Most of the major theoretical aspects of life are usually identified by the two contrasting approaches that recognize them. The general literature that is used to relate this aspect of life span can be defined by briefly discussing each aspect as described below. One of the life span aspects is nature and nurture. Nature involves the individual innate qualities that are genetically acquired. For example, the color of an eyebrow and the skin color of nature involve personality traits that are determined by the genetic composition of an individual. It remains the same throughout the life of an individual irrespective of where the individual was born. On contrary nurture involves the acquired aspects of life that an individual learned as they group and interact with the others. The nature may include characters like somebody may be born with a gene to have a normal height, but due to malnutrition this may lead to stunted growth of the child. (Zock, 1990)
Continuity and discontinuity development life span are two competing theories explain how individual change through the course of their lives. Continuous development is where a child changes quantitate and through a. For example, the increase in the weight of a child a growth takes place is an ongoing development life span. Discontinuous life span development involves the changes that occur to an individual in terms of quantitative analysis. For instance, when a child starts walking alone or when a child starts speaking the first word are examples of a discontinuous process.
Critical and plastic period in development span can be separated in the sense that, the plasticity development involves a condition where there are changes in the connections of the neural of a child during development. This is brought by the interaction of child with the environment as well as learning activities. During the development, the central nervous system usually acquires the information through the exogenous and endogenous factors. Critical period in development span of the human being means the time frame in which the shaping of the neurons can be carried out. It usually leads to plasticity development. For example, the development of the visual context and acquisition of a language is as a result of the critical and plasticity development span. The interaction of critical and the plasticity period on the development of a child are also seen at the birth when the respiratory control neurons are incomplete. This respiratory control neuron usually needs the interaction with the environment and the internal factor in order to start working properly (Berger, 2011).
Universal and specific approaches of the development span can be. For example, universal approach in development spans involves all the changes in development that are common to all the individuals. For example, the growth of the public hair in the private parts of a by bad a girl is an of universal development approach. Specific issue involves all the development that occurs in an individual and is different to the other people. (Berger, 2011)
The qualitative and quantitate changes can be in the child development span. Quantitative development involves the physical changes that occur as a child grows and becomes old. For example increase, the child’s physical body muscles hand other body parts. A child who finishes two years and find that his/her weight has increased by 10 pounds is an example of a quantitate development. A qualitative development is based on the perspectives that involve the way the child thinks, and increase in mental activity as the child grows toward attaining the maturity.
Activity and positivity issue is the debate on the developmental theorist. In the active development, the child is assumed to be the major contributor to his/her development while [passive involves a child to depend on the outside forces such as environmental influence. In passive the character of an individual is shaped by the outside forces (Zock, 1990).
Debates on the nature and nurture issue in the development stages of the human being are one of the oldest philosophical and psychological debates. According to the Journal, ‘Nature Nurture in Psychology’ written by Saul McLeod focuses on the explaining the contrasting developmental span where different scholar tends to believe that human character is genetically acquired and not developed. The author gives a full description of both nature and nurture and how each approach affects the development plans of children as well the behavior. Saul McLeod is psychological professor who has written more than 17 approved publications on the development of children. The author of Nature Nurture in Psychology journal is a professor at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. The Longhorn publisher published the journal during 2007.
This journal is accuracy to the field of lifespan development. In the essence, that it describes various contradiction life span development approaches such as critical period and plasticity, nature and nurture, continuity and discontinuity, quantitative and qualitative, universal and specific, and also deals with activity and passive. From the journal the authors begins by describing each development approach on how it affects the development of the child from young stage until maturity. He uses vivid and clear example to bring his point home. The author uses a different reference from various approved books different professors of psychology.
Researches show that certain physical characteristics are biological. While others are acquired through nurturing, this brings into the contrast between the nature and nurture. For example the color of the eyes, curly hair, pigments of the skin and some genetic diseases like albinism. These characters that are genetically and can be transferred from a person to the child are referred to as the nature developmental span. However, there are other physical characteristics that are through external knowledge this id the nurture (Santrock, 2012). From the general view of point, the psychological characteristics and behavior that emerge from the infancy and the childhood are as a result of learning involve the nurturing approach. For instance, an infant child responds to the love and attention being given. Also, the infant also learned the language that is being spoken by the parents or guardian through nurture.
The nature and nurture debate has become a very hotly contested issue. There are different and similarities in the attempt to define what cause the behavior characteristics of the human being. One of the different is bases on the idea that nurture claims that human character are not developed and attained through interaction with others. Nature explains that human character traits are not, but they are passed from the generation to generation. This reason has made children who feel that their character is not worthy to blame their parent as the cause in both nurturing and through the nature. The similarity between nature and nurture agrees that the IQ is both inherited and acquired. (Santrock, 2012)
The operant theory will predict that Karen’s behavior for the next group meeting would be joyous than the previous one. This is because Karen would have interacted with other people and avoided the trauma and stress caused by loneliness. Using the operant theory one will be able to analyze the human behavior within a social environment as well as be able to analyze person interactions socially. Since Karen had gathered the courage to speak out her problem in a council session, it is predicted that in the next group session she will be happy.
Considering the need to obtain a successful resolution in every stage of psychological development, the theory of Erickson development will be of importance in understanding the positive and negative impacts of Karen. At the stage intimacy and verse isolation. The positive impact on Karen’s situation according to Erickson was that Karen was in a relationship that had led to a longer commitment with somebody who was not a member of her family. A successful completion of this relationship could have made Karen to feel safety, committed and cared within the relationship. The negative impact was that the relationship did not work out this led to the feeling of avoiding intimacy as well as fearing commitment. It leads isolation depression and a lot of loneliness.
A social learning would predict the behavior of the next session to be more appealing because Karen would have been able to overcome lonely ness and depressions that had been caused by heartbreak from her previous relation. The other members of the counseling session will be eager to see the improvement on Karen. Multidimensional views could be applied to solve Karen’s problem by making sure every participant in the counseling sessions speaks to Katherine. By so doing Karen, would be relieved the depression and feeling of loneliness (Zock, 1990).
Erick-son theory of development has greatly contributed in the psychological field. The theory is used by physician to give guidelines to the parents on how to feed, toilet training and handled exploration of their children who are below five years. The theory is in school, social relations and relationship to guide teenagers and youth who involve them self in love affairs. The theory has contributed a lot to society because it is used by parents in their parenthood to enable them to nurture thing that will outlast them. It is also of importance in workplace and leadership as an adult needs to look back at their life and be able to give wisdom and not regret on their failure.
