Psychology

Santos 1

Thais Santos.

Professor Heintz

Psychology 225-1RA

1 May 2014

TITLE

The divorce rate in the United

States is the highest in the world.The American Psychological Association reports that roughly

40 to 50 percent of marriages in the United States end in divorce. This means that one out of

every two marriages today ends in divorce and many divorcing families include children. Parents

who are getting a divorce are frequently worried about the effect the divorce will have on their

children. During this difficult period, parents may be preoccupied with their own problems, but

continue to be the most important people in their children's lives. While parents may be

devastated or relieved by the divorce, children are frightened and confused by the threat to their

security. Divorce can be misinterpreted by children, they often believe they have caused the

conflict between their parents. Many children will assume the responsibility to bring their parents

back together, causing them additional stress. Divorce has a devastating and long-lasting effect

on children.

The foundation of all human interactions is trust. The degree to which trust is present will

determine the nature and depth as well as the length of relationships. If children develop basic

trust, they progress through the rest of the developmental stages in a healthy way. However, if

mistrust is the primary concept developed in infancy, the subsequent developmental stages are

damaged. The result of early development of mistrust can be seen in people who had their

parental attachment broken.

Santos 2

Erikson's developmental stages helps us to understand why this happens. Erik Erikson

(1902-1994) a psychologist and psychoanalyst known for his eight stage theory of psychosocial

development. Erikson believed that an individual development takes place in a social context,

and that it is a lifelong process. Erikson also stated...