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Prior To Completing This Discussion Read The Required Materials From

Prior to completing this discussion, read the required materials from the Shaffer (2011) text, as well as the Berzonsky (2004), Fiese (2013), and Burkitt (2010) articles. Review the PSY605: Mila Singer Life Story document. Choose one aspect of Mila’s life to alter. This element can be an event, a personal characteristic, an environmental factor, or an aspect of the timeline. In your initial post, identify the original life story element you intend to change and explain how you intend to change it.

Use Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development to explain Mila’s stage of development at the time this change takes place and address how the change affects Mila’s psychological development into adulthood. After identifying the initial change and describing it, create a list of three additional outcomes in Mila’s development across the lifespan that will likely be affected by this change. For each, identify the current outcome in Mila’s life story and propose a rationale for changing this outcome. Apply either Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory or Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory to Mila’s life to create a hypothesis as to how and why these outcomes would likely adjust due to the changes you have made.

Briefly summarize your personal reaction(s) to making the initial change and how it altered the subsequent outcomes. Explain how differences in life events create differences in human development.

Paper For Above instruction

Prior To Completing This Discussion Read The Required Materials From

For this assignment, I will analyze Mila Singer’s life story and explore how altering a specific element could impact her psychological development over the lifespan. After reviewing the materials from Shaffer (2011), Berzonsky (2004), Fiese (2013), Burkitt (2010), and the PSY605: Mila Singer Life Story document, I have selected Mila’s early educational environment as the aspect to modify. Currently, Mila experienced a supportive school environment that fostered her confidence and social skills. I propose changing this to a less supportive, more competitive educational setting that emphasizes individual achievement over social development, which could influence her self-concept and interpersonal skills.

Using Erikson’s psychosocial stages, Mila was likely in the stage of Identity vs. Role Confusion during adolescence when this change would occur. In this phase, individuals explore their personal identity and develop a sense of self. A less supportive educational environment might hinder Mila’s ability to develop a cohesive identity, leading to potential confusion or insecurity about her role in society. This change could result in delayed or impaired identity formation, influencing her psychological health into adulthood, including her self-esteem and social relationships.

Considering the long-term implications, I identified three developmental outcomes affected by this change. First, Mila’s sense of autonomy might be diminished, as a competitive environment could foster dependency on external validation rather than internal confidence. Second, her career aspirations could be impacted, either by fostering resilience or causing insecurity to succeed academically. Third, her social relationships might be strained if she develops trust issues due to perceived lack of support or excessive competition. I propose that altering Mila’s early educational experience to a more collaborative and supportive setting could foster healthier outcomes across these domains.

Applying Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory provides insight into how Mila’s development is influenced by multiple interconnected systems. The microsystem—the immediate environment—would shift from competitive to collaborative, affecting her interactions with peers and teachers. The mesosystem, which involves interactions between Microsystems, such as family and school, could become more cohesive with a supportive environment. On a macro level, societal values regarding education could be influenced to prioritize emotional support alongside achievement. Consequently, these systemic changes would likely promote more positive developmental outcomes, such as higher self-esteem and better social skills.

Personally, I found that contemplating this change made me reflect on how critical early environments are in shaping future development. Altering Mila’s educational experiences made me realize the importance of support and collaboration in fostering resilience and healthy identity development. This exercise underscores that differences in life events—such as educational quality—create significant variations in human development trajectories. While Mila’s original story might have led to a resilient adult, the modified environment could potentially result in even more adaptive and secure psychosocial outcomes.

References

• Berzonsky, M. D. (2004). Identity Processing Style and the Search for Meaning. Journal of Adolescence, 27(4), 369–394.
• Burkitt, I. (2010). Understanding Social Theory. SAGE Publications.
• Fiese, B. H. (2013). Family Research: The Importance of Context. Journal of Family Psychology, 27(6), 679–680.
• Shaffer, D. R. (2011). Social and Personality Development. Cengage Learning.
• Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.
• Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Harvard University Press.
• Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and Crisis. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Berzonsky, M. D., & Adams, G. R. (2014). Identity development over the lifespan. In Handbook of Identity Theory and Research.
• Fiese, B. H., & Spagnola, M. (2013). Family routines and rituals in the age of technology. Family Process, 52(2), 246-267.
• Burkitt, I. (2010). Understanding Social Theory. Sage Publications.