Lifespan Theories

Question 1

What are the 4 types of theories?

Answer 1

Psychoanalytic (Freud, Erikson), Behavioristic (Pavlov, Watson, Skinner, Bandura), Cognitive (Piaget), Humanistic (Rogers, Maslow)

Question 2

What does Freud believe drives a person?

Answer 2

Stresses are the unconscious drives; most important causes of human behavior and personality are unconscious

Question 3

What are the two fundamental drives according to Freud?

Answer 3

Eros - urge to procreate, Thanatos - urge to survive; he believed in strong sexual urges at birth and that sexual pleasure is felt in different ways/parts of the body

Question 4

What are Freud’s 5 psychosexual stages?

Answer 4

0-18mo: Oral (preoccupation with mouth, sucking)
18 mo-2/3y: Anal (pleasure in bowel movements and withholding bm)
2/3-6yo: Phallic (pleasure from manipulating genitals; Oedipus & Electra)
6-11yo: Latency (loss of interest in sexual gratification, period of identifying with same sex parent)
11+: Genital (adult sexuality, heterosexual interest

Question 5

What are the 3 components of personality according to Freud?

Answer 5

Id (basic biological urges, immediate gratification, pleasure principle), Ego (rational/cognitive side, begins to develop when demands of Id and reality clash, reality principle), Superego (moral self, develops in early childhood, values, beliefs, behaviors, church, moral principle)

Question 6

How do defense mechanisms work?

Answer 6

When there is conflict between id, ego and superego, there is anxiety; defense mechanisms help us cope with anxiety; operate on unconscious level; only work if you are unaware (Freduian thought)

Question 7

What are 3 types of defense mechanisms?

Answer 7

denial, rationalization (coming up with alternate reasons on why something happened), displacement (redirecting feelings to someone else)

Question 8

Describe Erik Erikson’s view on development.

Answer 8

Stressed role of the ego; ego is more than referee, has more positive thrust, expanded development past childhood into adulthood

Question 9

What are Erikson’s psychosocial stages?

Answer 9

0-18mo: Trust/Mistrust
18mo-2/3y: Autonomy/shame & doubt
2/3-6y: Initiative/Guilt
6-11y: Industry/Inferiority
11-Adolescence: Identity/Role Confusion
Early Adulthood: Intimacy/Isolation
Middle Adulthood: Generativity/Self-absorption 
Late Adulthood: Integrity/Despair

Question 10

Describe the Trust vs Mistrust stage.

Answer 10

0-18 mo; develop sufficient trust in the world

Question 11

Describe the Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt stage

Answer 11

18 mo - 2/3 years; develop sense of control over life.

Question 12

Describe the Initiative vs Guilt stage

Answer 12

2/3y-6years; Develop sense of self (responsibility for own actions)

Question 13

Describe the Industry vs Inferiority stage.

Answer 13

6-11y: Develop sense of self worth

Question 14

Describe the Identity vs Identity Confusion stage.

Answer 14

11-Adolescence; Develop strong sense of identity (ego)

Question 15

Describe the Intimacy vs. Isolation stage.

Answer 15

Early adulthood; develop close relationships

Question 16

Describe the generativity vs self-absorption stage

Answer 16

Middle adulthood; contribute to the world

Question 17

Describe the Integrity vs despair stage.

Answer 17

Late adulthood; coming to terms with life/death (no regrets)

Question 18

Describe the behavioristic approach.

Answer 18

aka Learning theory approach; focus on the behavior and environmental forces; no mention of unconscious, instead replaced with conditioning, reinforcement, punishment, stimulant/response; environment is most important;

Question 19

What are the three ways of learning according to behaviorists?

Answer 19

1. Classical conditioning (Pavlov, Watson) 2. Operant Conditioning (Skinner) 3. Social Learning Modeling/Observational Learning (Bandura)

Question 20

Define Classical Conditioning.

Answer 20

Taking a natural stimulus pairing it with a non-natural stimulus so that the non-stimulus elicits the same response as the natural stimulus; learning by association - responsible for many emotions; not very important after age of 6.

Question 21

Define Operant Conditioning

Answer 21

consequences of a response determine how likely it will be repeated’ behaviors that are reinforced tend to be repeated; opposite also true.

Question 22

Reinforcement

Answer 22

any/all stimuli that increases probability of a behavior occuring

Question 23

Punishment

Answer 23

aimed at suppressing behavior; punishment alone never teaches; must be consistent to be effective; closer its administered to the offense, the better

Question 24

Describe Piaget’s views on development.

Answer 24

Cognitive focus; quality over quantity; children think differently in each stage

Question 25

What are Piaget’s 4 stages of development?

Answer 25

Sensorimotor - 0-2, Preoperational 2-7, Concrete Operational 7-11(12), Formal Operational 11(12)-14(15)

Question 26

Describe the humanistic view

Answer 26

Rogers, Maslow; concerned with the uniqueness of individual; internal drive that helps us realize our own potential

Question 27

Describe Roger’s view.

Answer 27

“Care bear” of theorists; talks about striving to become fully functioning persons

Question 28

What are the hierarchy of needs according to Maslow?

Answer 28

Bottom to top: physical needs, safety needs, belonging needs, self esteem, self actualization

Question 29

Describe the concept of self efficacy.

Answer 29

people’s beliefs about their own abilities and talents