Question

Jade was four-years-old and wanted to be “just like her mommy.”   She liked to dress the same way as her mom, she insisted on dressing herself, and on and on. Jade also wanted to “fix” things as her dad and mom did, and she seemed satisfied even when she broke what she was trying to fix. Jade’s dad and mom often commented on how proud they were of their daughter.

1. What would Freud say about why Jade imitates her mom’s behavior?
2. Is her behavior universal or are her experiences uniquely shaped by her environment?
3. What aspect of Jade’s behavior would Piaget be interested in?
4. According to Piaget, is development continuous or discontinous?

Answer 1

• According to Freud Jade is showing Electra complex.This is exhibited in the phallic stage of psychosexual development similar to Oedipus complex.In Electra complex,a female child shows affectionate feelings towards her father and feels jealous of her mother.The female child experiences a sense of competition with her mother,which is why Jade imitates her mother's dressing sense.
• According to Freud,this phenomenon was universal but I dont think this behaviour is universal,it definitely varies according to the environment or any other factor.Though this concept is not widely accepted today.
• Piaget would be interested in studying the imitation behaviour of Jade.According to Piaget,children engage in imitating behaviours,especially their parents,during sensorimotor stage.Children show imitating behaviours by observing others in their environment.
• Piaget's theory is discontinuous in nature because it defines development in terms of stages. The development is more categorical in nature.