My Great-Amhood: Influence An Individual's Development Into Childhood

Critical Thinking Paper #1 Despite the longstanding “nature vs nurture” debate, childhood experiences can greatly influence an individual’s development into adulthood. In psychology, the social perspective aims to understand how a person’s environment and social interactions might put them at a higher disposition for acquiring a disorder. This is done by analyzing various social factors in peoples’ lives, such as childhood trauma, low socioeconomic status, and issues with parenting styles, and studying how they correspond with increased risks of mental illness. Often time individuals exposed to these types of situations have no control over them and, depending on how they learn to cope, this could result in maladaptive social behaviors in

My great-uncle was born in a strictly Amish family of sixteen children and his parents were not very loving or affectionate towards their children. Some of his siblings have admitted to physical and sexual abuse, and there are rumors in his community that Satanic rituals were practiced in the household. Furthermore, he grew up in a family that was poor, isolated, and it was expected that he and his siblings work to provide for everything they had. Although my great-uncle has never talked extensively about his past with my family, I believe that he suffered abuse and possibly worse horrors as a

The personality disorder seems to stem from his need to be in control, which he does by controlling who and when he talks to and how others perceive him in public (which is nothing like how he acts at home). In addition, he has never seemed to care that he hurts my great-aunt’s feelings or isolates his family, including his children and grandchildren. I think this lack of basic human empathy is terrifying and, honestly, very indicative that he has some type of mental