Strengths And Usefulness This Theory example essay topic

Theory Analysis Sigmund Freud - Psychosexual Theory. Basic Philosophy - The basic philosophy is that the sex instinct is the most factor influencing personality; sexual instinct is present at birth, but it occurs in stages. The sex instinct provides the driving force for thought and activity. If conflicts from these stages are not resolved fixations may occur. If overindulgence at a stage may result in a person remaining at that stage.

Certain personality traits develop from difficulty in one stage or another, for instance the anal stage can give the obsession for a person to be excessively neat and clean... Key concepts Oral Stage - (birth to 12 or 18 mo.) mouth used for sexual pleasure Anal Stage - (1 to 3 yrs.) children derive pleasure from expelling and withholding feces. Phallic Stage - (3 to 5 or 6 yrs.) during this stage children learn they can derive pleasure from masturbation. The Oedipus complex also develops during this time.

Latency period - (5 or 6 til puberty) this stage is relatively calm. The sex instinct is repressed. Genital Stage - (puberty on) focus is shifted to the opposite sex, heterosexual relations are formed and the person attains full adult sexuality... Strengths and Usefulness - This theory emphasized the impact of childhood experiences on later life. Psychoanalysis helps bring the unconscious to the conscious so it can be dealt with... Weaknesses and Criticisms - Some people say his theories are gender bias, everything resolves around penis envy.

I feel he over emphasized sexual instinct and left out mental or emotional factors on personality... Applications - This is used mainly for counseling and therapy. It is used to tap the unconscious motives and sort and fix unmet needs. Erik Erikson - Psychosocial Theory. Basic Philosophy - Individuals progress through eight psychosocial stages in their life span; each stage is defined by a conflict with the social environment which must be resolved, if the conflict is not resolved problems could arise later in life... Key Concepts Basic trust vs. Mistrust - (birth to 1) developed by care level of parents or gaurdiansAutonomy vs. Shame - (1-3 yrs.) express independence, exercise control. if this does not occur shame will develop Initiative vs. Guilt - (3-6 yrs.) initiate activity, plan tasks Industry vs. Inferiority - (6-puberty) feel pride and making things and doing things.

Identity vs. role confusion - (adolescence) establish identity and consider a future occupational identity. Intimacy vs. Isolation - (young adulthood) develop the ability to share with, care for, and commit themselves to another person. Genera tivity vs. Stagnation - (middle adulthood) find someway of contributing to the development of the next generation Ego integrity vs. Despair - (late adulthood) individuals review their lives, and if they they are satisfied and feel a sense of accomplishment... Strengths and Usefulness This theory gives life stages definition and helps locate where problems may arise and help them be resolved. Theory is structured around relationship with environment...

Weaknesses Once a person passes a stage they can regress backwards. A person can be in more than one stage at any time in their life. Trust vs. Mistrust is something that occurs when any substantial relationship is formed... Applications Can be used to help a person identify a problem so it can be resolved such as shame or guilt. Used mainly in therapy or counseling. Jean Piaget - Cognitive Development.

Basic Philosophy - Cognitive ability develops in four stages, each of them representing a qualitatively different form of reasoning and understanding. Stages are universal and sequential, children may advance at a different pace. Children are solitary explorers, internally motivated to formulate and test their ideas in the world... Key Concepts Sensorimotor - (0-2 yrs.) experience the world through sensesPreoperatinal - (2-7 yrs.) imagine ry play, thinking dominated by perception Concrete operational - (7-12 yrs.) able to think logical in concrete situations Formal operational - (12-?) able to think logical in abstract situations. Strengths and Usefulness - Gave knowledge to mental development in children. The stages are universal and sequential, yet not conformed to specific time zones...

Weaknesses - It has been shown that some children are more advanced cognitively than some adults. States that stages are universal and sequential but does not take into consideration of disabilities... Applications - Can be used in schools or care centers to define activities for children to preform. Helps define cognitive capabilities. Lev Vygotsky - Sociocultural Theory. Basic Philosophy - Human infants come equipped with basic skills like perception, the ability to pay attention, and certain capacities of memory.

They improve these skill from observing adults, advanced piers, and teachers or care givers... Key Concepts - The first two years skills grow and develop through experiences and interactions with the sociocultural world. Children develop through language skills (speech and private speech). Readiness resides within a zone of proximal development. Scaffolding is used by teachers or parents. They can adjust the quality and degree of help to fit the child's level...

Strengths and Usefulness - Shows how children can develop skills on their own. Shows how culture is a major role model. Uses scaffolding to help the child succeed at tasks... Weaknesses - People may expect a child to do more than they are capable of on their own. Uses culture as a major role model, sometimes it is not always the best for children to model their lives after...

Applications - Scaffolding is used in many schools and at home. Can be used as an argument to deter violence in the media. Abraham Maslow & Carl Rogers - Humanism. Basic Philosophy - Human nature is innately good and people have free will and a tendency toward growth and realization of their own potential. People have a active conscious free will and the ability to chart their own course in life...

Key Concepts - To obtain this you must be: accurate in reality, able to judge honesty, comfortable with your life, have a good humor and tolerance, and have peak experiences. Helps to follow the Hierarchy of needs. Has the motto: the way we see things is the way they are. Emphasizes the conditions of worth...

Strengths and Usefulness - Improves positive qualities, helps develop belief in bettering yourself. Encourages self-fulfillment... Weaknesses - Some find it a threat to moral values and claim it to be unscientific. Uses motto: hear no evil, see no evil, find no evil.

Motto is not realistic. Does not deal or factor in a realistic view of human nature... Applications - Used for therapy, helps people live according to their own standards. B.F. Skinner - Behaviorism. Basic Philosophy - Behavior is determined strictly by environmental influences... Key Concepts - There is no such thing as personality only learned behaviors. Variables in environment shape behavior.

Behaviors are based on past negative and positive reinforcement and punishment. Believes strongly in operant conditioning. Focuses on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation... Strengths and Usefulnesses - Shows importance of positive reinforcement, emphasizes the role of the environment in the structure of life.

Focuses on the science of behavior... Weaknesses - Ignores the mental processes like thought and feelings, People must be able to understand the situation completely in order to select the proper course of action... Application - Can be used to shape a person's behavior, Used to teach children manners and mold rituals, pop quizzes, used to train animals. Albert Band ura - Social Learning Theory. Basic Philosophy - Behavior results from an interaction between internal cognitive factors and environmental influences... Key concepts - Behaviors and responses are acquired through observational learning, skills are learned by observation, reciprocal determinism (cycle of personality), emphasizes self-efficacy (do your best for success).

Strengths and Usefulness - Main influence of today's thinking about violence in the media and reactions of people who view it, helps set standards for role models. Weaknesses - Only studied behavior, Left out mental aspects... Applications - Can help people overcome fears and aquire social skills by modeling. Robert Sternberg - Triarchic Intelligence Theory. Basic Philosophy - States that there are actually 3 types of intelligence that should measure IQ on tests rather than two... Key Concepts - Measures three types of intelligence: Com potential - mental abilities related to conventional IQ testsExperential - creative thinking and problem solving Contextual - practical intelligence "street smarts".

Strengths and Usefulnesses - Allows people to pursue goals, measures real world criteria, and shows practical intelligence, stresses that you may know something, but do you know how to use what you know? Weaknesses - Some people believe that only analytical intelligence matters... Applications - Can be used to get more of an accurate prediction as to how someone will do on a job or in school. Howard Gardner - Seven Frames of Mind. Basic Philosophy - There are seven forms of intelligence and all seven forms are equally important and in dependant. Key Concepts - forms are based on reasoning and intuition, the seven forms are: Language skills (linguistic) mathematics / logic's (math and quantitative skills) Musical Spatial skills (skills used by painters, sculptors, and architects to create forms) Body Control (athletes, dancers and carpenters) Interpersonal (ability to understand others emotionally) Intra personal (Ability to understand yourself emotionally).

Strengths and Usefulnesses - Deals with reasoning and intuition, gives equal importance to all frames not just what the society feels is important... Weaknesses - Society only feels some frames are important, does not take into consideration if someone cannot master a frame or if it has never been introduced... Application - Helps psychologists and doctors diagnose people with the savant syndrome. From scores on normal IQ test these people would just be considered mentally retarded. With equal importance on all frames they can pursue learning in the fields they accel at.

Lawrence Ko hlberg - Moral Development. Basic Philosophy - Moral reasoning is closely related to cognitive development and it evolves in stages... Key Concepts - Pre-conventional level - (4-10 yrs.) Stage 1 - children obey out of fear Stage 2 - benefit self or gain a favor Conventional level - (10-13 yrs.) Stage 3 - Acts to please or help others Stage 4 - Doing ones duty, respect authority Post-conventional level - (13 -?) Stage 5 - society is best if it obeys the laws Stage 6 - Acts by internal standards. Strengths and Usefulness - Emphasizes teaching of morals. Weaknesses - Most people feel Kohl bergs theory is gender bias, liberal bias, and culture bound. The results of this study is not accurate because he only poled men.

Applications - Having class discussions based on newspaper articles and having students deal with the varied opinions and counter arguments.