Module 11: Human Development (attachment theories and Piaget stages of developme

Question

Module 11: Human Development (attachment theories and Piaget stages of development) After reviewing the principles of Attachment Theories and Piaget’s stages of Cognitive Development, create a hypothetical situation in which one of the attachment styles might be observed. Be sure to identify the attachment style you are demonstrating. Then, using the various stages of Piaget’s theory of Cognitive Development, choose one stage (identify the stage and age of the child) and discuss how the characteristics of this stage might be used to understand the attachment style during that stage of development. Additionally, how might a developmental psychologist utilize this information to help assure the child is developing properly. For this discussion, you are essentially integrating your knowledge of cognitive stages and attachment styles to consider both together as you seek to understand human behavior in the context of your hypothetical situation. Your example can be of a person who is well-adjusted or has some disorder or problem.

Explanation / Answer

The hypothetical situation:

A child is two years old. He can speak well enough to communicate with his parents. Even though others still find it difficult at times to understand everything he speaks. He knows his house well, and even knows to sit in his chair when it is time for food. He understands everything that his parents talk to him about as long as it is in his vocabulary capacity. He loves playing treasure hunt with big objects and hide and seek. However, he does not like to be isolated and kept away from his mother for a long period of time.

Explanation using the two theories:

The attachment theory stage that has been identified here is Secure. The child is securely attached to his mother and expresses his needs to her. He feels sad when he is made to depart from his mother and is seen more comfortable when she is around.

According to Piaget's model, the child is in the first stage of cognitive development called the sensorimotor stage. As seen in the case, the child is 2 year old that is the age he falls is under this category of cognitive development. We get to know from the case that the child can speak "well enough" for his parents to understand. This is because, as Piaget mentioned a child uses language in this stage to make his necessary demands and they catalogue words. It is because of this reason, that the case says, the child understands the language in which the parents talk to him "as long as it is in his vocabulary capacity". Another important part of this stage is object permanence which develops at this age. It is because of this reason that the child identifies his eating spot even after a couple of hours when he sits for the next meal. Also, it has been mentioned in the case, that the child likes to play hide and seek and treasure hunt which requires understanding object permanence.

As a developmental psychologist:

The above case is of a child who is very well-adjusted with his age. Both his cognitive and security adjustments are age appropriate. The child can now focus on achieving higher milestones of later stages.

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