In abroad spectrum, psychology is a scientific multifaceted discipline that deals with the study of the mind and behavior. Throughout the course of its existence, psychology has encountered a number of changes in shape to accommodate the aspects of the contemporary society. However, it is worth acknowledging that the origin of psychology is deeply rooted in philosophical dynamics and that it takes into account the components of human existence such as social development, sports, health, social behaviors and aspects of mental cognition ( Brennan & Houde, 2017 ). It is therefore egotistical to claim to understand the history and dynamics of psychology without having basic information about the fathers and the mothers of psychology. The list of the founders of psychology is long. Therefore, understanding the contribution of Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, Lev Vygotsky and Melanie Klein will provide an insight on their background in psychology as a scientific discipline.
Jean Piaget
John Piaget was a renowned Swiss researcher and a developmental psychologist who majored in child development. He was born in the year 1896 and died in 1980 after a successful six decade career in child psychology. Even though Jean Piaget made great contribution in various fields, his contribution in developmental psychology played a significant role in impacting his own Swiss society and the world in general. For instance, Piaget’s developed the Piaget’s theory of cognitive development which established why and how children think differently compared to adults while at the same time identifying various milestones in the mental development of children ( Boeree, 2016 ). As a matter of fact, Piaget identified four stages of mental development which included sensorimotor stage, the pre-operation stage, the concrete operation stage and finally, the formal operations stage.
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Jean Piaget research opened the world into understanding how children develop their cognitive capabilities empowering educators and other groups of individuals interested in children’s development to comprehend the underlying forces better. He called his collection of child development theories “The Genetic Epistemology” ( Boeree, 2016 ). The most interesting aspect of Piaget’s studies on child development was that he developed his theories based on his observation of children as well as questioning them about their thinking. His aim was not to receive perfect questions but to understand the mental processes that lead them into giving those answers. In psychological terms, he defined intelligence as an extension of genetic adaptations that is coined in a well-defined logical structure.
The significance of Jean Piaget in psychology as a whole is that his theories and findings help construct the notion of learning as something that is not depository nor linear but a process that is determined by a child’s specific stage of development. It has enlightened educators on various elements that determine the rates of learning in children. As a result of his contribution, Jean Piaget is counted among the many fathers and mothers of psychology.
Erik Erikson
Erik Erikson was a German born but an American based psychoanalyst and a developmental psychologist who is remembered for his development of the theory of psychosocial development and the creation of the term ‘identity crisis’ which is used in various psychological fields. Born in the year 1902 and dying in the year 1994, Erik Erikson’s accomplishments significantly influenced the growth of psychology as a field of scientific study. It is worth noting that in the theory of psychosocial development Erikson established that the personality of a human being develops under predetermined order which involves eight stages ( Syed & McLean, 2017). The eight psychosocial stages of development are distributed in the course of an individual’s life from childhood to adulthood.
The theory argues that each stage of development, affects the development of personalities differently. As a matter of fact, the crises which may occur on different individuals in every stage of psychosocial development are defined by a series of psychological needs which characteristically conflict with the social needs of the individual ( Syed & McLean, 2017) . A positive personality is created by the successful completion of every stage and vice versa. In addition, successful completion of each stage leads to the development of basic virtues which include; love, hope, will, competency, purpose, care and wisdom among others.
The studies, the findings and the theories created by Erik Erikson in the course of his career as a psychologist have influenced further studies in the endeavor to unravel the mystery behind the development of human beings. Furthermore, through his view about the issue of identity crisis, his findings have enhanced people’s comprehension of personality and how it changes in the course of one’s lifetime.
Lev Vygotsky
Lev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist born in the year 1896 and died in 1934. Although he is known to have interests in various fields of study in the course of his life, Vygotsky played a major role in the development of psychology through the establishment of psychological theories and forming factual scientific findings in developmental psychology ( Kozulin, n.d ). An in-depth analysis of his contributions in psychology establish that Vygotsky also ventured in studying the psychology of art besides studying the various factors that lead to the development of higher mental functions in human beings.
It is worth noting that Vygotsky pioneered and developed the sociocultural theory that in the field of psychology enables people to understand the contributions of the society in general to the individual development ( Kozulin , n.d). The theory asserts that societal factors such as culture and identity influence individual development hence the conclusion that the process of learning and development in human beings is a social process. In other words, Vygotsky’s theory affirms that social interactions through engagements, playing, and through other avenues plays a critical role in shaping the learning process specifically in children. The other aspect of the theory is that the potential for cognitive growth depends on the level of development attained when children participate in social behaviors. The full potential of reaching the zone of proximal development depends on whether the children interacted fully with others in a particular cultural sphere.
As one of the fathers of psychology, Vygotsky provided a succinct and understandable psychological theory which to a greater extent explains consciousness as the end result of socialization. It is apparently clear that Vygotsky through the sociocultural theory affirmed that culture and social interactions influence the development of children hence enabling people to view it in a constructive manner by acknowledging the various attributes of human intelligence and consciousness.
Melanie Klein
Melanie Klein was an Austrian-British national born in 1882 and died in 1960. In his adult life he worked as a psychoanalyst with interests in developmental psychology. It is through her work as a psychoanalyst that Klein developed interest in children psychology ( Segal, 2018 ). She later developed her techniques and tools meant to help children discuss their psychological life.
Her interest in children development encouraged her to develop the “object relations theory” which is a theory that places special significance in the relationship between a mother and child in the child’s development ( Segal , 2018). It puts emphasis on the influences the family unit has on children in their later lives. As a matter of fact, the Klein’s theory claims that children form mental representations of themselves based on the people they interact with at their earliest stages of life creating internal images which later reflect in their behaviors later in life.
The significance of Klein in the field of psychology offers without doubt a fundamental pillar for caregivers and other people who deal with children to understand that children learn from them and therefore acts as a wakeup call for them to behave in endearing manner. Klein created a strong foundation for psychologists to further on her findings in the near future.
Reflection about Lev Vygotsky on how I agree and connect to his views
I fully agree with Lev Vygotsky in singling out culture, imitation and collaborative learning as key influencers of the development of children. It is factual that as children grow in a particular society, the culture, the behavior and the language used by the people they interact with shapes what they become. The major theme of the social development theory is perfectly defined through two distinct terms which are; the inter-psychological attributes of social interactions and the intra-psychological aspects of interactions. I connect with Vygotsky in many ways. For instance, I agree with his assertion that learning has its basis on interacting with other people. It is precisely true that if a child could be alienated from other people immediately after birth, it would be impossible to learn even the basic aspects of human development.
The people around children offer a cultural background which according to Vygotsky acts as 'tools of intellectual adaptation’ which open the children’s learning endeavors since they are born with basic adaptation constraints in their minds. Because the constraints bar them from initiating the process of development through learning, it is a natural prerequisite for people who surround them to possess positive behavioral attributes in order to grow and develop in a positive manner. Therefore, just as Vygotsky argues, it imperative for educators, caregivers, parents and other adults to ensure they provide a favorable environment for children to fully interact socially for them to realize their full potential in physical growth and cognitive development.
References
Boeree, C. G. (2016). Jean Piaget and cognitive development.
Brennan, J. F., & Houde, K. A. (2017). History and systems of psychology . Cambridge University Press.
Kozulin, A. (N.D). Vygotsky's psychology: A biography of ideas . Harvard University Press.
Segal, H. (2018). Introduction to the work of Melanie Klein . Routledge.
Syed, M., & McLean, K. C. (2017). Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development.
