The Impact of Psychological Factors in Infants and Children

The Impact of Psychological Factors in Infants and Children The development of personality in infancy and childhood is the central theme in the psychology as it forms the basis of subsequent behavior, feelings, and associations. The Psychosocial Theory of Development by Erik Erikson is one of the theories that I find interesting. According to Erikson, the eight stage theory stresses the way a child interacts with the society and the experiences which form the sense of identity and competence. To illustrate, stage one such as trust versus mistrust points to the continuity of care giving as a source of security and neglect or inconsistency as a source of anxiety or mistrust in adulthood. The holiness of this theory regarding the role of emotions and social factors in developmental processes is what makes it particularly useful in explaining how children develop resilience. Practically, there are advantages and difficulties in evaluating psychological aspects in children. One of the key advantages is the existence of systematic instruments and developmental standards. But one of the main issues is that the communication abilities of children are still in progress and it is not easy to determine their moods and their desires. The test results can also be culturally and environmentally influenced and practitioners have to interpret the results carefully. The movie character under analysis had considerable attachment issues during the childhood because of the absence of parents that resulted in emotional instability and the lack of ability to establish trusting relationships. This is consistent with the attachment theory by Bowlby, that attaches emphasis on a secure caregiver bond. The positive reinforcement should be embraced by caregivers and educators to improve self concept of a child, promote autonomy and provide a steady emotional support. The children can be made to feel that they are competent and valued people by creating conditions that promote sense of belonging and competence. Reference Zastrow, C., Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hessenauer, S. L. (2022). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.