CIGARETTE SMOKING

Cigarette Smoking: Human Development and High Risk Behaviors

[Name of the Institute]

Cigarette Smoking: Human Development and High Risk Behaviors

Introduction

Developmental psychology involves the study of the factors that shape human behavior, from the prenatal stage to adulthood. The developmental psychologist can focus their attention on an aspect of problems, including those relating to the development of thought or perception or may focus their attention on a period of life, such as childhood or adolescence. In this way, the psychology of children or adolescents is part of the prevailing branch of developmental psychology (Blatt, Luyten, 2009). The most influential theories, which provides the basis for future studies on developmental psychology, were; Freud's stages of psychosexual development and Erikson's stages of psychosocial development. We will continue our discussion on the topic with the implication of these theories and relate its significance with high risk behaviors like smoking.

Psychosexual Stages of Personality Development by Sigmund Freud

Freud was convinced that the origins of neurosis are found in the children's experiences of patients. This provision was the basis of psychoanalysis as a research method and as a method of psychotherapy and treatment of neurosis and depression.

The oral stage begins at birth and continues until the second year. During this period, all the primary sensory pleasures associated with the mouth of the child: sucking, biting, and swallowing.

The anal stage: the main source of pleasure moves from the mouth to the anus. The child receives preferential satisfaction from this area of the body. The child may manifest as increased activity, and refuse to defecate.

During the phallic stage of development, this falls on the fourth year of life. The main focuses on the erotic satisfaction that includes a demonstration of admiration and genital mutilation and sexual fantasies. Freud describes this stage with the concept of the Oedipus complex.

Typically, a child can overcome the Oedipus complex through identification with the parent of the same sex drive and replacing the parent of the opposite sex normal sexual attraction to other people. However, the experience of the relationship to the opposite sex, which is formed at this stage, retained, and thereafter continues to influence all relationships with partners of the opposite sex. Once completed all the vicissitudes of these initial stages, the child enters into a long latency period, which lasts from 5 to 12 years of age. After that, according to Freud, under the pressure signals at pubertal genital stage the child begins. During this period, priority importance heterosexual behavior, and the person begins to prepare for married life, fatherhood and motherhood, respectively (Richardson, 2000).

Stages of Psychosocial Development by Eric Erikson

Erik Erikson was one of the first theorists who believe that development continues throughout life. He created a theory of development, according to which a person experiences eight stages of development throughout the life. At each stage, there is a particular conflict, which should allow the individual to successfully develop.

Infancy: trust (the first year of life)

During the first year of life, getting baby food, warmth and love depends on caring for ...