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Reflection Paper on Human Development

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Published: Mar 16, 2024

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Key concepts and theories of human development, impact of environmental and genetic factors on development, implications for personal and professional growth.

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Human Development Essay: Topics, Examples, & How-to Guide

A human development essay is a piece of writing that explores how a person or group of people can grow and thrive. Several disciplines study these processes and might require you to get ready with this kind of assignment:

• Biology analyzes human body development issues throughout our lifespan;
• Psychology views human development as gaining or abandoning certain behavioral trends;
• Sociology explains the cause-and-effect relationships between an individual and a group;
• Economics studies the growth of human freedoms through the improvement of their well-being.

This article systematizes the available bulk of knowledge on the importance of human development. We have collected the essential concepts and approaches you can explore through our human development essay topics and samples.

💵 Human Development in Economics

🤯 human development in psychology.

• 🧒 Human Growth Essay Topics
• 📑 Outlining Your Essay
• 1️⃣ HD Theories: Essay Example
• 2️⃣ HD & Economic Growth: Essay Example

The first Human Development Report introduced this notion back in 1990 . But the discussion of the relationship between economic growth and human development started in the middle of the 20 th century.

Now we believe that GDP is not the only indicator of our well-being . Human life is more than just selling, buying, and consuming.

Human development in economics focuses on the creation of equal rights and opportunities for everyone . This approach states that the entire society would prosper from the happiness of each of its members.

In these terms, human development has two dimensions:

• enhancement of human abilities;
• provision of prerequisites for our growth.

The former explores how we could ensure that everyone has access to education , healthcare, and decent living conditions. The latter involves achieving environmental sustainability and equality of rights and opportunities for people of all genders, ages, and ethnic backgrounds.

Human Development Index

The Human Development Index (HDI) emphasizes that people and their well-being are the criteria for a country’s prosperity, not only its economic growth.

Today, we use HDI to question the efficiency of national policy. It also allows us to compare different countries with the same GDP but different human development levels. Analyzing this data, governments can refocus their priorities and correct past mistakes.

HDI is calculated as the geometric mean of the following normalized indices:

• Life expectancy at birth is used to calculate the life expectancy index, where 85 years is the maximum.
• The education index is the sum of the expected and mean years of schooling divided by 2.
• This index is determined as GNI per capita.

Meanwhile, HDI is not as comprehensive as one might expect. HDRO (the Human Development Report Office) claims that it does not consider human inequalities, the empowerment of minorities, poverty levels, and gender disparity .

Psychology views human development from an individual’s perspective. This discipline distinguishes between three directions of human development.

• Physical changes occur in our bodies. How do we grow from a baby into an adult and from an adult into an older person? How do we acquire new motor skills, and what is the biology of our senses? What do our brains consist of , and how do they change with age? Correct answers to these questions help us explain the next direction.
• Cognitive changes cause the development of human behavior. What goes on in our brain that defines what kind of people we are? This domain focuses on logical thinking, learning, understanding, moral reasoning , and practical intelligence. It searches for the ways we could learn faster and become better versions of ourselves.
• Psychosocial changes track the growth of our social skills and preferences. It all starts with the principal caregiver. Gradually, we begin to interact with more people, such as friends, distant relatives, educators, and colleagues. It is all about our self-image, self-esteem , emotions, and relationships. The psychosocial domain also studies our ways to cope with losses or death.

Human Development Theories

The history of psychology knows many human development theories, many of which are still trusted. We will focus on the two fundamental approaches. They divide childhood into several critical stages that define our character, habits, likes, relationships, and even success in life.

Piaget’s 4 Stages of Cognitive Development

Piaget’s theory is the most widely accepted approach to child development. He believed that children construct knowledge while they manipulate and explore the objects around them. Jean Piaget marked four stages of cognitive development .

• Sensorimotor stage (0-2 years). A child learns that objects do not disappear. Their activity is all about experimenting with things to see what happens. This stage should culminate with developing the deferred imitation skill. It involves the ability to reproduce an action or sound made by another person later.
• Preoperational stage (2-6 years). Children use symbols to represent words and ideas. They develop the language and make-believe play but still lack logical reasoning . They are egocentric and cannot imagine that other people may feel or think differently.
• Concrete operational stage (6-12 years). Thinking becomes logical and focused. Children develop inductive reasoning: they observe to make generalizations about the world around them. But they still struggle with deductive thinking.
• Formal operational stage (12 years – adulthood). Abstract thinking emerges. They learn to develop theoretical ideas to explain the world.

Freud’s 5 Stages of Psychosexual Development

The Father of Psychoanalysis believed that human personality consisted of ego, superego, and id. They become unified and inseparable once the child passes the five stages of psychosexual development.

• Oral stage (0-1 year). The mouth is the pleasure center for the infant. That is why everyone is born with a sucking reflex. If the oral needs are not met during the first year of life, the child can start biting their nails or suck a thumb.
• Anal stage (1-3 years). Children gain control over their bodily functions. They experiment with feces. But early toilet training can make a child too obsessed with order.
• Phallic stage (3-6 years). Children find out the pleasure they can get from their genitals. According to Freud, this is when the sexual desire to the parent of the opposite sex emerges. Boys go through the Oedipus complex. They want to replace their father and see him as a rival in the mother’s love. Later, Carl Jung spoke of the Electra Complex, a similar mechanism in girls.
• Latency stage (6-12 years). Sexual instincts give way to the superego. During this period, children adopt the moral principles and values of their parents.
• Genital stage (12+ years). Sexual instincts reemerge. If all the above steps passed successfully, adolescents would show appropriate sexual behavior.

But this theory is too controversial to be taken for granted. Do parents define their child’s sexual and aggressive drives? Nobody knows for sure.

💡 232 Human Development Essay Topics

Since human development is a debatable and scarcely studied area of knowledge, it offers a whole lot of topics to discuss. For your convenience, we have divided them into two categories:

• The first can be used for essays on human development psychology.
• The second includes human growth and development essay topics in economics and sociology.

155 Human Development Topics (Psychology)

Psychology focuses on the emotional, intellectual, and social development of an individual. Scientists traditionally divide this growth into stages, according to the respective age. That is why the topics here can be about early childhood, parent-child relationships, school years, adolescence, marriage, and divorce .

• Child psychology: Theories of development by J. Piaget .
• How can parents facilitate their child’s relationships with peers?
• Divorce: Psychological effects on children .
• Which purposes does attachment play in infants?
• Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of development.
• Which ideas of Freud’s psychosexual development theory do you think are valid?
• Find the common features between Freud’s psychosexual theory and Erikson’s psychosocial theory.
• Child development and education.
• Explore the causes of inferiority complex in adolescents.
• Children’s play: An ingredient needed in children’s learning .
• How does one’s sense of self influence their future relationships?
• Corporal punishment and its effects on children.
• Why do we need to reward the feeling of gratitude in adolescents?
• What is the role of the family in shaping our social well-being?
• Developmental psychology in adolescence.
• Describe the principles of caregiving you consider as healthy and beneficial.
• Personal development plan .
• What is social knowledge, and where do we gain it?
• Write a human development theories essay.
• Emotional development in children and adults.
• What do the preferred leisure activities of adolescents tell us about their development?
• Early childhood classroom environment plan .
• Does the gender of the main caregiver matter?
• Study the effect of orphanage education on a child’s psychology.
• The introduction to early childhood education.
• Is a child’s family or school more defining for their development?
• Second life : Professional development and communication .
• How does patriarchal prejudice undermine the intellectual growth in girls?
• Does the lack of college-level education make a person less smart?
• Sigmund Freud’s personality and psychoanalysis.
• How did dr. Maria Montessori use human tendencies for child development?
• Adult learning theories .
• How does a father’s toxic masculinity impact a boy’s emotional well-being?
• Early childhood cognitive-based philosophy .
• Make a research summary of the role of IQ in human development.
• Explore the causes of the “terrible threes.”
• Lifespan human development: perspective and theories.
• Write a reflection about risk-taking behaviors in teenagers.
• Linking human development to the human condition .
• Is poverty the worst factor for a child’s development?
• Early childhood education activities and trends .
• Analyze the consequences of substance abuse in adolescence.
• Cognitive behavioural therapy for depression in adults .
• Do children adopt their same-sex parent’s gender roles in adulthood?
• Child abuse and neglect effects on adult survivors .
• What is the role of creativity in a preschooler’s development?
• Tools of the mind in the early childhood development.
• Do you agree that all psychological disorders of children under 12 are caused by an unhealthy family atmosphere?
• The theories of child development .
• How do we learn to control our emotions?
• How autistic children develop and learn?
• Analyze the major results of gender-neutral education.
• Early childhood education and skills development .
• When is the due time to start sex education of children and why?
• Erik Erikson’s theory of development .
• What is the tole of symbolic function and make-believe play in a child’s development?
• Family structure and its effects on children .
• Why is egocentrism in children normal?
• Infant development.
• Establish the relationship between language development and intellectual growth.
• Biological, cognitive, and socioemotional development .
• Sexism in human development theories.
• How an operant conditioning influences child development .
• Awareness of age-related change helps to live a healthy life.
• Middle childhood and adolescence development.
• The adverse effect of malnutrition in a child’s development.
• Assessment in early childhood: Special education .
• When is stress positive and negative for the psychological development of an individual?
• How video games affect children .
• Analyze human development in multigenerational families.
• Erickson’s psychosocial development and its stages.
• Compare and contrast the American and Japanese approaches to education and their results.
• Theoretical perspectives on human development: Freud, Piaget, and Skinner .
• The role of controlled independence in childhood.
• Technology impacts on the new generation of children .
• Why is periodical boredom necessary for a child to develop?
• Learning and student development theories and factors .
• Why is human development the basic need of any society?
• The development of secure and insecure attachments in children .
• Why is intellectual growth so pleasurable for us?
• Moral and personality development.
• If the human development mechanism is equal for all, why are we so different?
• 21 st century skills development .
• Why do modern sociologists think we should work less?
• Peer pressure on children in high school .
• What could we learn from the indigenous African tribes in terms of the psychological development of children?
• Interaction for child’s development and learning.
• Schools: an unknown war where we miss our childhood?
• Effects of media on children .
• To which degree do genes determine our development?
• Jean Piaget – cognitive theorist.
• Why are foster children less prepared for adult life than their adopted peers?
• When should children start school ?
• When do children stop learning through play?
• Managing stress better: Personal development .
• Which socio-emotional factors make aging less depressing?
• Preschool play role in the cognitive development.
• The benefits and drawbacks of grandparents’ raising children.
• Autism as the most prevalent developmental mental disorder .
• How does lifelong learning benefit human brain?
• Teaching and supporting adult learners .
• How does lifestyle influence our cognition?
• Parent-child relationships and parental authority .
• Should adults develop an awareness of their aging?
• Early intervention for young children with autism.
• Why do scientists no longer view aging as a negative process?
• Development and improvement of communication skills .
• Which factors define our ability for emotional regulation?
• Child’s play observation and parent interview .
• Compare the Christian and Muslim cultural differences in human development.
• The early abuse’ impacts on teenagers emotional development .
• Are private nurseries and schools better for children’s development?
• Behavior change in learning processes.
• Why is generation alpha more emotionally intelligent than any earlier-born children?
• Videogame addiction and its impact on children .
• Shout less and explain more: the effect of the modern approach to caregiving.
• Adult education, its objectives and approaches .
• Why should we tell our daughters they are smart rather than beautiful?
• Personal development: Career management .
• How does social change impact the life of an individual? Give examples.
• Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s child development theories.
• Suggest mentoring interventions for at-risk adolescents.
• Adult learning and effective instruction .
• To which extent should we normalize children with developmental disorders?
• Negative impacts of adult cartoon television programs on children .
• Do developmental differences make us more human?
• Social psychology in people’s life.
• Do all families need psychotherapy, like they need a family doctor?
• Childhood sexual abuse and adolescents’ self-esteem .
• Which barriers do LGBT adolescents meet in their development?
• Life-span development and personal life experiences .
• Outline a positive youth development program.
• Understanding learning: theories’ impacts.
• Explain eating disorders as the result of incorrect upbringing.
• The influence of online games on children and adults .
• Describe the changes our brain suffers under continuous stress.
• The psychological effect of 9-11 on young adults .
• Typical vs. Atypical development in children.
• Social psychology: group influence on the self.
• Why is mindfulness important for human development?
• Importance of a teacher in child development .
• We learn behavioral health from our parents.
• Divorce influence on childrens’ mental health.
• How do behavioral phenotypes emerge during early development?
• Child development theories: Comparative analysis .
• Why do many children function differently in home, school, or community settings?
• Communication role in the children’ development .
• Suggest ways to identify co-occurring conditions in developmental disorders.
• Psychological child development theories.
• Describe the existing approaches to establishing healthy schools.
• Piaget’s stages of cognitive development .
• Parental autonomy vs. Monitoring: which is better for an adolescent?
• Postpartum depression effect on children’s development .
• How do parents’ beliefs and values determine their parenting strategies?
• Childhood and optimal development analysis .

77 Human Development Topics (Economics)

• How entrepreneurship in the energy sector can pave the way for sustainable development in Africa .
• What are the parties involved in human development, and why don’t they share the same interests?
• Should we care about income inequality ?
• Why does totalitarianism entail stagnation?
• Democratic and Economic Development in Asian Countries.
• Do migrant incomes spur economic development in their native countries?
• International human resource development .
• How does the growth of female entrepreneurship favor economics?
• A development of American society .
• How can equal rights and possibilities of all people make governments more efficient?
• Resolving the problems of poverty and income inequality .
• How does the availability of loans benefit human development?
• Development Theory and Human Rights.
• Should towns transform into cities to become more prosperous?
• Resource availability for low to moderate income families in New York City .
• Is feminism a sign of human evolution?
• Rapid urbanization in the developing world is increasing .
• What is the impact of literacy campaigns in socially disadvantaged rural areas?
• Poverty reduction in developing countries .
• Find the relationship between water resources and the level of farming development in a given region.
• Human Rights for Development.
• Explore the growing urban-rural interactions in large cities.
• Employment opportunity for people with learning disabilities in the UK .
• Give examples of win-win scenarios in human evolution.
• Analysing a community development: Case study .
• Why do societies often ignore or resist the advantages of human development?
• How innovation and growth strategy will develop Abu Dhabi economy through Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 .
• Study the role of recreational possibilities for the local population.
• Values of innovation and entrepreneurship in economic development .
• The effect of food availability on human development.
• Millennium Development and Well-Being of Families.
• Do you support transnational social movements, and why?
• Compensation and benefits in an area of human resources development .
• Do religions favor economic development?
• Influence of religion on the development of colonial American society .
• Analyze the impact of socioeconomic context on human development.
• Is nationalism beneficial for a country’s well-being?
• The development of the industrial work environment .
• Which factors impede poor people from growing their capital?
• Crime prevention through social development .
• Is leisure more critical for economic growth than production?
• Alternative Fuels and the US Nation Development.
• Should the government regulate human development, or is it unpredictable?
• Development traps and failure: The negative consequences of disasters on the economy .
• What are the external factors of human development in emerging countries?
• Fiscal decentralisation and local economic development in Ghana .
• Human Development Index (HDI) Vs. Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
• National human resource development in Asian states .
• Which aspects would you include in the HDI formula?
• Is late retirement beneficial for a country’s economic development?
• Environment: Sustainable Development in Abu Dhabi.
• Which material conditions affect human evolution?
• The critical points of equal employment opportunity .
• The role of sustainable development in a country’s well-being.
• Globalization drives inequality: Liberalist and structuralist perspectives .
• What is the primary goal of human development for economics?
• The income gap in the US economy .
• Are elevated birth rates a positive or negative factor for economic growth?
• Human resources development in the UK and Australia .
• What is the relationship between foreign capital penetration and human life expectancy in third-world countries?
• Economic and Social Development of the UAE.
• How does ethnic homogeneity influence human development in a given area?
• Gender wage gap and inequality .
• Why is the majority of wealthy countries democratic?
• Human resource development practices to achieve economic growth: The case of Singapore .
• Analyze the role of free medicine in social well-being.
• How can the employment of the disabled favor a country’s economy?
• Assessing why Nigeria LNG has been restricted in development .
• How is the work/family balance of employees important for a company’s prosperity?
• Workforce development and modern trends .
• Explore the effect of an individual’s well-being on a country’s development.
• Small business and development in South Africa .
• How does democratization improve a country’s productivity?
• Regional inequality of Yogyakarta .
• How does English training in third-world countries influence their development?
• Post-disaster development of Haiti .
• New conceptions of adulthood among the youth in the developing countries.

🧒 Human Growth and Development Essay Topics

• The impact of aging on human development.
• How do role models promote moral and behavioral development in the 21st century?
• Socioeconomic factors and their value in growth and development.
• The development of moral predispositions at an early age.
• The value of professional development of a person.
• Genetic regulation of growth in height and weight in teenagers.
• The role of initiative and guilt in the preschool age group.
• What are the main red flags in growth and development?
• Child health and human development over the lifespan.
• Emotional development of a person from birth to old age.
• Regulation of early human growth: the main peculiarities.
• COVID-19 and its role in children’s social development.
• How does environmental pollution affect human growth and development?
• The language development in humans and its key stages.
• How does maternal physical activity influence fetal growth?

Haven’t found the perfect topic in the lists above? Use our essay topic generator !

📑 Human Development Essay Outline

1. Introduction. By the end of your essay, your readers will surely forget what you wrote here. But do not underestimate the effect of a well-composed introduction on your audience’s expectations! Do your best to sound inspiring and upbeat in your human development essay introduction. Tell yourself, why did you select this topic? If it is an exciting issue for you, the readers will also get interested. So, the introduction speaks about the topicality and urgency of a problem. The thesis statement culminates your introduction. You should explain your position in a single sentence. Here are some good and bad examples:

Need to formulate a thesis statement? Use our thesis-making tool !

2. Main body. The primary rule here is structure. It is hard to read one long paragraph with many ideas. Introduce each argument from the new line. Give a topic sentence at the beginning of each section and then elaborate on it with examples and reflections.

3. Conclusion. In the field of human development, the conclusion of an essay should provide the prospects of the tendency you analyzed. Imagine yourself an analyst consulting an international company. What will happen if they continue doing the same? How can they reach different results? Once again, try to sound inspiring.

1️⃣ Human Development Essay Example #1 (Psychology)

Below you will find a sample of human development essays for a psychology-related discipline. It illustrates the outline we have mentioned above based on the topic Why Is Freud’s Developmental Theory considered outdated?

Human Development Theories Essay

1. Introduction. In the XXI century, we are all obsessed with development. We would like to become a better version of ourselves, develop our country, and humanity as a whole. Unfortunately, there is no axiom confirming the mechanism of human development.

Thesis statement. This essay explores the pitfalls of Freud’s developmental theory and questions its applicability.

2. Main Body.

Argument 1. Freud drew his theory from memories of his patients. But certain experiences people believe are true often turn out to be inaccurate. Sometimes, we fabricate our memories due to how we felt back then or would like to feel now. Thus, Freud used unreliable sources of information about child development.

Argument 2. Freud’s theory revolves around sexuality . But as Jung and Adler noticed, human life is more complicated than that. Oversimplification reduces us to instincts, which is not true. People have their subconscious fears and desires, but sexual energy is only one of their aspects.

Argument 3. Sigmund Freud only worked with adults. All adults are former children, but the researcher never studied children in their games, education, or frustrations. Freud had six kids, but his career never allowed him to spend much time with family. It is questionable how someone could draw conclusions about a child’s mental processes without actually speaking to a child.

3. Conclusion. Sigmund Freud largely contributed to modern psychology. He was the first to question our rational thinking and intellectual sobriety. But his five stages of psychosexual development are far from reality. First, they are constructed based on inaccurate and unreliable reports of mentally disturbed people. Second, sexuality is only one of the many things that make us who we are. Third, the scientist never did live research on children. That is why his theory is outdated now.

2️⃣ Human Development Essay Example #2 (Economics)

If you need to write an essay on human development while studying economics, you may use the following sample. It illustrates how to write an essay on the relationship between human development and economic growth.

Human Development and Economic Growth

1. Introduction. What happened first, human development or economic growth ? The early signs of economic growth appeared when the first people started exchanging their goods with the neighboring tribes. They had to develop a new skill and change their picture of the world to catalyze economic growth.

Thesis statement. This essay aims to confirm the two-way linkage between the development of individuals and economic growth.

Argument 1. If that first exchange of crops and cattle did not work out, we would have never got as developed as we are now. The economic growth that happened once we had mastered “business negotiations” gave us the necessary resources to develop other skills.

Argument 2. Human development is hardly predictable. The most significant improvements in technology, medicine, construction, and science happened during the most challenging times for humanity. The two world wars showed that we could develop when the economy is in decay. But the new production methods and scientific achievements give us an opportunity to grow the economy when things get better.

Argument 3. Economic growth without human development is limited. For example, when a third-world country receives an external capital inflow, its economy stabilizes or even grows. But if its population does not acquire new models of doing business, the money will end. Such a country will return to its previous poor condition.

3. Conclusion. It would be wrong to say that human development caused economic growth or vice versa. None of the two are possible without the other. Human development happened first, but further knowledge acquisition required economic growth. Improvement of the economy does not guarantee human intellectual growth. Meanwhile, it is an indispensable prerequisite for our development.

❓ Human Development Questions & Answers

What does the science of human development seek to understand.

This science tries to find the reasons why people tend to change over time or why they remain at the same level. It establishes the mechanisms through which we become more educated, moral, organized, and civilized. The science also describes the benefits and drawbacks of human development for the economy, sociology, psychology, and ecology.

What is Human Development and Family Studies?

Human Development and Family Studies focuses on the health and psychology of individuals throughout their lifespan. This area of knowledge discusses human life in the context of their family relationships and social roles. It is an interdisciplinary science that involves psychology, economy, and sociology.

How does culture affect human development?

Culture defines the way we perceive society and the world as a whole. It affects our vision of reality from early childhood. Culture influences our beliefs, values, and purposes. Moreover, it is a decisive factor for our self-image as an individual and a member of society.

What makes the study of human development a science?

The study of human development explores how we learn, mature, and adapt to changes and adverse conditions. It is largely related to psychology but also involves sociology, economics, anthropology, and biology. It is a science because it aims to describe, predict, and understand the changes in human behavior that bring us to development.

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Sir, I would like to write about human race of Asian paper, so please help me some idea how to write. and decide for me sir. Thank you

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Human Growth & Development Class: Lessons Learnt Self Evaluation Essay

Introduction, lessons learnt, works cited.

Human beings are in a constant state of growth and development throughout their lives. This growth and development may take a physical or a mental dimension. While growth and development are constantly occurring, some situations may increase the rate at which this process occurs. To me, the psychology human growth and development class that I have undertaken is one of the events which cause immense psychological growth and developments in me.

Most of this growth has been a direct result of the material that this class has exposed me to. The new life philosophies and ways of thinking that I have come to learn have had a deep impact on my life. In this paper, I shall give a deep reflection on what I have learned in my psychology human growth and development class. In particular, I shall demonstrate how I have grown into a more psychologically mature person as a result of this class.

A huge lesson that I have learned in my class is on holding on to my values. Values are the basic building blocks of a successful and functional society. Values can be defined as what society judges to be of importance or worthy. These values color our human reality with new ways of understanding. Having values is an issue of great importance since, without them, our lives become somewhat meaningless and we can therefore not live optimally.

One of the values that I hold is that of respect According to me, respect entails treating everyone with dignity at all times no matter their race, economic status, or creed. This means that I am not to discriminate or have a judgmental attitude towards others when dealing with them regardless of their situation.

This class has also made me re-examine the value of holding a positive attitude. A positive attitude to me means always being optimistic and maintaining the belief that a positive change will occur. A positive attitude may help to promote self-worthiness in a person. Possessing a positive attitude results in the likelihood of one imputing more effort in a task and therefore increases its probability to succeed. Positive attitudes also result in self-belief which may make one strive to achieve goals that they would have deemed as impossible without a positive attitude.

In addition to this, a positive attitude brings about enthusiasm when one is undertaking a certain task. Undoubtedly, there is a higher likelihood of one accomplishing their desired goals when they are enthusiastic about it as opposed to when they lack the passion for what they are doing.

Another value that I have come to appreciate is that of forgiving. All through my life, I have had people talk about the virtues of forgiveness. I have practiced forgives only when I thought it suited me. A particularly empowering quote that I have learned and taken as my life philosophy is that “Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die”. With this understanding, I am always quick to forgive even when it does not suit me since I realize that holding a grudge hurts me more than it hurts the other person.

Childhood Wisdom

Before undertaking this class, I always envisioned that the great wisdom that I needed to lead my life better was somewhere out there. In my view, the more learned I became the more I would acquire wisdom to help me deal with other people in life. The handout on “All I Need to Know I learned in kindergarten” by Robert Fulghum was a real eye-opener to me. Through this handout, I discovered that I already had in me the wisdom that I needed to lead a better life and relate better with others. A point that I have reapplied in my life is “Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody” (Fulghum 6).

Typically, I find it hard apologizing especially when I feel that I am the wronged party. This attitude has resulted in unnecessary disputes in my life. Also, it has caused me to lose valuable relationships because I was too proud to say sorry. By combining this childhood wisdom with the Dalai Lama’s instruction for the new millennium which states that “do not let a little dispute injure a great friendship”, I have gone out of my way to mending relationships that would otherwise break down due to lack of sincere apologies.

Another wisdom that I rediscovered from my kindergarten years is that I should clean up my mess (Fulghum 6). To me, cleaning up my mess means more than just tidying up after myself. Cleaning up to me means that if I do something wrong and damage a relationship, it is up to me to make amends. As such, it is my responsibility to try and rebuild any relationship I damage and I do not wait on others to make the corrections for me. This new attitude has been very helpful since people appreciate it when one owns up to their mistakes and takes steps to correct the wrongs that they have done.

Another childhood value as articulated by Robert Fulghum is “Play Fair”. To me, this means that I should treat others in the same manner that I would like to be treated. With this notion in mind, I always take care to be civil to others even when I do not feel that they deserve kind treatment from me. This is because I would appreciate it if others extended kind treatment to me even when I do not deserve it. By practicing “fair play” in all my dealings, I have found myself making more friends than I did in the past. My life has therefore been greatly enriched since every individual brings with them their unique perspective on life.

Effective Communication

My communication skills have been greatly improved as a result of this class. In particular, my listening skills have been honed. While listening is the most basic communication activity that man undertakes, I previously did not recognize its importance in communication efforts. Hearing is a natural ability which most people are born with and it only accounts for part of the listening process.

Listening, on the other hand, is a more complex endeavor and it involves several stages that culminate in the understanding of the spoken and unspoken words (Cleary 21). By practicing the “ten commandments of good listening”, I have become a better listener. One of the skills necessary for effective listening that I have acquired is active listening. Active listening is an approach that enables one to gain insights into the other parties’ viewpoints and hence communicate effectively. This type of listening is characterized by giving verbal affirmations to demonstrate that you understand what the speaker is saying as well as nudge him to proceed.

A poor listening habit that I previously had and was unaware of was that I tended to get easily distracted and hence zone out on the speaker. This habit was unbeneficial both to the speaker and to me. To the speaker, I appeared uninterested and bored and to me, I lost out on the point that the speaker was saying. By following the ten commandments of listening, I have learned to remove distractions and give verbal affirmations to demonstrate that I understand what the speaker is saying.

In addition to being a good listener, I have also learned the importance of effective communication. In particular, I have come to reconsider my communication style and how I can adapt it to better empower myself. Owing to my shy nature, I was previously keen to get along and be agreeable. This is because, from my childhood, I have been socialized to take the path of least resistance when dealing with people. In the course of this class, I have come to discover assertiveness as one of the styles of communication that greatly enhances a person’s effectiveness in the communication process therefore leading to the most desirable outcomes.

Bedell and Lennox articulate that assertiveness promotes interpersonal behavior that “attempts to maximize the person’s satisfaction of wants while considering the wants of other people” (43). Assertion emphasizes positive interpersonal relationships by providing a basis from which conflicts can be resolved constructively and respectfully. By practicing assertiveness, I have increased my self-esteem since assertive communication is based on the understanding that we all have a right to be afforded respect and we also bear the responsibility to reciprocate this respectfulness to others.

Life Lessons

Arguably the most profound lesson that I learned is that life is an informal school and every experience is an opportunity for me to learn. The emphasis on “every experience” was especially new to me since, in my view, only the experiences which worked were considered lessons. With this new understanding, I view failure and mistakes not as a waste but rather as lessons that make me a better person. An especially inspiring moment for me was as I was reading through Norma Cornett’s poem entitled “Tomorrow Never Comes”. As I read contemplated the words of the poem, I realized that I had been taking it for granted that the people who mean a lot to me will always be around. I also acknowledged that I took for granted all the little joys that my friends and family brought to my life.

The realization that tomorrow was not guaranteed jolted me out of this misconception. By constantly reminding myself that tomorrow may never come, I take the time to appreciate the moment and cherish the good moments that life presents to me. I try to say “I love you” to the people that I hold dear at every opportunity I get since by doing this, I will not have any regrets about today if indeed, tomorrow never comes.

Achieving Goals

From the knowledge learned in this class, I have learned the importance of having goals in life. While I do not consider myself a goalless person, in the past I did tend to go aimlessly in my quest to achieve my goals. By taking an honest self-evaluation, I have been able to come up with well-defined goals to help me be what you want to be in life. Previously, I always limited my goals to my current abilities.

This class has shown me that in as much as I should be realistic about setting my goals, I should not be afraid to dream and set high goals for myself. From the life lessons material I acquired in this class, I have come to appreciate the fact that what I make of my life is entirely up to me and I have all the resources that I need to make my dreams come true (The Process). With my goals in mind, I always remember that I am responsible for my own life and no one can realize my goals for me. Knowing this gives me the motivation that I need to give my life the best shot as I work towards my goals.

A truth that I have come to acknowledge is that the greatest enemy to achieving my goals is discouragement. Most people lose their way towards achieving their goals as a result of discouragement either from themselves or others. Through the life lessons, I have learned that I should never give in to discouragement. True I may have limitations in terms of money, skills, time, support, and other resources but this should never be an excuse for not working towards my goals.

Personal Interactions

Human beings are social creatures and as such, their interaction with others plays a very pivotal role in personal growth and development. Man cannot wholesomely exist in solitude and as a result of this, our encounters with others are of great importance. I am generally a very shy person and as a matter of fact, I did not speak to anyone in class until the last class where we were obligated to tell something about ourselves in front of the whole class. To me, this lesson was a great break and for the first time, I felt like I belonged with the other students. by taking a risk and opening up in front of the class, I felt myself come to life and felt that I could grow as a person.

Even so, this class has also taught me the values of enjoying my time on my own. Through this class, I have also come to better understand the need for taking time to be by myself. In the past, I considered the time spent by myself as loneliness. This was a misconception since loneliness is a feeling of being isolated from other people which is accompanied by the feeling of emptiness. I have come to appreciate the fact that I can be alone without necessarily being lonely. By taking up activities such as meditation, I have learned that I can increase my mental balance. This is important since the fitness of the mind is very important for one to be able to lead a well-rounded life.

Living in the moment and taking time to savor each moment are some of the concepts I have learned from meditation. We live in a world that is fast-paced and one ends up being so caught up with the daily buzz of living that they hardly have time to reflect on life. As human beings, our lives are mostly crowded with work and we are left with little time to spare for ourselves. An important thing that I have learned is how to make the best of my free time. In particular, I have decided to take up a hobby which is an activity that one engages in for pleasure.

Parental Styles

One of the lessons which promise to be of great use in my future is the different types of parental styles that one can adopt. The kind of parenting that a child is subjected to has a huge bearing on his/her future. As such, the parenting style adopted will have a profound impact on the child. Research findings indicate that young people who are brought up in authoritative (warm and firm) households exhibit more psychosocially competence and they are less prone to negative influence and creating problems (Steinberg & Blatt-Eisengart, 2006). Those who are brought up by parents who are negligent or too indulgent on the other hand exhibit less psychosocial maturity and are more prone to delinquency.

Those who are brought up by parents who are negligent or too indulgent on the other hand exhibit less psychosocial maturity and are more prone to delinquency. Less psychosocially mature adolescents are more likely to cause conflict between themselves and the parent. A research carried out by Steinberg and Blatt-Eisengart (2006) on the patterns of competence among adolescents revealed that adolescents with authoritative or authoritarian parents expressed less anxiety and rebellion than those with neglectful parents.

I had authoritarian parents and their word was a law in the house. As a result of this, I am not very keen to express my opinion since my childhood instilled in me the quality of not arguing or reasoning especially with authority figures. My parents also imposed their values on me and this resulted in resentment on my part. Since I recognize the adverse effects that can come from the authoritarian style, I shall make a point not to use it on my children. In the future, there are bound to be conflicts between my children and me.

Through this class, I have learned that parent and adolescent conflicts can be minimized by having the parent adopt an authoritative role rather than being neglectful. This is because neglectful parenting will invariably lead to problem behavior which will escalate the conflicts between parent and adolescent. I shall exercise some degree of parental monitoring and control since these have been seen to be a major inhibitor of parental conflicts with their children. Autonomy is a major issue in adolescents and as the child develops emotional autonomy from parents, they tend to place greater weight on their personal decisions. From this class, I have learned compromises that can be achieved through negotiating present the best manner to resolve conflicts arising from autonomy issues.

This class discussed the significance of mentors in a person’s life. Before this class, my definition of a mentor was someone who intruded on your life and told you what to do since they considered themselves wiser. I, therefore, despised the idea of mentorship sense to me, this was equivalent to having someone dictate how you should lead your life. Through this class, I have come to recognize that this negative perception of mentorship was very misguided.

Mentors are people who can give one advice and guidance in life. Mentoring also offers an individual a nonjudgmental ear and a role model who a person can follow in their life. Mentorship also allows one to give back to society. This truth was brought to my attention by the philosophy of service to others that were emphasized in my class.

Owing to this class, I have now adopted a different perception of mentoring. While I am yet to get a mentor for myself, I am now open to the idea and as a matter of fact, I am actively seeking out a mentor to help me in my professional life. Also, I have recognized that I can serve others by playing a mentorship role for other individuals. I intend to take up some of the youths in my neighborhoods under my wings and mentor them since I now realize the value of mentoring both to the mentor and the mentee.

In this paper, I set out to discuss what I have learned in my psychology human growth and development class. To this end, I have articulated the things that I have learned from the class material and from interacting with my professor and my fellow students. From the discussions presented herein, it is clear that this class has led to profound changes and growth in me as a person. I can rightfully state that I am a better person as a result of the various lessons I have acquired from this class. I intend to integrate the philosophies and lessons that I have learned from this class into my life.

Bedell, J and Lennox, S. Handbook for Communication and Problem-solving Skills Training: a Cognitive-behavioral Approach. Los Angeles: John Wiley and Sons, 1997. Print.

Cleary, Sandra. The Communication Handbook: A Student Guide to Effective Communication. Juta and Company Ltd, 2004.

Cornett, Norma. If I knew if would be the last time. 1989 Web.

Dalai, Lama. Instructions for life in the new millennium from the Dalai Lama. 2000. Web.

Fireleadership. Ten Commandments of Good Listening . 1980. Web.

Fulghum, Robert. All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten , Villard Books: New York, 1990.

Steinberg, Laurence and Blatt-Eisengart, Ilana. “Patterns of Competence and Adjustment Among Adolescents from Authoritative, Authoritarian, Indulgent, and Neglectful Homes: A Replication in a Sample of Serious Juvenile Offenders”. Journal of Research on Adolescence , 16(1), 2006, 47–58.

The Process. Life Lessons . 2010. Web.

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Essay on Theories of Human Development

Human development invites the creations of various theories and perspectives that help understand people, their development, growth, and the physical, cognitive and psychosocial changes they experience throughout their lives. Human development is based on the principle that most things in life can only be achieved through age and experience, resulting in maturity and character development. Through scientific proof, various psychologists and scientists have developed theoretical frameworks that explain and predict individual behaviors and development. There are three significant approaches to human development; the psychosexual, psychosocial, and ecological approach

Freud’s psychosexual theory states that children’s development occurs in a series of stages related to erogenous zones. Freud suggested that parents play a critical role in managing their children’s sexual and aggressive drives during early childhood, fostering their proper development. This theory posits that human personality consists of three interworking components: the id, the ego, and the superego, which unify as children go through the five stages of psychosexual development. The id focuses on desires and impulses. The ego focuses on reasoning while the superego helps to apply morals and values from society. According to Jeffrey & Lene (2019), Freud named five stages of his theory and emphasized that the early stages were vital, and most of later development were determined by the age of 6.

Erikson’s psychosocial theory states that human beings have to resolve various crises to become successful and complete. Erikson proposed eight stages of human development. Each stage has two conflicting ideas that must be resolved for children to develop into successful and active members in their societies (Maryville University, n.d). The conflicting ideas have two possible resolutions, a healthy and an unhealthy one. Failure to resolve the conflicts will result in the feeling of inadequacy and incompleteness (Barbara & Newman, 2015). In addition, Erikson posits that significant changes occur throughout a person’s life span, based on psychological and social aspects.

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory states that a child develops within a complex system of relationships. They include the microsystem characterized by parent-child relationships; the mesosystem comprises the extended family, school, neighborhood; and the ecosystem, which comprises the general society and culture. Additionally, the macrosystem is characterized by socioeconomic status, poverty, ethnicity, and the chronosystem is characterized by shaping environmental aspects with life changes and sociohistorical circumstances. This theory is significant because it incorporates historical aspects as important influencers on human development (Jeffrey & Lene, 2019). Further, Bronfenbrenner posits that children and adolescents play pivotal roles in their development, not entirely dependent on external influences.

Erikson modified Freud’s psychosexual theory into an eight-stage theory of development. It means that Erikson’s theory is an advanced model of Freud’s theory. Freud’s theory is psychosexual, related to the psychological and sexuality aspects, while Erikson’s theory is psychosocial, which relates to the psychological and social aspects. Bronfenbrenner’s theory is ecological as it relates to environmental aspects. Further, Freud’s theory focuses on conscience, where a person learns the rights and wrongs through a person, a being, or a voice that gives moral lessons and advice. On the other hand,

Erikson’s theory focuses on autonomy, where people learn how to be independent and self-sufficient. Additionally, Freud’s theory suggests that the early childhood stages are the most essential in human development. At the same time, Erikson believes that every stage in a person’s life is vital in molding their life. Compared to Erikson and Freud’s theories, Bronfenbrenner’s theory does not focus on life stages. Instead, he emphasizes numerous influences that model humans in the social environment (Jeffrey & Lene, 2019). It is also important to note that the three theories play significant roles today in the study and planning of children and adolescent’s development.

In conclusion, human development is a broad, complex process with different scientists trying to develop the most appropriate and exclusive explanation. Human development theories provide various ideas developed from scientific proof to predict and learn individual developments and behaviors. Most people experience the stages highlighted by Freud and Erikson, while Bronfenbrenner’s environmental aspect relates to most people’s lives. Regardless of the difference in their explanations, the three theories explicitly outline human development as it is. Human beings go through several stages in their life, and every stage is significant in its way. Further, early childhood experiences play a significant role in shaping our adult life, and the people and things we engage with are significant determinants of our development.

Barbara, N. M., & Newman, P. R. (2015)  Theories of human development  Psychology Press.  https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315871240

Jeffrey Jensen Arnett & Lene Arnett Jensen, (2019) Human Development: A Cultural Approach Pearson ISBN.13: 978-0-134-64134-8

Maryville University (n.d) What is Human Development and Why is it Important?  Stages of Human Development: What It Is & Why It’s Important (maryville.edu)

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Reflection: Human Development

• Social Sciences

This week’s learning and materials complement my knowledge about human development which is multidisciplinary and occurs throughout the one’s lifespan through physical, biological, psychological, social, and cognitive development. However, the readings oppose my knowledge that growth and development begin at birth by stating that growth commences after conception (Mossler, & Ziegler, 2016). Unborn babies feed through their mothers which means that expecting parents should eat a balanced diet for the growth of their unborn children. Secondly, it is essential to get prenatal tests to understand the development process of children. The third advice to expecting parents is that the environment in which children are exposed to influences their behavior and development.

The theory of operant conditioning theory influences the recommendation for expecting parents to watch their diet and the environment in which their children grow. It asserts that people tend to repeat what they learn in their environment through observation and interaction. The bio-ecological systems theory affirms that there is a relationship between environment and human development which translates to mean that the environment should contribute to a positive development of fetus or babies through access to nutrition (Mossler, & Ziegler, 2016). On the other hand, the psychoanalytic theory suffices to be the theoretical foundation that can oppose that the surroundings influence much of human development. Proponents of the theory argue that a child is born in a particular state which later affects the adaptive behavior.

Since different theories offer different arguments and grounds, it is crucial to understand that there is a difference between theory and practice. The theoretical foundations are not rigid since variations may occur. As such, parents have the optimal influence on the growth of their children before and even after birth which means that they will influence the positive or negative growth of a child. The recommendations will ensure children grow healthy because parents will know that they have much influence on the physical, psychosocial, and cognitive development of a child (Mossler, & Ziegler, 2016). On the other hand, there are ethical concerns which might arise due to prenatal tests and predictions. Tests could give false positives or false negatives about the development and health of a child. As a result, parents face devastation in the process.

Mossler, R. A., & Ziegler, M. (2016). Understanding Development: A Lifespan Perspective. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc

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