Blog 1- Infancy

This blog will look at the differences in two different theories. The two theories the learner will learn about is Erik Erikson theory of infancy and  Piaget’s theories of cognitive development .

Erik Eriksons theory of infancy says " infancy is the stage of trust vs. mistrust" (Ashford, J.B., Lecroy, C.W., 2013). Infants have to depend on their caregivers solely on their survival and needs. This will give the infants a sense of security. "Infnats whose needs are met consistently in a warm and nurturing manner learn that the world is a safe place and that people are dependable" (Ashford, J.B., Lecroy, C.W., 2013). Infants who get this care learns to trust and gives the infants positive emotional bonds. "Babies who are neglected, rejected, and inconsistently cared for learn to be suspicious and fearful of the world around them" (Ashford, J.B., Lecroy, C.W., 2013). When infnats go thru that, develop mistrust. this can "prevent or delay cognitive development and hinder movement into other stages" (Ashford, J.B., Lecroy, C.W., 2013).

Piagets theory says the stage of infants for the age 0-2 years is called sensorimotor stage. He says this stage infants learn by trial and error. His theory is divided into six different stages, Reflex activity, Primary circular reactions, Secondary circular reactions, Coordination of secondary schemes, Tertiary circular reactions and beginning of representational thought. "During this stage, the infant goes from having mostly random reflex actions to displaying goal-directed behavior" (Ashford, J.B., Lecroy, C.W., 2013). "Goal-directed behavior, then, means putting together a series of actions to achieve a desired result"   (Ashford, J.B., Lecroy, C.W., 2013).

Social workers can use both theories when assesing infants, both have very different looks at the infant stage and how they learn.


References:
Ashford, J.B., LeCroy, C.W., (2013) Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Multidimensional Perspective, 5th ed.

Theoretical Blog 1 - Infancy

          In the following paragraphs the learner will take a look at the theories of Psychodynamic and Psychosocial Development in reference to Developmental Themes in Chapter 6 “Infancy”. The learner will consider who developed the theories, what the theories attempt to provide and the facts concerning the individual theories. Lastly, the learner will then provide some personal perception on how the theories might be used.

            Psychodynamic Theory was developed by Freud and it attempts to explain personalities in terms of consciousness and unconscious forces. This theory looks at how inner energies and external forces interact to impact emotional development.  This theory can be recognized in the part of this chapter that states “…babies are highly sensitive creatures whose experiences in early infancy affect personality and other characteristics for the rest of life” (Ashford & LeCroy, 2013, p. 245). The theory of Psychosocial Development was developed by Erikson and it is used to explain how internal and external forces shape life development by stages. This theory can be seen in the statement “Infants must receive appropriate and consistent care in order to develop a sense of security.” (Ashford & LeCroy, 2013, p. 245).

In comparing the two theories it would seem to this learner that both believe that there are internal and external forces working together to shape human development overall.  In contrast the two theories are saying that while psychosocial theory believe that these forces work throughout the lifetime of the individual, the psychodynamic theory believes that the development process is confined to the early development years. (Ashford & LeCroy, 2013, p. 98).

While both theories play an important role in social work services today, it is important to be able to use the correct theory at the proper time when needed.  Personally, the learner believes that using a combination of both theories to help in assessing a client would be beneficial. The learner believe that everyone experiences things differently and considering what happens throughout the client’s life is important and what happened during the early years may be the best place to begin therapy.

Reference

Ashford, J. B. & LeCroy, C. W. (2013). Human behavior in the social environment: A multidimensional perspective, (5^th ed.).

Infant Attachment

John Bowlby’s (1958) attachment theory has a biological, evolutionary basis (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). During this stage a baby forms a close relationship with a caregiver to ensure its survival (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). In relation to evolution, an infant looks to the caregiver for protection such as a young animal looks for protection from a predator.  According to Bowlby’s theory, infants and parents may be biologically programmed to form an attachment (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). There are four phases in Bowlby’s attachment theory. Each phase describes the behavior of the infant from birth to their second year of life. ​

Infants also thrive well when there is a “good enough” attachment with the mother. It has been proven that pre-term infants often times have issues with attachment. “Pre-term infants can be less engaged with their mothers and receive less enjoyment in mother-involved play activities” (Field, 1983). Spending a great deal of time in the neonatal intensive care unit may be a contributing factor to an attachment as well. A child’s attachment with their parents and caregivers has a long lasting effect. It has been proven that children with healthy attachments have higher result in better self-knowledge and school performance. “According to Mary Ainsworth and her colleagues (1978), the infant uses the primary caregiver as a secure base, leaving him or her to explore the environment and then returning for comfort and security” (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). Ainsworth has identified three levels attachment which include: secure attachment, anxious attachment and avoidant attachment. Within the identification of the levels, Ainsworth states that attachment refers to the affectional bonds that infants form with their caregivers and that endure across time and situations. Both theories explain the importance of healthy attachments in infants. In order for an infant to thrive they must have developed these bonds early on in their stages of development.

Ashford, J. B., Lecroy, C. W. (2013) Human Behavior in the Social Environment. Belmont, CA: Cengage

Seifer, R., & Schiller, M. (1995). The Role of Parenting Sensitivity, Infant Temperament, and Dyadic Interaction in Attachment Theory and Assessment. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, (2/3). 146

By nature babies yearn to loved and nurtured.  Through recent founding parenthood was misrepresented by this.  A crying baby was seen as spoiled and needed to be taught better.  This idea was very far from the truth.  Crying is one of the sole ways in which babies communicate.  This myth that earlier parents had led to a generation of people that are unable to communicate effectively.  Babies were also thought of as an empty shell.  But, this is not the case at all.  Babies have real feelings and diverse personalities.  The primal interaction amongst the infant will be the driving force that dictates their place in life.  Characteristics are developed from the womb.  Babies mimic and behave by the design of their caregivers (Ashford & Lecroy, 2012).

            Environments that are positive and non-aggressive help the child to exhibit socially acceptable behavior in the present and the future.  Creating an atmosphere of love helps the infant to adapt love into their own existence.  On the other hand, examples of aggressive and volatile behavior will be reproduced, as well.  The infant will define their behavior by the behavior of those that are caring for them.  Through the social learning theory behavior is modeled for the infant.  The infant then replicates the interactions that were interpreted.  Family structure plays the vital role in determining the destination of the growing infant; mentally, physically, and spiritually.  Education of healthy avenues that the caregivers can take is advised.  Although, small in the learning stage, infants are out future (Chavis, 2012).  Word Count 253

 

Chavis, A. M. (2012). Social Learning Theory and Behavioral Therapy: Considering Human

Behaviors within the Social and Cultural Context of Individuals and Families. Journal Of Human Behavior In The Social Environment, 22(1), 54-64. doi:10.1080/10911359.2011.598828.

 

Ashford, J.B., Leroy, C.W., & Asford, C. J.D.  (2012).  Brooks/Cole Empowerment Series:  Human

Behavior in the Social Environment.  Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.

                                                                                                                        

Theories of Attitudes and Emotions

          Blog 1

Theoretical Blog Attitudes and Emotions 

Attitude is defined as “a learned evaluative response directed at specific objects which is relatively enduring, influences and motivates behavior” (Lippa, 1994,p.214). As children make transition from Infancy to middle childhood, attitudes and emotions have a tremendous impact on their development and social interaction.  Based on Erikson’s theory, this period is characterized as “industry versus inferiority”. Attitudes and emotions are central to children in early childhood, as they are still learning about how their emotions impact others and the importance of emotional regulation” (Ashford & Lecroy,2013). Worth mentioning is the idea that successful adaptation as well as greater interactions with peers is a major developmental task for this age.  There are three important components involved with understanding emotions and attitudes. These include; experiencing emotions, expressing emotions and understanding emotions (Ashford and Lecroy, 2013, p.380-381). An essential aspect of understanding emotional competence is to be able to recognize that one is experiencing an emotion. Emotionally competent children are able to express their emotions in a manner that is socially appropriate.

 On the other hand, emotions are a mental reaction, subjectively experienced as strong feelings usually directed towards a specific object. Also emotion is typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body (Ashford et al, 2010). Major theories of emotion can be classified under three main categories; physiological, neurological and cognitive (Ashford et al, 2010). Parents and care givers are obliged to understand the basics of these principles in order to help children control their emotions. A very significant research in children and emotions established a process called “Emotion Coaching” a process whereby care givers of children help children to identify emotions as well as how to react towards the emotion identified.

The theory of attitude and emotions differ in many ways. Attitudes are directed at a specific target or object, but emotions are not. Attitudes tend to be enduring but emotions come and go in a matter of seconds. It is very essential that at an early stage children should be able to recognize and differentiate these feelings. Also, successful adaptation as well as greater interactions with peers a major developmental task for this age will also go a long way to emotionally competent children.

Reference
Ashford, J.B., Lecroy, C. W. (2013).  Human Behavior in the Social Environment, A Multidimensional Perspective, 5th ed.  Cengage Learning.

Theoretical Blog 1

Theoretical Blog1

In contrast to Piaget Theory and Erik Erikson’s Theory was based on the belief that personality develops in a series of stages.  Erikson’s Theory described how social environment played a key role in children’s development or lack thereof.  According to Erikson, ego identity is the conscious sense of self developed from social interaction.  As we enter each stage there is a new challenge that either helps or hinders development.  The first stage, Trust v Mistrust, occurs from birth to one year of age.  If a child successfully develops trust with parent or caregiver then he/she will feel a sense of comfort and security in their world.  On the other end of the spectrum, if a child has an inconsistency from parent or caregiver, the child will feel they cannot trust adults.  In the second stage, Autonomy v Shame and Doubt, which occurs in early adolescence a child, develops a great sense of independence.  A child in this stage begins exploring their independence and if parents allow children to exercise their decision making then a sense of autonomy is established.  Stage 3 is the Initiative v Guilt which occurs in preschool years.  Children who excel in this stage feel capable to lead others.  Those who fail in this stage lack initiative and have self doubt.  Stage 4 is Industry v Inferiority occurs from ages 5 to 11.  Through social interactions children will develop sense of pride and are highly confident.  Those who do not excel in this stage feel a sense of discouragement and little belief in their skills and abilities.  Stage 5 is Identity v Confusion is during adolescence.  Completing this stage successfully will lead to fidelity and the ability to live up to society’s expectations.  In Stage 6, Intimacy v Isolation, which occurs in adulthood during exploration of personal relationships.  Those lacking in this stage often experience emotional isolation and failed relationships.  Stage 7 Generativity v Stagnation occurs during adulthood where continuing to focus on career and family.  Those failing in this stage will be unproductive and feel unaccomplished in careers and family.  Stage 8 Integrity v Despair occurs during old age is a complete reflection back on life itself.  Successfully completing this phase means as one looks back on life there are few regrets and a feeling of satisfaction (Cherry, K. A. (2005).

According to (Ashford, Lecroy, 2013, p.309) Piaget’s preoperational stage has laid out an important foundation for understanding what children know (Piaget, 1967).  Piaget labeled early childhood years ages 2 to about 7, the “preoperational stage” of cognitive development.  Piaget says children in the preoperational stage cannot perform certain mental tasks like older children.  During the preschool years, mental reasoning, stable concepts, egocentrism, and magical beliefs emerge in children thoughts as they transition from a simple use of symbols to more complicated use.  Piaget talks about two sub-stages of preoperational thoughts which are symbolic function and intuitive thoughts.  Children between the ages of 2 to 4 show characteristics of the symbolic function sub-stage because they represent object mentality that are not present in their immediate environment (Ashford, Lecroy, 2013, p. 309).  As stated in (Marti, 203), at this stage children can draw scribbles that represent an object or person and play pretend games along with other children,  they also have imaginary friend that does not exist.  In the symbolic function stage children play “house” or “school”.  They engage in recreation roles as the father, mother, student and teacher because they can envision and share complex thoughts and ideas while they play.  Piaget’s theory states egocentrism is another characteristic of symbolic function sub-stage as egocentric children cannot distinguish between their own perspective and another person’s (Ashford, Lecroy, 2013, p. 309).  Piaget’s second sub-stage of the preoperational stage, intuitive thought, develops between the ages of 4 and 7.  Children in this sub-stage employ primordial reasoning, but not formal logic.  At this stage children ask questions like “why” and “how about” everything (Ashford, Lecroy, 2013, p. 309).  Piaget’s additional critiques focus on the applicability of his work to radical and ethnic groups and low income children. 

References:

 Erikson's stages of psychosocial development. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/psychosocialtheories/a/psychosocial.htm of identity). 

 Ashford, J., & LeCroy, C. (2013). Human behavior in the social environment: A multidimensional perspective (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole/Thomson Learning

Reference:

 Ashford, J., & LeCroy, C. (2013). Human behavior in the social environment: A multidimensional perspective (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole/Thomson Learning.

 

Reference:

 Ashford, J., & LeCroy, C. (2013). Human behavior in the social environment: A multidimensional perspective (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole/Thomson Learning.

 

 

 

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Theoretical Blog - Infancy

Infancy and Theories

The infancy stage in babies is more important than most people would think.  Cognitive development, communication, attitudes and emotions, information processing and attachments can all begin during the infancy stage.  These are all vital steps in the growing process.  One theory that within cognitive development and information processing is Jean Piaget's Sensorimotor Stage.  Piaget developed this theory by closely observing his first born child and put cognitive development into different stages depending on how many months old the child was.  His research found that reflex activity takes place from birth to 1 month.  If the child is touched, then the he/she would react to this touch.  Primary circular reactions develops next, taking place between months 1 to 4.  This suggests that if the child finds a certain reaction to feel good, the he/she would keep repeating it.  Secondary circular reactions follow next in infant development, taking place between the ages of 4 to 8 months.  In this, the child is not so focused on its own body parts but more on objects that he/she can control.  Coordination of Secondary schemes is the next part and it occurs between 8 to 12 months.  The child can begin to solve problems in this stage and put things together to achieve a goal.  Tertiary circular reactions occur next, usually between 12 to 18 months.  The child can begin to explore at this age and think of things on their own and entertain themselves.  The final stage in Piaget's Sensorimotor theory is Beginning of Representation of Thought and this occurs between 18 to 24 months.  A child can begin to be symbol and action oriented, meaning they can look for things even if they didn't see someone hide it.  (Ashford, 2013, pp. 254-255).  This theory gives a guideline for what infants experience through their beginning stages of cognitive development.

Another theory in the infancy stage is Bowlby's phases of attachment.  Attachment is when a child forms a strong emotional tie to a caregiver.  There are four different phases of attachment according to Bowlby.  Phase 1 occurs from birth to 3 months and the behavior consists of indiscriminate smiling, cooing and clinging toward anyone.  Phase 2 occurs from 2-3 months and 6-7 months.  The behavior in this phase is selective interactions and the child develops a true social smile directed at preferred caregivers.  In the third phase, the age is 6-7 months to 1 year old and the behavior is an attachment to a primary caregiver.  The fourth and final stage takes place in the second year of life.  The behavior the child has is he/she is more secure in knowledge that the caregiver exists when not in sight and more sociable with others.  (Ashford, 2013, p. 266).  The phases/stages of these two theories can compare because the infant will need to be at a certain cognitive stage in order to able to form an attachment with a caregiver.  Also, if the cognitive behavior has been negatively affected then the infant may fail to form an attachment.  An example would be neglect or abuse placed on the infant. 

Ashford, J. B., Lecroy, C. W., (2013).  Human Behavior in the Social Environment, A Multidimensional Perspective.  Cengage Learning.            

Theoretical Blog: Infancy

Erik Erikson had developed a theory of eight stages of change in the psychosocial dynamic. The eight stages are; Infancy: Trust vs. Mistrust, Early Childhood: Autonomy vs. Shame doubt, Play age: Initiative vs. guilt, School age: Industry vs. Inferiority, Adolescence: Identity vs. identity confusion, Young Adulthood: Intimacy vs. isolation, Maturity: Generatively vs. self-absorption, and Old age: Integrity vs. despair, disgust, these stages takes a human from birth to death (Ashford, J. B., & LeCroy, C. W., 2013). In these the first stage in the most crucial stage trust versus mistrust, an article by (Studer 2006) states that ‘According to Erikson (1980/1994), "basic trust is an attitude toward self and the world" (p. 57), whereas mistrustful individuals are in conflict with self and others. Trust, also described as "confidence," provides a foundation in which the trainee feels comfortable in risk-taking as a result of his or her relationship with others. If events and people are unpredictable and anxiety provoking, mistrust will result (Capps, 2004). Just as trust is the essential foundation in Erikson's psychosocial developmental model, a supportive, genuine supervisory atmosphere facilitates trainee task development. When the trainee first enters the clinical experiences, a "working relationship" is formed based on genuine communication and trust.’  (Studer, J. R. 2006). This is where the foundation is laid to begin the process of theoretically seeing clients and having a positive response.

            In addition to this theory there is Bandura’s social learning theory, where Bandura believes that people can process information to actively influence how the environment controls them. Observational learning is a kind of indirect learning. The learning process is considered cognitive because people must pay attention to the role models and process this information in their memory. Is an approach that combines learning principles with cognitive processes plus the effects of observational learning to explain behavior? (Ashford, J. B., & LeCroy, C. W., 2013)

Erikson and Bandura believed that everyone could be taught; there are learned behaviors that ever human develops and it is done cognitively. Erikson saw that everything started at birth and Bandura believe that a child can start learning from the day someone is born. To show the largest difference in the two theories is that with Bandura everything is learned by cognition and with Erikson everything is developed by stages. However the end out come is still going to be the exact same the child will learn from the second it is born up until the day it dies. When coming back to infancy Erikson’s theory is proven to be truer based on the fact that infants are facing biophysical issues good and bad. As the mind is developing the child is learning what is right and wrong. For example temper tantrum is a bad way to communicate but crying is a healthy way of communicating in infancy.

References

Ashford, J. B., & LeCroy, C. W. (2013). Human behavior in the social environment: a multidimensional perspective (5th ed.). Australia: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.

Studer, J. R. (2006). Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Stages Applied to Supervision. Guidance & Counseling, 21(3), 168.

Infancy Stage Theories

           Infancy is a crucial time for development both physically and mentally in every human’s life. The successful completion of biophysical development will result in healthy brain, growth, and motor skills which are necessary components for the utmost quality of life. For a healthy completion of cognitive development and information processing an infant will need to acquire language skills, advance their emotions, begin to understand and emit a sense of self, and start to make judgments regarding what is right and what is wrong. Jean Piaget believed that these judgments will be made based upon consequences (Ashford, J., & LeCroy, C. 2013), determining the social structure of an infant’s growth. He assumed that there are “inborn, invariant processes in humans that play a fundamental role in understanding reality.” (Ashford, J., & LeCroy, C. 2013). These processes are known as adaptation and organization.
            Much of a successful infancy also depends on the parents or adults involved. The social dimension that they represent can make or break the experience of going from infancy to early childhood. Margaret Mahler believed that “the infant grows from being a newborn with no sense of self as separate from her caretaker to being an autonomous, independent individual.” (Ashford, J., & LeCroy, C. 2013). Hence, different types of social situations such as adoption and foster care will severely alter a child’s perspective and can be either a positive or negative experience. This is why social workers must always be aware of the history of the clients that they interact with. How their infancy, childhood, adolescence, and all other stages went will influence their overall well-being and could either prevent or enhance a successful client/social worker relationship.

Ashford, J., & LeCroy, C. (2013). Human behavior in the social environment: A multidimensional perspective (5th ed.). Australia: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.