Final answer:
The concept that argued early childhood experiences affect later personality development is most closely associated with Psychoanalysis, which focuses on the unconscious mind's influence on behavior. Behaviorism also considers the environment's role in shaping behavior, but it concentrates on externally observable behaviors, while humanistic psychology emphasizes individual growth and self-actualization.
Step-by-step explanation:
Theories of Personality Development and Early Experiences:
The idea that early experiences in childhood have a later effect on personality is strongly associated with the field of Psychoanalysis. This concept was central to the work of Sigmund Freud, who posited that the unconscious mind and our childhood experiences have a profound impact on our personality development. Behaviorism, another theory from the early 20th century, emphasized external behaviors over internal experiences, suggesting that behaviors are the result of conditioning and reinforcement from the environment. In contrast, Humanistic psychology emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans and focuses on personal growth, freedom to choose one's destiny, and the concept of self-actualization as critical elements of personality.
Cognitive psychology, while it does focus on internal processes, tends to emphasize the importance of mental processes like thinking, memory, and problem-solving over the development of personality as related to early childhood experiences. Hence, when dealing with the specific effect of early experiences on later personality, psychoanalysis is the most fitting among the given options.