Human Development - Research Paper Example

? Running Head: Human Development Human Development [Institute’s Human Development There are several things in life, happening right under our noses, in which we fail to detect a very apparent pattern, or where we fail to note a possibly intriguing observation. The development of an ordinary human being is no different. Psychological theories that are centuries old can predict the developmental life stages of human beings growing up today. These theories provide us with a deeper understanding of why some human beings experience certain feelings and emotions and changes, which are otherwise overlooked as ordinary happenings. A famous example of this is Bandura’s social cognitive theory, which social observations as the key factor active in a person’s development (Bandura, 2007). Another theory, which has very valid practical application in the development of humans, is Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory of development. This theory, in contrast to the one aforementioned, considers the development of humans a complex formula where the key factors are the person’s environmental systems and interactions (John, 2001). In order to demonstrate the practical relevance of both these theories, this paper will refer to the interviews conducted of two people at different stages at their life, and will endeavor to apply these theories to different aspects of their lives. The first of the two was a young man around the age of 21. He belongs to an upper middle class family, with a relatively normal life. The researcher questioned him about several aspects of his life, and found a simple yet unmistakable relevance to both the theories mentioned above. Bandura (1977) brought forward the first theory mentioned. He believed that man’s development is a social and cognitive process, which is greatly affected by the information the human acquires from their environment. This was apparent in the case of the youth interviewed. The second subject was the a woman around the age of 47, who had grown up in a lower middle class household, and had, until a few years ago, been very accustomed to that lifestyle. This again proved to be an interesting case for the researchers, as when they traced her development, they found various links in between her development and the theories of both Bandura and Brofenbrenner. Both these subjects provided to be very interesting cases, because despite their ordinary and normal lives, they both displayed several interesting connections to the theories mentioned above. This provided not only a further strengthening of each of these theories, but also a practical and observable application to each theory. One lesson that Bandura’s theory teaches is that a person is highly vulnerable to the information they gather from external stimulus; especially other people (Bandura, 1977). The 21-year-old supported this assumption in many of the answers he provided. When asked about how he was planning to go about in choosing a direction in life, he quoted the example of his father. He claimed that his father had almost graduated with a degree in medicine before he realized that his passion lied with business. This was both a mistake and a learning experience for his father, but the youth seemed equally affected by this incident. He claimed that “making decisions with your mind instead of with your heart will only get you so far, which is why I choose to major in liberal arts in college, to keep my options open and exploratory till my graduation.” This confirms Bandura’s theory about how the information acquired through social cognitive processes has a great bearing on the learning process of the individual (Parks, 2010). Another interesting response that this youth gave was when asked about whether he was content with his current health situation. He stated that the he had a mild case of high blood pressure, and that his health was especially vulnerable to stress. This came as a surprise for the researcher, who knew from experience that people are less susceptible to these health problems at such a young age. However, on further enquiry about family background, the young man revealed how he often noticed his father working under severe stress, and worrying constantly about the burden that fell on him every time there was a management crisis at his business. This had become a habitual reaction even when the situation was not very grave. This had, as predicted by Bandura’s theory (Bandura, 1997), unconsciously taught the youth from a very young age, to take stressful matters very seriously, and to not rest until the problem stood resolved. This, while a helpful way of thinking for a businessperson, is unhealthy for a young mind that is subject to the pressure of examinations every month. Thus, the family history of hypertension and high blood pressure caught up with this man earlier than it would have, had he been more accustomed to observing more peaceful and relaxed attitudes at home. The subject was asked several other questions, which shed light on some of the other roles he plays as well, such as sportsman, brother, and friend. However, it was apparent that the roles of son and student were the ones, which had the most effect on his development, due to the strong social cognitive influence. Brofenbrenner also provided an interesting perspective on human development, by introducing an environmental approach. He identified five different environmental systems, which a person grows up with, and is affected by when developing. These are the “micro system, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem” (Sigelman, 2008). They all represent different levels of an individual’s interaction with society. When interviewing the female subject, the researcher found some interesting factors from her life to observe. As mentioned earlier, she has been accustomed to a lower middle class lifestyle from a very young age, and had only experienced a change for the better when her husband received a promotion in the recent past. This firstly connects to the fourth environmental system; the macrosystem, which is the cultural context in which the individual lives, often defined by socioeconomic status (Watts, 2009). When asked about her optimum living environment, she had simple demands of a life without unpaid bills, and with more time with her husband and children. There were no mentions of money or expensive possessions, or other ambitions. This showed how her macro-environment had programmed her idea of a perfect life to be much different from that of a person of a different socioeconomic system, such as that of the 21-year-old, who mentioned wanting an expensive car and a highly paying job. Another striking factor in this woman’s life was the transition she experienced, going from lower middle class to middle class with her husband’s promotion. This transition is an example of the fifth environmental system, the chronosystem. Brofenbrenner described this as when the individual experiences a transition in their lives (Watts, 2009). This transition had an impact on the woman’s life, as was apparent in her response to when the researcher asked if she had any advice to give. She claimed that she had spent her whole life worrying about making ends meet and paying bills, only to grow up and find that the financial stability her husband’s promotion brought, came too late to save her youth from being spent in fret and worry. Her advice was that never let factors like money stop you from leading a happy life, a realization that came to her only after the transition brought her financial stability. This proves how, even in her forties, her environment had been contributing to her development, as Brofenbrenner predicted (Cavanaugh, 2008). Each of these subjects taught a valuable lesson to the researchers and anyone who uses this research, concerning stress, money problems, and several other aspects. However, most importantly, they taught the undeniable truth that a person is vulnerable to external influence, whether it is from the family or from a changing financial situation. Thus, it is important to guard one’s personality continuously, from getting affected by the wrong events and circumstances, because while the events and circumstances are timed and temporary, their effects are permanent. References Bandura, A. (2007). Psychological Modeling. Aldine Transaction. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy. W. H. Freeman, 1997. Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Prentice Hall. Cavanaugh, J. C. (2008). Human Development. Cengage Learning. John, O. P. (2001). Handbook of Personality. Guilford Press. Parke, R. S. (2010). Social Development. John Wiley & Sons. Sigelman, C. K. (2008). Life-Span Human Development. Cengage Learning. Watts, J. (2009). Developmental Psychology. Juta & Company Limited. Read More