Month: March 2021

One of the interesting things I like about psychology is its impact on personality development. I like how detailed the information is regarding mental illnesses, different treatment types, psychological analysis, and testing. I am fascinated by how science understands how the brain functions and malfunctions. Yes, there are quite a lot of things that seem impossible to fit in one category. But fortunately, everything has been handed out, and all of the data is insightful and well-thought of.

Speaking of psychology, I am now focusing my enthusiast on Erik Erikson’s theory. It is all about this psychosocial development. At first, I was hesitant to go deeper into it. But then I got interested in what psychosocial development contributes to my understanding of myself as an individual.

According to the psychosocial theory of Dr. Erik Erikson, everything that people experience over their lifespan from early years through late adulthood always includes the eight stages of development. And at each stage holds an important crisis or task that all individuals need to resolve. And when people complete each developmental task, it results in confidence, competence, and a healthy personality.

Below are couples of frequently asked questions that might help explain some significantly important details about Psychosocial Development to understand my point better.

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What is a psychosocial crisis, according to Erikson? 

Psychologist Erik Homburger Erikson explains the psychosocial crisis as a conflicting turning point where individuals face a struggle of exploring who they are as individuals. It is a specific psychological quality that involves identity versus role confusion, a time of vulnerability, and a person’s capability.

In a specific crisis, an individual struggles to attain a specific mental quality. That is because, on a specific stage of development, a person deals with understanding each behavior that correlates to social cognition. These changes improve the understanding that other people’s behavior is based on their desires and knowledge.

What is the 9th stage of psychosocial development? 

In the ninth stage of psychosocial development added by Erik Erikson’s wife, Joan Erikson considers new challenges related to continued aging with or less desirable outcomes. It is particularly because of elders mistrust their ability due to a weakening body. The ninth stage specifies the incorporating aspects from all the previous eight stages of psychosocial development.

Additionally, the 9th stage of development is what Erikson describes as dystonic because the developmental stage often results in a less desirable outcome. Thus, people’s personality at this stage of development is more likely doubtful, and mistrustful, and many people will never admit they were wrong. In some instances, they also feel guilty about not having the ability to do what they once did.

What are the educational implications of Erikson’s theory? 

Erikson’s developmental stages showed a comprehensive theory of personality-based self-organization. It is focused on developing a sense of personal control over independence and physical skills. Each psychosocial development stage corresponds to access to a structural level.

Is Erik Erikson’s theory still applied today? 

Yes, Psychologist Erik Homburger Erikson’s work is as significant up until today, even after he initially outlined his original theory. It completes each stage, exploring development throughout life, including events of childhood, adulthood, and old age. It expanded the psychoanalytic theory, which explores a healthy personality and the acquisition of basic virtues.

Erik Erikson’s theory has always been accepted, and it gets to be recognized even more because our society has become increasingly mature. Thus, the needs have grown to understand the aged individual more carefully to address the issues that once were never given importance – life and mental and emotional maturity. Erikson’s perspective even more valuable and relevant compared to when the psychologist first projected it.

Why is Erik Erikson Theory important? 

Psychologist Erik Homburger Erikson’s theory is important because it explains well-enough the person’s psychosocial development, from infancy to adulthood. In fact, it provides a broad framework from which to view development with the given modern pressures on society, family, and relationships. It emphasizes the social nature of human beings to the quest for personal growth and fulfillment.

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How can you apply Erik Erikson’s theories in the classroom? 

You can apply Erik Erikson’s theories in the classroom by providing a portion of the day for children to choose their preferred activities. You can start by breaking the instruction and activities down into small steps. You can also have a classroom library that allows children to pick their books during reading time. This method helps promote children’s decision-making ability.

Why is Erik Erikson Theory important for teachers? 

Psychologist Erik Homburger Erikson’s Theory is essential for teaching to ensure that students at the different grade levels will attain mastery of each stage in Erikson’s theory without conflict. It will exhibit the teacher’s positive response for the students, especially in their interest, while maintaining confidence in their ability.

What is a psychosocial theory? 

Psychologist Erik Homburger Erikson’s Psychosocial theory is concerned with the correlation between individual subjectivities and identities to support understanding in other people’s behavior based on knowledge and desires. It also focuses on individuals’ thoughts and behavior that influences historical and contemporary social and political formation.

What are the educational implications? 

The educational implication refers to the role of environment, curriculum, materials, and instructions that individuals need for growth and development. These educational implications cater to the student’s physical and cognitive abilities and their social and emotional needs.

What are the strengths of Erikson’s theory? 

Erikson’s theory’s fundamental strengths emphasize human beings’ collective nature, which involves how they think, react, and behave to everything socially around them. It influences development on the challenge of social relationships and how it impacts necessary cognitive functioning, decision-making, and critical thinking.

The psychosocial theory provides a broad framework that helps people view development throughout the entire lifespan. It also allows individuals to emphasize and value human beings’ social nature and the significant influence that relationships have on development.

What are the eight developmental stages of human life? 

Erikson’s eight psychosocial development stages are Trust vs. Mistrust, Identity vs. Role Confusion, Intimacy vs. Isolation, Ego Integrity vs. Despair, Initiative vs. Guilt, Industry vs. Inferiority, Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt, and Generativity vs. Stagnation.

What is not one major difference between Erikson’s theory and Freud’s theory? 

While Freud’s ideas influenced him, Erikson’s psychosocial theory is based on environmental and social factors, while Freud’s psychosexual theory highlights the importance of fundamental and biological needs. Erikson also extends his approach into adulthood, while Freud’s theory ends at an initial period.

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What are the seven stages of development? 

The lifespan development includes prenatal development, infancy and toddlerhood, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood.

How do you remember Erikson’s stages? 

To quickly memorize Erikson’s psychosocial theory, you can utilize mnemonic. It is a process of looking out for things that can be used as a formula or rhyme to aid in recollection.

What are the key concepts of Erikson’s theory?

Erikson’s theory’s key concepts consist of eight stages of development, are, in no particular order, Trust versus mistrust; Intimacy versus isolation; Initiative versus guilt; Autonomy versus shame and doubt; Generativity versus stagnation; Industry versus inferiority; Identity versus identity confusion, Integrity versus despair.

 

Many people tend to think of themselves as rational and logical thinkers. Unfortunately, we are only humans, and our humanity comes with irrationality and biased thinking.

One of the most common forms of irrationality involves confirmation bias. It is when people disproportionately confirm their beliefs instead of disproving them.

Confirmation bias can be subtle and encompassing, and it has the potential for significant real-life impacts. However, learning more about this cognitive bias should help you prepare countermeasures and maintain rational thinking.

Confirmation bias can creep into many cognitive processes. It has impacts on information gathering, interpretation, and memory recall. 

One way that confirmation bias can manifest is when testing a hypothesis. It turns out that most people naturally seek information that tends to confirm their beliefs. When it comes to trying to disprove their theories, people tend to show less diligence. They may even choose to ignore contradictory evidence altogether.

Confirmation bias also affects interpretation. Even if people encounter objective evidence that contradicts their beliefs, they tend to deprioritize them when judging the merits of their viewpoint.

Confirmation bias can even affect recall. People tend to more clearly remember details that support what they already believe to be true. Again, there’s a tendency to overlook contradicting evidence.

Unfortunately, what makes confirmation bias more dangerous is its insidious nature. People may wrongly believe that fallacies are not influencing their thought processes. In many cases, though, people adopt confirmation bias seamlessly that they cannot even detect its presence.

Complicating factors can increase the strength of confirmation bias. Emotionally charged situations can amplify the tendency to cling to your own beliefs, given how emotions can suppress logical thinking.

Concepts that form one’s core identity, such as fundamental beliefs, are also more sensitive to confirmation bias. In this case, challenges to one’s perspective can be interpreted as attacks on themselves.

Learn more about confirmation bias by reading the FAQs below.

What is an example of confirmation bias?

Confirmation bias skews a person’s perspective. There is selective retention of information aligned to their own opinions. An example of confirmation bias is choosing to read materials that only support your views. It may lead to difficulty in discerning fake news. Then, it can eventually cause misinformation.

Why is confirmation bias a problem?

Letting confirmation bias dictate your views can cause risky behavior. It can negatively impact your relationships with others. Selective retention of information can lead to ignoring warnings and precautions.

Communication problems can stem from wanting to be right all the time. It can put a strain and possibly destroy your relationships.

What are the 3 types of bias?

Types of confirmation bias are:

1. Biased information,
2. Interpretation bias, and
3. Memory bias.

Biased information is seeking information that only supplements and feeds on your current perspective. Interpretation bias relates to how people interpret evidence presented to them. No matter how opposing these are, they will fit it in their views. Lastly, memory bias happens when active recall and selection of memories happen.

What is the confirmation bias fallacy?

Fallacies occur when you seek information to give more weight to your opinions. You would instead do it than constructively work on them. It makes you numb to other people’s views. You eventually devalue or invalidate their truth.

How do you avoid confirmation bias?

You can avoid confirmation bias by seeking information different from yours. By asking questions, you can recognize lapses within your judgment. Having an attitude of an open mind will help broaden your perspective.

What are the 5 types of bias?

The five types of cognitive bias are:

1. Confirmation bias,
2. Overconfidence,
3. Fundamental,
4. Fundamental attribution, and
5. Gambler’s fallacy.

Confirmation bias tends to filter or interpret information to fit your views. Similar to this is overconfidence or over-relying on your knowledge. Anchoring is a bias where you readily jump to conclusions even with little information.

Another type is fundamental attribution. It is where you blame other people for bad things that happen to you. Lastly, Gambler’s Fallacy is a bias where past events solely dictate the future.

Is confirmation bias good or bad?

Confirmation bias clouds judgment most of the time. It can then lead to harmful actions directed at yourself or others. Difficulties in accepting that people can have different opinions result in relational problems. In severe cases of confirmation bias, it can affect your daily life.

People with confirmation bias should keep an open mind. It can strengthen their values and have “better” views.

How does Confirmation bias affect our thinking?

Seeking information in your favor hugely affects vital cognitive processes. It can affect decision-making, judgment, and interpretation.

The constant denial of opposing information can create lapses. It disables the ability to see the whole truth of varying perspectives. There is a tendency to force the information to fit into the skewed view.

What is another term for confirmation bias?

Myside bias is another term for confirmation bias. It involves assessing and generating ideas based on their own. It seeks to validate one’s point while invalidating others’ opinions.

How do you use confirmation bias to your advantage?

In some situations, decision-making processes are easier with confirmation bias. The brain’s shortcuts can help arrive at a decision fast during hard times. It is also useful in convincing people to set goals that align with their own.

What is the opposite of confirmation bias?

The opposite of confirmation bias is belief perseverance. In confirmation bias, people try to fit the evidence to their perspectives. Meanwhile, belief perseverance is inclined to outright rejection.

What is confirmation bias, and how does it work?

Confirmation bias is a type of cognitive bias that involves selective collection and interpretation of evidence. It reframes information to fit personal beliefs. Confirmation bias tends to choose the easier route and affirm what you know.

What is cognitive bias?

Cognitive biases are errors that may happen when you process and interpret information. These biases affect our cognitive processes and are usually subconscious behaviors. Our brain takes shortcuts to preserve energy. However, it may produce faults in our thought process.

What does selection bias mean?

Selection bias is a term used to describe inaccuracies in experiments. It happens where chosen subjects are not representative of the whole population. Typically, it occurs due to the failure to randomize. It may end up invalidating study results.

How do you control bias?

You can control bias by opening yourself to different views and perspectives. Asking for help in assessing your views assisted with constructive feedback may also be helpful.

Impacts of Confirmation Bias

Given the status of confirmation bias as a cognitive fallacy, it can introduce irrationality into thought processes. In turn, confirmation bias can lead people to believe the wrong conclusions and making misguided decisions.

For instance, confirmation bias drives people to preferentially seek evidence that supports their beliefs instead of information that can disprove them. People may overestimate the accuracy of their hypotheses, even in the face of contradictory evidence.

Peter Cathcart Wason demonstrated this tendency to look for information supporting a given view through a series of experiments in the 1960s. These methods, known as Wason’s rule discovery task, provide empirical evidence of confirmation bias’s workings.

Confirmation bias causes people to discredit or ignore information that is not aligned with their perspective. Without taking a balanced viewpoint, people influenced by this bias can make judgments that are not backed by logic.

At its worst, confirmation bias can cause people with different initial beliefs to adopt more extreme views. This polarization of opinions is a factor behind many of the socio-political issues expressed by many people.

Fortunately, there are many techniques to avoid confirmation bias. Often, the cognitive fault is commonplace and hard to detect. But there are practices in analysis and decision-making that can mitigate its effects.

The most straightforward approach is to look for evidence that runs counter to your beliefs actively. Carefully weigh the supporting and dissenting information you have. Through this, you get a more nuanced view of your beliefs.

In the data-gathering stage, it helps to focus on collecting as much data as possible. Don’t jump to conclusions prematurely. Without preconceived beliefs, you are less likely to allow confirmation bias to creep into your thought processes.

Formulating multiple hypotheses can also help. By not fixating on a single perspective, you can more fairly judge the evidence you have and eventually stick to the idea most supported by evidence.

Finally, share your thought process with trusted colleagues. By applying the perspectives of other people, you can filter many cognitive biases.

Being more aware of confirmation bias and counteracting it can help you live a more rational life.