Essay Sample on Psychoanalytical Theory: Sigmund Freud's Impact on Child Development

Introduction

The development of a child has been a subject of study to the psychologists.They have developed theories that explain the development of cognitive abilities, muscle development, and acquisition of skills. This paper describes the psychoanalytical theory by Sigmund Freud, the early impact of parenting on the development of a child before formal learning, effects of the absence of parenting and the teacher's success in the learning process.

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The Psycho-Analytic Theory

Sigmund Freud is centered on the development of personality and the behavior of a child. He asserts that any behavior being exhibited by the child is a result of the interaction of the three parts of the brain namely Id, Ego and the Superego(Redekop, Luke &Malone,2017). The theory explains the unconscious conflicts that exist between the three parts and its effects on the learning process of the baby. The theory of personality is shaped by four stages named the psychosexual stages of development. Each stage is a challenge, for a child, where the child has to balance between the expectations of the society and the biological drives. The clever and successful passage of these stages leads to a complete child who has a stable personality and stable behavior. The theory is, however, subject to criticism because it focuses only on human sexuality as the only factor that affects the personality of an individual.

Parental Involvement in the Development Stages

The presence of parental care during the development stages is critical. Sigmund Freud suggests that Id part of the brain is the most primitive part and would always crave for any instant gratification. The superego is concerned with the development of the understanding of the expectations of the society and what is said to be right. The ego according to the theory represents reality and is the pragmatic part of the brain that regulates the activities of the two other parts. They play an important role in the learning of the child before the introduction of the first formal learning. The first stage occurring between at age 1 year old is named the oral stage, where the child develops the sucking habit. The parent is responsible for controlling the things that the child sucks ad swallows, teaching the child to control the things that go into their mouths. The second stage is named the anal stage occurring between the ages of 1 to the 3 rd. year, where the child gets the pleasure in defecating (Redekop.etal, 2017). The parents are responsible for educating the child on the importance of defecating in one point and not at random places. The Phallic stage is the third stage of a child's development according to the theory and the pleasure is centered on the genitals. The child is likely to masturbate to feel the pleasure. The parental impact is needed to guide the child on sexual identity, which is referred to as the Oedipus complex in boys and Electra complex in girls. The latency stage of development according to the theory occurs between the ages of six to adolescence. It is referred to as the latent stage because the child has hidden pleasure and libido and no physical sign is visible. At this stage, the child suppresses the sexual energy of top social activities such as developing friendships and making time for formal education. The last stage according to the theory is the genital stage, which occurs from puberty to adulthood. The child matures and starts heterosexual sexual behaviors unlike masturbation and self-satisfaction in the phallic stage. They make rational decisions and can settle with heterosexual partners to start a family.

Roles of a Teacher

During the Latency stage, the child is likely to be introduced to formal education. The teacher has the role of discovering fixations and trying to correct them (Redekop.etal, 2017). The success of the teacher depends on the age of the child and the success of the child in understanding the conflicts. The teacher introduces the children to the gender difference and cultivates an environment of a heterosexual relationship.

Absence of Parental Reinforcement During the Development

The ultimate, behavior of a child is a result of parental reinforcement during the development stages. The parent plays an important role in regulating the sexual driven desires of the child. Some children grow up without parental impact through the stages and they end up being social misfits according to the theory. An example is a child who fails to be assisted during the oral stage. Such a child ends up with an impaired personality and is likely to smoke, bite nails and even suck the thumb in the future (Redekop.etal, 2017). A child who has no parental guidance during the anal stage defecates in random places. The consequences are the disorganization of the child as an adult in the future. The absence of toilet training makes the character of a person disoriented. The absence of parental reinforcement of the sexual identity in the phallic stages leads to the child developing a wrong sexual orientation and may end up choosing same-sex relationships, assuming roles that are not meant for their gender and a struggling life in a relationship.

Reference

Redekop, F., Luke, C., & Malone, F. (2017). From the couch to the chair: Applying psychoanalytic theory and practice in counseling. Journal of Counseling & Development, 95(1), 100-109. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcad.12121