, such as physical changes and the desire for autonomy. However, African American adolescents also deal with racial prejudice and the role that it plays in shaping their self-perception. According to Brittian (2012), the way that African Americans handle issues of race, rather problematic or constructive, has a major impact on the formation of their self-identity. Identity is the focal point of the adolescence stage and when children can’t decide who they are or their place in society, they become hampered by an identity
For nearly fifty years Erikson 's psychosocial theory has provided an essential framework in understanding the role of adolescence in life-course development, especially the crises of identity and intimacy and their achievement. During adolescence, we are confronted with “the need to resolve the crises of identity versus identity diffusion and intimacy versus isolation” (Meacham & Santilli). Because it is a volatile stage of development, many changes are taking place during this part of the lifecycle, including deciding who to be with, who we are and what our roles are in society.
During this semester in the course human development and learning, the class has been learning about a range of ways that children develop and learn. This also develops the understanding of the human growth process in terms of different learning styles and what teaching strategies can be used. Learning about a child’s learning in primary school is vital in being able to successfully develop a range of strategies to benefit both student and teachers learning. Communication strategies to support learning, strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in learning, and organisation of the classroom and providing directions to learners managing challenging behaviour are all significantly important to uphold in
In textbook (Berk, 2017), Erickson describes the psychosocial development of adolescence as a time when the individual establishes a new sense of identity or self, which leads to independence or individuation from parents and reliance on peers. The adolescent examines and redefines self, family, peer group, and community, and an adolescent who is unable to establish meaningful definitions experiences confusion in one or more life roles. Parental separation and individuation are critical developmental tasks faced by late adolescents, which can impact their academic, social, and emotional adjustment to college.
Adolescence the most important life course in the adolescent’s human development, during this stage many juveniles experience different emotions, transitions and cognitive dissonance. Juveniles experience many changes thought this age especially many physical changes in which their might experience confusions. One important theory concern is Erik Erikson theory of human psychosocial development. This theory states that human development must meet eight stages in order to transition into the next stage. According to Cvanaugh, and Kail (2014) argued that “adolescents face a crisis between identity and role confusion.” (p.240). In addition, adolescent’s experience many biological, physiological and cognitive changes that affect thee adolescent’s
As I read my project A and glide over the notes I have taken in class throughout the semester, I have grasped a better understanding of human nature compared to where I have started in the beginning of the semester. I was startled with confusion in the beginning, but now I am understanding the fundamental importance of human nature and its relation to the development of children. Although I am on the path to a deeper understanding and even though some perspectives may be cloudy and confusing, it is truly rewarding to accumulate such knowledge about human nature. The observations I have made throughout the semester has influenced me as a person and in my last college semester. There is pivotal information about human nature that has jumped out