PSYCHOLOGY AND CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT.

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY AND CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
PSYCHOLOGY AND CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

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The main aim of the essay is to reflect on the childhood experience by referring into the
theory of Jean Piaget and Freud psychological concept. Freud’s psychoanalytic theory states that
the personality of person develop through series of stages and each of the stage is featured by
some sort of psychological conflict (Guntrip 2018). The theory underlines between the three
important concept of Id, Ego and Superego. It tells that from the journey of childhood to being
an adult, there is the conflict in the mind of people that shape the behavior and personality of the
persons. It is evident from the study of Marcus (2016) personality of person develops during the
childhood and they get shaped by the undergoing five stages of psychosexual stages. My
childhood experience has made me well acquired about the theory and help me to develop
personality. I have also undergone conflict in the mindset that has made me strong and well
adapted with situation. The conflict between the biological drives and social expectations has
made me well acquired with the each of the developmental stages. Another theory that has made
me to develop are in aligned with the four stages of the cognitive development which is known
as Piaget Theory. The theory tells suggests that person in the childhood move through four
various stages which has led to mental development (Barrouillet 2015). My childhood
experience and activity has made me to accommodate with the new information that I have
learned. Therefore, the essay is going to focus on the theory of Piaget and Freud psychoanalytic
theory and relate it with the experience of my childhood. The essay is outlined with various
childhood experience and related with the theoretical concept.
I remember, I was of 5 years old and one day I was going with my parent to the party. I
was such a kind of person who does not speak anything in front of strangers. At my childhood,
my weakness was an ice-cream. I saw a small child though might be one year older than me
eating ice-cream. My parent has taught me to be in good manner when I am outside. However,

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ice-cream being my week point I urged to the person without caring what they will think about
me. The person was not willing to give me the ice cream. This the first stage of the mental
development where I snatched the ice-cream from the person and took away. This the id which
depict that I want to do that now which reflect that I does not care that it is the rude behavior
which I have showed to the person. I still remember, everyone in the party was looking at me. I
was not believing that it was me who behaved like this as everyone use to think that I am a quiet
and decent person. However, mu superego also have some moral value and social value. I
misbehaved with the person by taking away the ice-cream directly. My parents taught me and
made me understand that I was wrong and did a bad deed for which god will punish me. My
parents explained me about my culture and manner regarding what is wrong and what is right. I
was so afraid after listening to my parents that God will punish me for the misbehavior that I
have done. I was so guilty and shameful for the situation. Then very next day I went to that
person I apologized to him for my bad actions. This stage of development was a turning point in
my life. During my course of development I have keep this learning of Id and moral superego
into my mind and always applied it whenever needed.
In the development of child, the ego of the person which is related to Freud theory is also
quite important to shape the personality and mental behavior. It is the rational and pragmatic part
of my personality. When I was in primary school, I saw my friend who eating delicious pastry of
chocolate flavor. My id and superego was conflicting with each other. I was thinking that I
should go and take away the pasty with her but at the same time I was thinking that I should not
do this as it is not a good manner. It is wrong to do take away someone else pastries. At this
stage of development, my ego came in between which gave me an insight to compromise in the
situation. In order to satisfy my desire for the pastries, I took a step to purchase my own pastries.

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Through this action, I saved myself from being shameful and avoided any unpleasant social
condition.
The theory of Freud states that there is always conflict between the id, ego and superego
that helps to develop my adult personality and modify my behavior that have been rooted in the
outcome of the my internal and own struggle and fights throughout the childhood (Fonagy,
Target and Gergely 2015). I developed into such a person who have strong ego and it is evident
from the study of Fitzgerald (2017) that such individual have healthy personality. It also stated
that person who cannot balance their conflict between the ego, id and superego faces the
situation of neurosis which is related to the anxiety and depression. Such mindset is the
indication of the unhealthy behavior. My ability to the resolve the internal conflict of my mindset
and behavior determined my future competency to manage and function as an adult.
My development during my childhood is also related with the Jean Piaget theory which
reflects on the four stages of mental development. I have been into many situation where I have
to undergone situation which has challenged my mental stability. My mother has narrated me a
story saying that when I was of 12 months I used to climb the bed for the search of my toys
which depicted that my motor activity has been functional by trial and error. I failed many times
to climb my bed but at last I succeed in it. This was my sensorimotor stage (Carey, Zaitchik and
Bascandziev 2015).
During my kinder garden stages, I was such a child who use to take active role in
learning process. I used to perform simple experiment with my teachers. I used to keenly observe
what is going around me and actively inter with the world. I remember when I was in standard
two, I was made a ship with help of my pencil box, color box, colors, pencil and eraser. The
thought of doing this came to my mind when I was just sitting at small river side with my school

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teacher with thinking that how small ants and insects will cross the river. So with the help of the
pencils, colors and boxes I made a boat. This stage of childhood is highlighted with the growth
of intelligence and cognitive development. It was my preoperational stage.
When I was of 8 years old my mother taught me to count, add and subtract in an easy
way with the use of counting beats. I was good in that as I can easily add and subtract number by
counting on beats. However, I developed my own way of counting numbers with finger which
was more easy and comfortable for me to do. At this stage I began to think abstractly and
intellectualize thing by creating logical framework. This stage of my mental development is
related to concrete operational.
At my 14th birthday I was in stage of Piaget’s formal operational stage where I have into
situation where I was forced to take alcohol in my party. I knew that taking alcohol at such small
age is not healthy and bad behavior. I just said No to my friend that avoided myself in being into
such situation. This was my personal thinking ability that has saved me from being into difficult
situation. I have not learned about this nor have I acquired it from somewhere. It does not
demand me any concrete object to make such rational decision, it was my personal
understanding about the alcohols which helped me to take wiser decision (Maratos 2017).
Lastly, from the above discussion, it can be said that, the theory of Freud and Jean Piaget
is in alignment with my childhood experience where I have undergone various stage of
development and adapted both good and bad quality of behavior. My id, ego and superego
experience of my childhood experience, has helped me to take better decision in my life by
keeping the teaching of the parents into consideration. I have been into several staged of
cognitive development where I learned many thing about the mental stability and thinking
capability. I have been into four stages of development which corresponds to sensorimotors,

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preoperational, concrete and formal operational stages by which I have grown as a well-
mannered adult who have the thinking ability for their own regarding what is right and what is
wrong for one self.

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Reference
Barrouillet, P., 2015. Theories of cognitive development: From Piaget to today.
Carey, S., Zaitchik, D. and Bascandziev, I., 2015. Theories of development: In dialog with Jean
Piaget. Developmental Review, 38, pp.36-54.
Fitzgerald, M., 2017. Why did Sigmund Freud refuse to see Pierre Janet? Origins of
psychoanalysis: Janet, Freud or both?. History of psychiatry, 28(3), pp.358-364.
Fonagy, P., Target, M. and Gergely, G., 2015. Psychoanalytic perspectives on developmental
psychopathology. Developmental Psychopathology: Volume One: Theory and Method, pp.701-
749.
Guntrip, H., 2018. Psychoanalytic theory, therapy and the self. Routledge.
Maratos, O., 2017. Trends in the development of imitation in early infancy. In Regressions in
mental development (pp. 81-102). Routledge.
Marcus, S., 2016. Freud and the Culture of Psychoanalysis: Studies in the Transition from
Victorian Humanism to Modernity.