Research Paper Undergraduate 3,348 words

Psychology Developmental Stages Using Freud Erikson or Maslow\'s Theories

Last reviewed: May 15, 2013 ~17 min read
Abstract

The paper is about a known personality Liberace and it discusses different stages of his life. His life stages are explained in the light of developmental stages explained by Erikson. His psychosocial development is researched and the life journey is analyzed in stages of Infancy, Childhood, Youth, Adulthood and Late Adulthood. The achievements and sufferings of his life are also briefly covered in the paper telling why Liberace was appraised by many and also criticized by few.

Psychology Developmental Stages Using Freud, Erikson, Or Maslow's Theories

Development Stages of Life

Prenatal and Infancy

Early Childhood

Middle Childhood

Adolescence

Emerging Adulthood

Adulthood

Late Adulthood

Liberace was born in West Allis, Wisconsin on May 16th, 1919. Liberace's mother was of Polish descent Frances Zuchowaska and his father Salvatore Liberace, was an immigrant from Formia, Italy. Liberace was born with a twin who died at birth and also had a caul on his head. Many cultures believe caulbearers bring good omens and luck with their births and cannot drown. How and why people are born and developing into adults going through all the growing pains have been argued for many centuries. This paper will discuss the life and times of one well know, publically troubled individual, Liberace.

Introduction:

According to Ellis and Hartley (2004)and Berk (2004)the theories of life development are explored by various researches and it is observed that most of the theories are presented by Maslow, Ericson, Kohlberg, Piaget, and Freud. The human beings are alike creators that experience similar stage in their respective lives. It is also a notable character that almost all human beings pass through similar changes in various stages of life. In general all these stages can be denoted as similar however the personal and environmental factors also influence the development and psychological implications.

The theories address the common characteristics of generalized nature and applicable for the human development. The arrangements of sequential nature are addressed in almost similar fashion by all theories and stages are also represented as time-based measures for addressing the relevance in human development. The stages of life development are relevant to understand the nature of earlier identified theories and their applicability with various perspectives of life. The life stages discussed in the section below comprises of a through approach starting from the initial stage as infant for Liberace and parenting up until the post adulthood. The individuals experience various developments throughout the stages. The research also addresses Liberace and the children born with caul.

Development Stages of Life:

The development stages of Liberace life are described distinctively according to various research perspectives. The psychological theories presented below addresses the issues in different perspective according to the approach taken through their work. The applicability of all these issues is also relevant in accordance with the approach taken to address specific issues. The medical and clinical basis is also developed on the basis of cognitive development theories and psychosexual theories of Freud (Berk, 2004).

There are various theories concerning the development of knowledge embodying the stages of human development. The psychoanalytic theories presented by Freud and Erikson are based on the explanations of human development in the context of unconscious forces exerting their influence on personality development. The personal environment is regarded as one of the major factor influencing human development. The intellectual development ofLiberaceis defined in terms of sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational in the work of Jaen Piaget. It is also denoted as cognitive develop process theory (Ellis & Hartley, 2004).

Abraham Maslow is known for his work through humanistic approach in defining human development stages. The work suggests that human development is directly related to the humanistic psychology through fulfillment of individual's basic needs. The hierarchy of needs defined by Maslow starts form food security and leads to self-actualization.

One of the different perspectives of cognitive development is also observed through contextual theory perspectives. The important developments are observed through interacting with people around an individual are addressed in this segment of psychological theory of human development. It is somehow similar to the cultural development theories. The Skinner's view of learning and development is explained as the development stages are achieved through learning. The reinforcement of human behaviors is achieved through implementation of learning and increase in knowledge. It is also observed that the social cognitive theory is also derived from the work done by Skinner (Ellis & Hartley, 2004).

Prenatal and Infancy:

The birth of twins named Liberaceand his brother with a caul on his head was a unique experience for the parents. It is also noted that children with caul doesn't represent any superstation. The cultural and uneducated nature of Liberace's parents lead to the belif that it is something special however it is purely a biological difference. According to Hartson and Payne (2007) the physical performance including language and emotional development of a human being is addressed by various theories including Frued and Erickson. These stages of human development are related not only to the human individuals but multiple factors influence the development. The importance of parental contribution and infancy stage is also addressed by psychological theories (Upadlhyaya, 2009). The parental role in childes development plays a significant role in adhering to the techniques and learning for later life. The emotional development is specifically attributed towards the ability to cope with stressful situations in later life. The transactions in the parenting plan influence childes ability for self-efficacy and self-regulation.

The Ericson's view is contrary to Freud as it is emphasizes on eight distinct stage of development starting from the birth of a child. The child's social environment is considered the basis of defining the development stages throughout the work of Ericson. The challenges and crisis faced during a stage are required to be addressed in order to lean forward to the next stage. The first stage starting from the birth up to one year is denoted as the stage experiencing the trust and mistrust (Ray, 2011). Liberaceas an infant developed a scenes of trust form their caregivers in early stages to fulfill their needs. On the contrary the suspension and mistrust is developed on the basis of stranger perception and others are perceived incapable to fulfill their desires with respect to fulfillment of the childes needs.The first stage of Liberacewas significant in defining the early development of trust and subsequent trust developed in order to seek support for fulfillment of their desires. The trust developed in the first stages of early childhood is carried forward throughout the life of an individual (Hartson & Payne, 2007).

The biological influence of parenting characteristics is also observed relevant for the physical development of a child. Liberace's and his twin brother's healthy birth is also dependent on thequality of nutrition. It is important to note that infant's weight and other biological characters are measured in accordance with the mother's health. The healthy mother can ensure a qualitative development of physical and psychological characteristics in the child. The mother's personal characters are also reflected in the health of a child. The mothers with smoking and drinking habits are likely to observe severe issues during child birth. The caul death, spontaneous abortion, neonatal deaths, and still births are major factors influencing the parental biological and developmental influences (Charlesworth, 2010). According to Upadlhyaya (2009) the artificial rupture of the membrane (AROM) and rapture of the water bag during last or early stages of pregnancy is also associated with the careful and healthy nutrition of mother. Similarly the case with Liberace's twin brother's death also holds biological causes rather than any supernatural cause.

Early Childhood:

According to the psychodynamic theories presented in the work of Freud and Ericson suggests the influence of emotional life and physical development in early childhood. Liberacealso shares a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural background and home atmosphere. It is also noted that the basic foundation of early childhood development is based on the overlapping frameworkof brain growth and maturation, sensory information, and quality of social interactions. It is also noted that the time related progression of Liberacein the skills and abilities is also related to the growth and changes in the stages of human development. The impacts of adult's environment and self-abilities are directly related to the childes behavior and internal learning capacities from external environments (Robinson, 2010).

The theoretic framework of Freud and Ericson also explains its relationships with the early childhood education. The adult behaviors of children are based on the early childhood practices and perceptions. The gathering of information form their surrounding environments are followed throughout later development stages of life. The Liberaceas a child was suggested to take advantage of the learning and education through early childhood plays. The natural folds of development are facilitated through the early childhood development programs designed on the basis of theories of psychological developments. The proactive nature of these programs for Liberacewas helpful in facilitating the achievement of growth and development objectives of early childhood (Wasik, Bond, & Hindman, 2002).

The last developments of research and focus have been observed in terms of cognitive theories of development. The socio-emotional development theories are not addressed in detail. The stage theory presented in the as psychodynamic perspective suggests that the series of transformations in the thought process of children is observed throughout various stages of development. It is also noted that the movement from sensory-motor thought to the hypo tactical-hypo deductive logical thoughts. The level of child's development is addressed through various stages of education and learning gained through the process is widely applicable (Saracho & Bernard, 2001). The research Hartson and Payne (2007) suggests that after crossing the age of one year the child enters in the second stage starting from one year up to three years. Liberaceand other children at this stage experience that the needs changed. As a result the learning of autonomy vs. shame and doubt is experienced by the child. The children are also likely to experience the command for fulfilling their own needs and desires. It is also noted that it is the early age where the child experiences the ability to take self-care and understand the meanings of self-esteem and self-confidence.

Middle Childhood:

The middle age of a child is relatively different from previous stages, so was the life of Liberace. The learning and development process of Liberacewas vividly increased and the child started connecting meanings to learning. It is also observed that children of middle ages are more likely to encounter changes in their development. They are likely to initiate and experience different perspectives of life. The surroundings are also relevant in this stage as the working of each individual is largely different depending on the social environment. The age bracket of this stage is regarded as the three to six years. The stage has its own dynamics as Liberacestarted its initial schooling in this age. The developments of intellectual and behavioral characteristics are enhanced throughout the middle stage (Hartson et at., 2007).

According to Hartson and Payne (2007) the children in their early years' experience different struggle-based emotions and psychological elements. Liberacealso struggled through his life to learn meanings of industry and inferiority. The expectations of children in this age are highly likely to be associated with the ultimate goal. They tend to set targets and try to achieve through these targets. The scenes of achievement encourage them to perform batter. However the inferiority is also experienced in case they do not tend to achieve desired results. The appropriate limits of the internal and external environments are also explored during this stage. It is also observed that the children are highly likely to seek support of their nucleus family and extended family members. The feelings of Liberacefor mastering new skills, achievements, and accomplishments of new skills and abilities are felt throughout the stage (Hartsonet at., 2007).

The middle life of children is widely dependent on the external environment. It is observed that the children living in underdeveloped countries encounter violence and various other acts that are unhealthy for the development and growth of children. The civil wars explosions and kidnappings in the societies are heinous crimes that children of this age encounter while their stay in these countries. The children are also vulnerable to learn various unhealthy activities during this age. The parenting emphasis on providing appropriate environment and self-evaluations for children in this stage is highly required (Newman, & Newman, 2011).

Adolescence:

According to Hartson et at. (2007) the stage of adolescence is also reflective of the identity in comparison with the role confusion. Liberace mainly encountered various roles at the same time and it caused confusion for their identity. The children in this stage require creating a strong identity in order to develop a belief system that is relevant for their role. They tend to take various roles in the life and experience its challenges. Teen Liberace tended to create a strong identity in order to enter the early adulthood. He observed changes for focusing on the self and creating an image of their own personality within the environment. The relationships are also developed according to the role assumptions and parents' guide their children through different stages of their development and growth.

The normal stages and regulations of Liberaceare observed along with the growing age. The learning of early childhood is important to formulate the basis for children to relate their further growth and development. The transactions of changes are varied in all individuals throughout the periods of development. The children experiences anxiety during their development and major concern is to minimize the level of anxiety. Parents again have a key role in reducing the negative elements throughout all stages and as a result they provide required guidance for their children. The individuals also gain support from their surrounding environments.

Emerging Adulthood:

Liberace's emerging adulthood is one of the distinctive stages for the reason that there are multiple chances of overlap in various stages. The stage of adolescence and early adulthood has a fine line dividing both stages form each other. The early adulthood studies are carried out to understand the key components related to development and growth of individuals. The early adulthood has significant characteristics that separate the individuals in this stage from adolescent stages (Tappan, 2010).

Liberace's key characters present in the early adulthood are defined in terms of ability to perform advanced cognitive reasoning. It is the stage that is related to development of techniques and practices observed throughout the early childhood and learning and personality characteristics of early childhood are later reflected in these stages. It is also associated with a characteristic that intensive personal identity exploration is also experienced during this stage. The individuals also do not experience certain changes that are related to the childhood nor can they be associated with the adulthood. Therefore it is a stage identified as being present in the middle of both stages. Liberace's preoccupation of future possibilities also helped him succeed and achieve results. The individuals relate themselves with the future course and seek an identification related to their future (Newman, & Newman, 2011).

Adulthood:

The adulthood of Liberacewas socially and culturally recognized status for as an individual. The adult hood of Liberaceis among stages where it is very difficult to define the boundary. It is not only associated with the physical but also reflective of psychological development. Liberace's stages in the adulthood development started with the early adulthood and it is also known as the cross section of adolescence and early adulthood. From the start of 16 years to the adulthood the individualsexperience the world and environment around them in a differentperspective. It is the stat of the time when new relationships are formed and the old ones are also maintained. The co-existence of old and new relationships is also relevant for the early adulthood and late adult hood stages however it is significantly observed during adulthood (Kriss, Steele, & Steele, 2012). Liberace'sattachment with parents is continued during this stage. The criterion for qualifying for this stage is defined in the research of Newman and Newman, (2011). The related criterion is leaving home, completing education, and getting autonomy. The achievement of getting financially independent and getting married is also a factor considered in this stage. Finally having own children is also considered a significant attribute of the adulthood.

The reasons for Liberace leaving home are also identified as educations and marriage. The marriages in past were conducted relatively earlier than present. It is noted that usually during 18 to 24 years the marriages took place however currently the average age of getting married is relatively increased. It is also noted that numerous students move from their parent's home after they seek education from institutes present in other states. The homeless close friends and non-family member homes are popular destinations of the young aged individuals leaving their homes to seek autonomy and getting married (Newman, & Newman, 2011).

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PaperDue. (2013). Psychology Developmental Stages Using Freud Erikson or Maslow\'s Theories. PaperDue. https://www.paperdue.com/essay/psychology-developmental-stages-using-freud-90388

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