Question

Explain how you would use your understanding of one of the major theories (focusing particularly on Piaget and Erikson) to deal with each of the difficulties listed below more constructively.

A well-intentioned, but meddling, relative comes to visit the weekend before your child's first birthday, in April. She cautions you that you must be spoiling the child, because he hides behind your leg and clings to you when she tries to give him a hug, and he did not do this when she visited at New Year's. How will you explain what is happening with your child?

Answer 1

This can be explained through the theory of Eric Erikson.The age of the child is 1 year.That means the infant is in the stage of basic trust vs mistrust.This stage is demonstated by the infants in its capacity to sleep peacefully,to take nourishment comfortably and to excrete relaxfully.Each day, as its wakeful hours increase,the infant becomes more familier with sensual experiences,and their familierity coinsides with a sense of feeling good.Daily routines,consistency, and continuity in the child's environment provide the earliest basis for a sense of psychosocial identity.Here in this case the child once saw the relative at New Year's and again after few months.So there is no consistency. The child may not go towards the relative simply because of mistrust or the fear of being seperated from his attachment figure.