PSYC FPX 1000 Assessment 2 Human Development-Application of Theory

Name:

Selena

Current Situation:

Selena is a 32 years old divorced lady.

She is so much disappointed with her relationship status and current work environment. 

Stage of Life:

According to Erikson’s eight-step theory of psychosocial development, stages 6 and 7 cover the time period from school age to the age of 23.

Stage 6 focuses on the psychosocial conflict of intimacy versus isolation, occurring during late adolescence to early adulthood (ages 18 to 23).

During this stage, individuals seek to form meaningful and lasting relationships, such as romantic partnerships and close friendships.

Successfully navigating this stage leads to the ability to develop deep, meaningful connections with others,

while difficulties may result in feelings of isolation and challenges in forming close bonds.

Selected Theories:

One of the theories chosen to analyze Selena’s case is Erikson’s psychosocial theory, which comprises eight stages representing different life stages based on age (Maree, 2021). This theory provides insights into the developmental process spanning the entire lifespan. Selena’s situation aligns with stage 6 and stage 7 of Erikson’s theory, considering her current age.

Additionally, Bowlby’s attachment theory of development will be applied to understand her relationship status and attachment to her mother (Cobb, 2020). This theory emphasizes the significance of attachments and relationships with significant others, such as spouses, parents, and children.

Stage Details:

Selena is a 32-year-old woman who is currently dissatisfied with her career and experiences feelings of loneliness. Her romantic relationship began in her early 20s during her college years. Due to various reasons, her marriage was delayed until the age of 27. Unfortunately, Selena’s marriage did not flourish, leading to a divorce at the age of 302.

Furthermore, she currently faces strained relations with her mother. Presently, Selena is grappling with issues related to her identity and perceives herself as having failed in establishing meaningful connections in married life, having children, and pursuing a successful career.

How theory helps the understanding of development:

What the professional information or research says:

Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development focuses on growth throughout the whole life. It has eight stages according to different ages and mental states. Stage 1 is based on trust vs. mistrust during the early 18 months life span of infants.

Stage 2 occurs from 18 months to three years based on autonomy vs. shame and uncertainty. During this period children learn self-control. Stage 3 occurs during preschool time, based on initiative vs. guilt. This stage is the major stage of psychosocial development. Stage 4 takes place during 5-12 years of age based on competence vs. inferiority.

Stage 5 occurs during the teenage, based on identity vs. confusion. Stage 6 occurs between 18-40 years of age based on intimacy vs. isolation. Stage 7 of this theory occurring during 40-65 is based on generativity vs. stagnation. Last and 8th stage is based on honesty vs. despair that takes place during old age having flashbacks of the entire life span spent (de Carvalho & Veiga, 2022). 

Boyce’s theory of attachment is about relationships and attachments with special people like parents, children, and life partners. This theory explains the anxiety and distress people face after separation (Bosmans et al., 2020).

How this information relates to the case:

Though Selena is 32 years old her condition related to identity issues is related to stage 5 of Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. Stage 6 of Erikson’s theory fits in this case based on intimacy vs. isolation.

Selena is trying to isolate herself because she does not have well past experiences. At present, she is feeling lonely but also does not want to get social. As Selena failed in her life during different phases so she is feeling unproductive according to stage 7 of the psychosocial development theory by Erikson.

Selena failed to build good relationships with her husband and mother. Also, she does not have any children. So this condition falls under Boyce’s attachment theory.

Reference 1

Bosmans, G., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., Vervliet, B., Verhees, M. W. F. T., & van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2020). A learning theory of attachment: Unraveling the black box of attachment development. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 113(113), 287–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.014 

Reference 2

Cobb, K. F. (2020). Intergenerational depressive symptoms and the impact of adolescent attachment: a systematic review. Adolescent Research Review. 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-020-00140-3 

Reference 3

de Carvalho, N. A., & Veiga, F. H. (2022). Psychosocial development research in adolescence: a scoping review. Trends in Psychology. 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-022-00143-0 

Reference 4

Maree, J. G. (2021). The psychosocial development theory of Erik Erikson: Critical overview. Early Child Development and Care, 191(7-8), 1107–1121. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2020.1845163 

Reference 5

Robledo, J.-P., Cross, I., Boada-Bayona, L., & Demogeot, N. (2022). Back to basics: A re-evaluation of the relevance of imprinting in the genesis of Boyce’s attachment theory. Aspace.repository.cam.ac.uk. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.92390