Scott 1
Marissa Scott
Dustin Hunt
EDPSY260
October 2nd, 2016
Midterm Developmental Concept Paper
Psychosocial Theory
The psychosocial theory is a series of eight stages from infancy to adulthood. It
emphasizes that in addition to mediating between id impulses and superego demands, the ego
will make a positive contribution to development. This contribution will effect the individuals’
attitudes and skills that make them active (Berk, p.15, 7). Erikson realized the normal
development must be understood in relation to each culture’s life situation. In the 1940s, Erikson
observed that Yurok Indians deprived newborns of breastfeeding for the first 10 days, and fed
them a thin soup instead. At 6 months, if the infants needed to be weaned abruptly the mothers
would leave. The development of restraint was essential because the Yurok depend on salmon,
which only fill up the river once a year (Berk, p. 15-16, 8). Teachers need to apply psychosocial
development in the classroom to create an environment where children feel comfortable with
learning new things without fear. For example, teachers should focus on achievement and peer
relationships at the elementary level. A teacher can create a list of classroom duties that need to
be completed, and ask for the class to assign who will be in charge of what duty. The teacher
could assign teams for certain activities and have different roles for each student in the team.
Psychosexual theory
The psychosexual theory was developed by a physician who wanted a cure for
emotionally troubled adults, Sigmund Freud. This theory surrounds the idea that human beings
possess and instinctual libido that develops in stages. It emphasizes that in the first years of a
child’s life it is crucial for healthy personality development that parents must manage their
Scott 2
child’s sexual drive and aggression (Berk, p. 15, 3). Freud believed that as a baby develops their
psychic energy focuses on one object then another, and as the focus of the infant shifts, the style
and type of gratification they are looking for will begin to change. For example, a newborn baby
is bubbly and energetic because this energy does not have focus. Teachers can keep the
psychosexual theory in mind to try to understand why children act a certain way about situations.
For example, students can range from the phallic, latency, or genital stage of psychosexual
development. As a teacher, our role is to help our students solve their inner conflicts with each of
these stages. Play is a great outlet to focus their energy in the Latency stage. If this focus is
suppressed the child may fixate on inappropriate behavior.
Contexts
