Developmental Analysis Paper 1
Developmental Analysis: Childhood and Adolescence
Bobby Rogers
Liberty University
HSCO-502
February 18,2022
Developmental Analysis Paper 2
Personal Introduction of Childhood – Adolescence
My name is Bobby Rogers, and I grew up in rural Alabama with my biological mother and
father. I grew up with three sibling brothers of which I am the oldest. Me and my three brothers
grew up remarkably close My primary upbring was done by my Father and Mother with input
from my paternal grandmother. My family socioeconomic background, I guess you can say we
were the working poor. My father and Mother all ways work, and we had our basic needs met,
but not much more. In my early development I was very shy I rarely talk in public and stayed
away from crowds. My entire family and I attend church every first Sunday, however, my father,
brothers, and I attend Sunday school all four Sunday. My mother attend only on the first Sunday.
In school I was an above average student who because of my shyness did average work. I was
heavy into sports me and my brothers we played football, basketball, and baseball. Even though
we attend church on a regular basis I had truly little understanding of Judea Christian principles
mainly because my pastor was primarily a southern Baptist African America pastor who was
principally a sing preacher and could never grasp the clear message of the gospel. However, my
moral upbring was based on the Ten Commandment. In my adolescences I had this keen
awareness of the spiritual side of things. My parents were married for 47 years up until my
mother passing. I was considered the brother and cousin everyone shared their secrets with good
and bad. I also was the one that had the tag as the one that everybody thought was the nice one,
who did nothing bad, which to me was a burden to try to live up to. I join the army at age
seventeen become a born-again Christian at 19 and husband at 19 and a father at 22. I can say
with gladness I am still married to that same woman 37 years later.
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Theoretical Perspectives of Development
Human development is the process in which human being develop from adolescences to
adulthood. The way and method that we identify human progression methods could be called a
“theoretical perspective on development” (Broderick & Blewitt, 2014, p.7). The theoretical
perspective is the frame in which social scientist define the stages of development of human
beings. There are several developmental theories, however, most social scientist refers to four
classic theoretical development theories in the study of human development, they are: “Freud,”
“Piaget’s,” “Erikson’s,” and “Bowlby’s attachment” (Broderick & Blewitt, 2014, p.7). Broderick
& Blewitt (2014) analysis of human development theories indicate that some of the most
influential early theories of development described human change as occurring in stages (p.7).
Many development theories suggest human development occur in four phases: infancy,
childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Adolescence is the stage of human development between
the ages of 12 through 18. According Jaworska & MacQueen (2015) study, “in the broadest
sense, adolescence refers to the period marking the transition from childhood to adulthood, and
that historically, this typically spans from 12 to 18 years of age.”
Stage of Development According to Freud
Sigmund Freud development theory of childhood and adolescence is based on five pillars of
development. “These pillars are oral (age 0-1), anal (ages 1-3), phallic (3 -6), latency(6-puberty)
and genital (puberty -adulthood)” (Broderick & Blewitt ,2014, p.10). Broderick & Blewitt (2014)
notes that according to Freud, “the adult personality functions as if there were three personalities,
or aspects of personality, all potentially in conflict with one another”. The “id” is the biological
self, the ego and the super ego are developed to be the governor that make sure the “id” is
functioning properly. (Broderick & Blewitt ,2014, p.8). Freud theory suggest that human
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development is constantly in conflict, and that for the human personality to advance to the next
stage the conflict must be conquered to proceed to the next stage of development. I do not see
much of by development in my childhood and adolescences in Freud theory. If there is one area,
I could possibly relate to, it is in the anal stage which consider to be between the ages of one
through three. Freud theory suggest at this stage harsh potty training can cause an oral fixation
which develop personality tendencies to be messy and greedy. Of course, this is a stage of my
life I cannot remember. However, I do remember as a preschooler child that I was a messy in my
coloring and always colored outside the lines and never was neat and orderly in coloring or
building blocks tasks. However, my father note I was not greedy. Freud theory relies heavily on
sexual references which was difficult for me to assess in my childhood and adolescent
development with Freud theory of development I could not find any parallels to my childhood
and adolescents’ development. Knight (2021) suggest that “Freud’s theory of psychosexual
development, and its ideas have never been scientifically proven or substantive”.
Stage of Development According to Erikson
Broderick & Blewitt ,2014 notes that according to Erikson’s the psychosocial aspects of
behavior: attitudes and feelings toward the self and toward others is crucial to the developmental
process (p.11). Erikson stage of development consist of eight psychological stages: trust vs.
mistrust (ages 0-1), autonomy vs. shame and doubt (ages 1-3), initiative vs. guilt (ages 3-6),
industry vs. inferiority (ages 6-12), identity vs. role confusion(ages12-20), intimacy vs. isolation
(young adulthood), generativity vs. stagnation (middle adulthood), and ego integrity vs. despair
(late adulthood) (Broderick & Blewitt ,2014, p.11). Erikson’s developmental theory emphasizes
the conflict that individuals will face at each stage of development; however, unlike Freud theory
of development, Erikson’s does not place a great deal of concern in whether the individual
resolves the conflict at each stage. I can relate to Erikson’s stage initiative vs. guilt. Dunkel &
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Harbke (2017) notes that Erikson’s stage initiative vs. guilt rates of goal pursuit,
accomplishment, and failure determine the outcome of the stage. Children who progress through
the “initiative vs guilt” stage can successfully pursue goals develop a sense of purpose as
opposed to feeling aimless” (Dunkel & Harbke (2017).
My father assists me with this stage he told me of an incident in which I do not remember.
He said it scared he and my mother half to death. I was three and developing and sense of
independence. My father said my mother took me to visit this elderly lady who was our neighbor
that live about a quarter of a mile from our home. This lady gave me an apple. However, a week
had pass and my father said one day I came up missing and they search for me and could not find
me. What I had done was gone back to our elderly neighbor house to get me another apple.
According to Erikson’s I was in the stage of developing my sense of independence tied to use of
my new mental and motor skills (p.11).
Stage of Development According to Piaget
Jean Piaget’s theory of stage of development is centered on the idea of the cognitive
development of children. His theory suggest that human being develop through four distinct
stages of mental development (Broderick & Blewitt ,2014, p.12). Piaget’s theory premise is
founded on understanding how children gather information in the four stages of development.
These stages or sensorimotor (ages 0-2), preoperational(age2-7), concrete operational (age 7-11),
and formal operational (age 12-up) (Broderick & Blewitt ,2014, p.12). Stoltz (2018) concludes
that Piaget’s theory of development can be understood as the cognitive process of assimilating
one's own functioning or that of the other when interacting with physical objects, people, and
oneself.
Piaget’s concrete operational applies to my childhood in that at this stage I learn to count
and add numbers, I also became aware my skin color and realize I was viewed differently by my
Developmental Analysis Paper 6
aunts and uncles because of my skin being of a darker hue. Therefore, I developed insecurities
and was a very shy during this stage thinking that everyone saw me the same way my aunts and
uncles.
Nature versus Nurture
Nature verse nurture in human development is an ongoing debate among social scientists.
Nature is the aspect of development that centers around my physical inherited attribute such as
my genes, muscles, and brain. Wherein my nurture is center in my upbringings my environment,
peer groups. I believe both nature and nurture played a part in my development; however, I
believe nurture can overcome in shortcoming left by nature. Developmental researchers
acknowledge that both nature and nurture influence most behavioral outcomes (Broderick &
Blewitt ,2014, p.21). My impacted from a nature versus nurture standpoint in my childhood and
adolescent developmental was my mother care When I was bullied as a child a called names as a
child by peers and relatives. She loved me. I was her oldest child, but she treated me like I was
the most special boy in the world. I remember a time when I was six and I soil my clothes at
school and all the kids were laughing at me she came and did not discipline me but clean me up
and loved on me. Because of her nurturing, it kept me from drugs, alcohol, or jail in my later life
because by heredity my family engaged in all that.
Bowlby’s Attachment
Bowlby’s attachment theory focuses on the emotional early bonds between the child and
caregiver. Conforming to Bowlby’s theory “the bond formed in the earliest stage of an infancy
has a significant impact on a child’s development throughout the entire life of the person, and
that there is a three phases system in that development,” “orienting,” “recognition,” and
“intuitive parenting” systems (Broderick & Blewitt ,2014, p.136). Bowlby argues that the early
relationship plays an influential role in personality and behavior development (Broderick &
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Blewitt ,2014, p.136). According to Stevenson-Hinde (2007), “Bowlby’s premises is that in early
childhood the method of communication that a child adopts toward his or her caregiver will in
the future use that same manner of communication towards themselves”.
Bowlby’s attachment theory is relevant to my own childhood and adolescent
developmental processes in that early care giver was my mother and my bond to her was
incredibly deep. However, I cannot identify any of the development periods between birth and
ten months old due to my mother passing several years ago.
Faith Development
Fowler faith development theory is balanced on the hypothesis that humans develop through
stages. Fowler connotes that development taken place over six stages. These stages are intuitive -
projective (ages 0-6), mythic-literal (ages 7-12), synthetic-conventional faith (ages 13 -20),
individuative-reflective (ages 21-30), conjunctive (ages 31-60), universalizing (ages over 60)
(Broderick & Blewitt ,2014, p.568). Fowler overarching theme in his development theory is faith
gives meaning to people lives and relations and that faith and religion are not synonymous
according to his theory. Fowler’s Stages of Faith and Identity the are relevant to my own
childhood and adolescent developmental processes in that I can remember when I was in the
mystic literal stage of having this fairy tale like belief. When I was seven, I told my mother I can
make it rain and stop it from raining when I got ready all I had to do was tell God make it rain
and he would do it, and then if I want it to stop, I will just tell God to stop it from raining. My
mother got a big chuckle out of my child like faith. I also remember transition into the reality of
my soul condition when I was twelve, I heard a sermon that spoke about hell and at that point
hell became real to me and my need of savior became real to me. I ask my parents could I be
baptized this took place between the age of eleven and twelve. According to Fowler I was in the
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stage of mystic literal where I saw God as a father and recognized clearly what was right and
wrong (p.568).
Challenges and Success
My personal challenge was learning how overcome my insecurities cause by my speech
impediment and shyness. I struggle with stuttering and with eye contact with other people. I
often went hungry at school because I was afraid to eat in front of other people. I did not
overcome this until I was 16 and sports had a lot to do with it. I believe a success for me was
overcoming my speech impediment at seventeen I was voted senior class president and had to do
a speech at graduation.
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References
Broderick,HP.HC., & Blewitt,HP. (2014).HThe life span: Human development for helping
professionals- With video-enhanced Pearson Etext access card. Pearson College
Division.
Dunkel, C. S., & Harbke, C. (2017). A Review of Measures of Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial
Development: Evidence for a General Factor.Journal of Adult Development,24(1), 58-
76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10804-016-9247-4
Jaworska, N., PhD, & MacQueen, Glenda, MD, PhD. (2015). Adolescence as a unique
developmental period.Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience,40(5), 291-
293.Hhttps://doi.org/10.1503/jpn.150268
Knight, R. (2021). Reconsidering development in psychoanalysis.The Psychoanalytic Study of
the Child,, 1-18.Hhttps://doi.org/10.1080/00797308.2021.1996123
Stevenson-Hinde, J. (2007). Attachment theory and john bowlby: Some reflections.Attachment
& Human Development,9(4), 337-342.Hhttps://doi.org/10.1080/14616730701711540
Stoltz, T. (2018). Consciousness in Piaget: Possibilities of understanding.Psicologia, reflex*o e
cr+tica,31(1), 1-9.Hhttps://doi.org/10.1186/s41155-018-0110-3
