While Darwin conducted probably the first scientific study of developmental psychology, at the beginning of the 20th century, Freud’s theory of psychosexual development caused an uproar that masked preceding ideas. According to his theory, the 5 stages of development are: the oral (0-1 years), the anal (1-3 years), the phallic …show more content…
Jaques was a Canadian psychoanalyst and organizational psychologist. The continuous growth of organizations created a need for a more effective employee. In the process of optimizing the workforce, psychologists turned their focus to the investigation of the factors that affect productivity, consequently the individual and sociocultural factors that trigger changes in an adult’s behavior. Jaques’ developmental theory regarding organizational growth made him an early contributor to the Positive Adult Development. While early psychoanalytic theories suggest the completion of the human development matching the end of adolescence, Positive Adult Development research findings challenge the notion of a fully developed adult at the age of 20, for example and corresponding theories have been found surprisingly useful in predicting societal contribution, life satisfaction, even biological health. The phrase mid-life crisis, according to Jaques, was introduced to describe a critical period in an adult’s development which is characterized by rapid transition that may take place any time between late 30’s and, what is considered full maturity, the age of 65, depending on the …show more content…
A recent case example is that of a man of 43. He decided to go to therapy at the request of his worrying wife. He reported that he has been spending more money and has been drinking much more often. He also reports that he is thinking of going to a prostitute. After attending therapy for some time, he came to realize that he has been feeling low for a while, that his youth is long gone whereas his goal are yet to be met. He also expressed discontent towards his wife because of her lack of audaciousness and the fact that she has gained a considerable amount of weight. Unable to communicate his feelings to his wife, his dissatisfaction has been growing. The therapist recommended joint sessions, which eventuated in renewing the couple’s relationship, strengthening their marriage and helping them to face life’s challenges together