Final Project: Autobiographical Psychosocial History
PSY/201
Nikki Pigeon
06-17-13

The five concepts that have affected my development in life that I have chose to write about are; parenting style, nature-nurture issue, influence, need for achievement, and also generativity-versus-stagnation stage. I have chosen to write about these five concepts because I feel that each of them has given me the foundations on which I have built my life and helped shape me into to person I am today.
I first chose parenting style, I was raised by my grandparents and they were what I would consider permissive parents for the most part they gave us freedom and required little from us however, they did show us that responsibility was a very big part of life and the earlier we learn it the better we will accept it when we enter adulthood. They made having responsibility somewhat fun by helping us with chores and homework, and the feeling that I got from knowing that they were happy with me and proud of me really reinforced that if I were to show the same responsibility for other aspects of my life I could achieve anything I set my mind to.
The next concept I chose would be the nature-nurture issue, this affected my life because I felt that both nature and nurture played a part in my growing up. By nature of my family, excluding one of my parents, I was naturally hard working, determined, easy-going, and fun. Growing up in my family you can see each of these traits in everyone, and I feel that it is in our nature to exhibit these characteristics. I can say the same for the nurture aspect, form an early age we are shown through the elders that hard work, determination, and responsibility are very important parts of life and will be major keys in developing into a well-rounded adult. They also understand that so is being fun and having a down to earth attitude and not losing sight that we only have one life to live and while working as hard as we can is important so is enjoying ourselves.
Influence has also played a role in my development by me watching and learning from my family, they have always set a positive example and been positive influences. I have watched my aunts and uncles work their hands to the bones to provide not only for their families but the entire family, and my older cousins excel in sports and academics watching these growing up have influenced me to be the same way. My family has helped enforce positive influences by getting me involved in sports, social outings like church camps and other various camps in which I am around positive influences, and also by knowing that not just myself but other family members are watching and learning from them.
The concepts that I have previously mentioned have all played a role in my need for achievement. Our text defines the need for achievement is a stable, learned characteristic in which a person obtains satisfaction by striving for and attaining a level of excellence (McClelland et al., 1953). I feel I have obtained this need for achievement because of how I have been raised by watching and learning that hard work and determination will get you anywhere you want to be although it may take time anything worth having is worth working/waiting for. I feel the need to achieve and excel in so that I can have the sense of accomplishment, and that feeling I get from knowing that I have made my family proud.
The last concept I chose to write about is generativity-versus-stagnation stage. I chose this concept because as a person in middle adulthood, this stage is ever present in my current life. I also feel that my upbringing plays a huge role in my wanting to fulfill the need to contribute back to my family what they have given to me and also to give to society what I can because I know that there are people out there who haven’t had the chances or opportunities that I have be given and I would like to offer them that if I am able, and if I am not I would like to work to be able to do so. As out text said “success in this stage results in a person’s feeling positive about the continuity of life” (p. 325) I feel that I have had some success in this stage so far and I can certainly agree with the text, those successes have geared me up to continue on making positive developments and differences in my life, my family’s life, and any other life I can reach.

References:
Psychology and Your Life, Ch.7, p. 272, (McClelland et al., 1953)
Psychology and Your Life, Ch. 8, p. 325