Themes and Theories of Human Development I. What is a developmental theory?     

A. Scientific theoryB. Characteristics of a good theory

1. Parsimony2. Falsifiability3. Heuristic Value

II. Questions and controversies in human development A. Assumptions about human nature

1. Original sin2. Innate purity

B. Nature versus nurtureC. Activity versus passivityD. Continuity versus discontinuity

1. Stages of development2. Qualitative/quantitative3. Connectedness of development

III. Theories of human developmentA. Psychoanalytic theory

1. Components of personality2. Psychosexual development

B. Learning theory1. Processes of learning2. Social learning theory

C. Cognitive developmental theoryD. Ethological theoryE. Ecological theory

1. The importance of the natural environment2. Environmental layers

What is a theory

What is a theory in general?• A set of concepts or propositions that

describe and explain some aspect of experience.

What is a scientific theory?• A public pronouncement indicating what a

scientist believes about his or her area specific area of investigation

What are the characteristics of a good theory?• Parsimony

• Concise, yet able to explain a wide range of phenomena

• Falsifiability• Capable of making explicit predictions

• Heuristic value• Can be applied to unknown situations

and cases

Question and controversies about human development

• Assumptions about human nature• Innate purity versus original sin• Tabula rasa

• Nature versus nurture

• Activity versus passivity

• Continuity of development• Stages of development• Quantitative versus qualitative change

• Quantitative – changes in degree• Qualitative – changes in kind

• Connectedness of development

• Similarity versus differences

Continuous versus Discontinuous Development

Continuous Development

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Continuous versus Discontinuous Development

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Question and controversies about human development

• Assumptions about human nature• Innate purity versus original sin• Tabula rasa

• Nature versus nurture

• Activity versus passivity

• Continuity of development• Stages of development• Quantitative versus qualitative change

• Quantitative – changes in degree• Qualitative – changes in kind

• Connectedness of development

• Similarity versus differences

Theories of child developmentPsychoanalytic viewpoint

Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychosexual development

Components of the personality• The Id – legislator of the personality• The Ego – executive of the personality• The Superego – judicial branch of the

personality

The theory of psychosexual development• The oral stage (birth – 1 year)• The anal stage (1 – 3 years)• The phallic stage (3 – 6 years)

• The Oedipus complex• Latency period (6 – 12 years)• The genital stage (12 years on)

Evaluation of theory

Theories of child developmentLearning theory (Behaviorism)

John B. Watson (1878-1958)

• Classical conditioning• Association of a neutral stimulus with a

non-neutral stimulus• Little Albert

B. F. Skinner (1904-1990)

• Operant conditioning• Reinforcers• Punishment

Theories of child developmentLearning theory (Behaviorism)

Albert Bandura (1925- )

• Modeling and observation learning• Socio-cognitive theory

• Personal standards and self-efficacy

• Evaluation of learning theories• Positive:• Major impact on practices with child• Behavior modification

• Negative• Downplays importance of biological

factors• Too narrow view of environmental

factors• Underestimates children’s contributions

to develop

Theories of child developmentCognitive theories

Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

• Cognitive Developmental Theory• Children as constructivists• Organismic theorist• Development occurred in stages

• Information-Processing Theory• Concern with rigor and precision• Developmental Cognitive

Neuroscience• Brings together psychology,

biology, neuroscience, and medicine

• New methods for analyzing brain activity

• Importance of brain plasticity

Theories of child developmentEthological and evolutionary theory

Niko Timbergen Konrad Lorenz

(1907 - 1988) (1903 - 1989)

• Ethological Theory• Imprinting• Critical and sensitive periods

• Evolutionary Developmental Psychology• Adaptive value of cognitive, social, and

emotional competencies• Interest in genetic, biological, and learning

Theories of child developmentVygotsky & Bronfenbrenner

Lev Vygosky (1896-1934)

• Sociocultural theory• Social interaction and

cooperative dialogues• Emphasis on culture and

social experience

Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005)

• Ecological systems theory• Bioecological model• Environmental layers

Ecological theoryEnvironmental Layers