PSYCHOLOGICAL or the root, " PSYCHO "- mind , brain, personality, etc. SOCIA L- external relationships and environment PSYCHOSOCIAL - Relating to the interrelation of social factors and individual thought and behaviour.
PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORIES 1) Focus on the nature of self- understanding, social relationships, and the mental processes that support connections between the person and his/her social world. 2) Address patterned changes in ego development, including self- understanding, identity formation, social relationships, and worldview across the life span. 3) Development is a product of the on-going interactions between individuals and their social environments
ERIK ERIKSON The Psychoanalyst who developed the Theory of Psychosocial Development . “Healthy children will not fear life if their elders have integrity enough not to fear death". He believed in the impact of the significant others in the development of one's view of himself, life and of the world.
Erikson's Theory is useful for teaching, parenting, self- awareness, managing and coaching, dealing with conflict and generally for understanding self and others. If a stage is managed well, we carry a certain virtue or psychosocial strength. If we don't do well, we may develop maladaptation and malignancy.
MALIGNANCY - Involves of two little of positive and too much of negative aspects. MALADAPTATION - Involves too much of the positive and too little of negative.
Stages of Psychosocial Development BIRTH TO 1 YR "Trust vs. Mistrust" HOPE : Trust in primary caregiver and in one's own ability to make things happen. 1- 3 YEARS OLD "Shame and Doubt" WILL : New physical skills lead to demand for more choices, most often seen as saying " no" to caregivers; child learns self-care skills such as toileting. 3-6 YEARS OLD "Initiative vs. Guilt" PURPOSE : Ability to organize activities around some goals; more assertiveness and aggressiveness. 6-12 YEARS OLD "Industry vs. Inferiority" COMPETENCE : Cultural skills and norms, including school skills and tool use.
12-18 YEARS OLD "Identity vs. Role confusion" FIDELITY: Adaptation of sense of self to pubertal changes, consideration of future choices, achievement of a more mature sexual identity, and search for new values. 18- 30 YEARS OLD "Intimacy vs. Isolation" LOVE : Persons develops intimate relationships beyond adolescent love; many become parents. 30 - OLD AGE “ Generativity vs . Stagnation" CARE : People rear children, focus on occupational achievement or creativity, and train the next generation; turn outward from the self towards others. OLD AGE "Integrity vs. Despair" WISDOM : Person conducts a life review, integrates earlier stages and comes to terms with basic identity; develop self- acceptance.
HOW TO APPLY ERIK ERIKSON'S THEORIES IN THE CLASSROOM Erikson developed his stages based on social interactions of the person and as such several of them include peers and teachers in the school setting. For children between the age of three and six, the stage of initiative vs. guilt where children begin to make decisions and start taking independence. Having activities, like reading, do their own work step by step and helping students fixing their own mistakes.
From six to twelve , the child goes through the crisis industry vs. inferiority where they begin to judge themselves and their abilities based on peers and others. To assist on mastering this conflict, a teacher can give opportunity and set goals for student's progress. Having individual jobs in the classroom will give children feelings of competence and help them build confidence in skills. Regularly giving feedback is super important at this stage.
For teenagers in adolescence , like those in high school, the conflict of identity vs. role confusion is prominent and the child focuses on finding where they fit in society and what their personal identity is. The student will be going through different trials of finding an identity so having positive role models is very important. Having older students act as mentors for new students can be very important.
Erikson's Psychosocial Theory is a very powerful way for building self- awareness and for improving oneself, as it helps to understand a person's learning according to his or her personal differences. Hence, it is an integral part of the academics because it helps in teaching and helping others.