Directions: You must respond to the 2 classmates replies below of at least 100 words each. To encourage an atmosphere of a conversational discussion, citations and references are not required for the reply posts. However, any sources cited must have been published within the last five years unless the student is citing classic or historical theoretical information or research. Acceptable sources include course materials, scholarly peer-reviewed sources, and/or the Bible, in current APA format, with at least 1 of the sources being from course materials or scholarly, peer-reviewed articles or texts. Each reply must be labeled in order to identify the classmate you are responding to.
Classmate One Jessica:
Chapter five has been my favorite chapter so far. I have always enjoyed learning about stage theories of development and how relatable they are to our own development. I now have a deeper understanding that stages are qualitative and can be met through proper development, but stages are to be met in a certain order and cannot be skipped or repeated (Lerner, 2018). Nature vs. nurture, or as I like to refer to it, the “great debate”, has also been an interest of mine, so when I learned about T.C. Schneirla and Anne Anastasi I was surprised that I had not heard of them until now.
Another point about nature and nurture is that there are levels of the environment that may explain how the relationship works and how in some cases the environment can also have an effect on physical characteristics (Lerner, 2018). I found an interesting section on the human genome website, it said our genome is affected by the way we live (NIH, 2019), I feel this is another great example of how the theory of nature vs. nurture works and further credits information in our book.
This week’s video; Developmental Psychology Theories 3: Ethological/Attachment and Humanistic Development Theories featured two theorists, Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow and their theory of humanism which came at the end of psychoanalysis and behaviorism, which were more about the experiences one had as a child that would shape their future. The humanistic approach was about self-actualization, Maslow and Rogers’ theory is still being used today in developmental psychology, but also as a way of teaching (DeRobertis and Bland, 2020). In my developmental psychology course, I teach nursing students but have a few students in the ECD program, we go over Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and I stress to them they will see it multiple times in their careers with their patients and students. Two positive aspects about the humanistic approach are it is patient-centered, and the data can be measured.
References:
DeRobertis, E. M., & Bland, A. M. (2020). Lifespan human development and “The humanistic perspective”: A contribution toward inclusion. The Humanistic Psychologist, 48(1), 3–27.
Links to an external site.
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Introduction to genomics. Genome.gov. (2019).
Links to an external site.
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Lerner, R. M. (2018). Chapter 5/Theoretical roots of contemporary developmental science: Nomothetic (stage), differential, and idiographic (ipsative) approaches. In Concepts and Theories of Human Development (4th ed., p. 140). essay, Routledge.
Lerner, R. M. (2018). Chapter 6/Toward resolving the nature-nurture controversy. In Concepts and Theories of Human Development (4th ed., p. 180). essay, Routledge.
Classmate two Tiffany:
I first became interested in attachment theory after working with a child diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder. This sent me on quite the journey into the world of attachment. John Bowlby established the theory of attachment that stressed the importance of early relationships and the lasting impacts that can be left when there is separation or distance in those relationships. Twohig et al. (2024) discussed that attachment theory defines the lasting impact across a person’s lifespan. John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, through observation and experiment, developed insight into how disorganized attachment could have tremendous consequences (Twohig et al., 2024). Children who develop Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) experience severe abuse and neglect and often suffer from lasting psychological effects (Betcher et al., 2023). Children who were diagnosed with RAD were exponentially more likely to suffer from substance use disorders, suicide attempts, high rates of unemployment and hospitalization (Betcher et al., 2023).
The work of Bowlby and Ainsworth explored how disconnect between caregiver and child can create dysregulation and wreak total havoc on the nervous system, which can have a lasting impact on future social development (Twohig et. al, 2024). A child who is unable to build a secure attachment early in childhood are likely to struggle with attachment style later in life (Betcher et al., 2023). From the work I did early in my career, I recall the victim of severe neglect from infancy to 9 months old. At five years old, this individual required medication to stabilize mood, would often become violent with adoptive parents, and with peers. The sheer amount of dysregulation experienced often caused this individual to act out violently and hurt whoever was close by. The nervous system was shot and required intensive therapy to regain some sense of regulation. I find that a lot of the work done in attachment theory does prove helpful in addressing diagnoses such as RAD and the research is very applicable.
References
Betcher, H. K., Bommersbach, T. J., Perossa, B. A., Larrabee, B., Betcher, H. K., Bommersbach, T. J., Perossa, B. A., Croarkin, P. E., Romanowicz, M., Voort, J. L. V., & McKean, A. J. (2023). Adult outcomes of children with reactive attachment disorder in a non-institutionalized sample.
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.,
84(6).
Links to an external site.
Twohig, A., Lyne, J., & McNicolas, F. (2024). Attachment theory: survival, trauma, and war through the eyes of Bowlby.
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine.,
41(3), 273–275.
Links to an external site.
