Theories on Development

Chapter 6Pages 191-233

Theories on development

Emotional

Bowlby & Ainsworth

Attachment theory

Cognitive

Jean Piaget

Four stage theory

Psychosocial

Erik Erikson

Eight stage theory

Moral

Lawrence Kohlberg

Six stage theory

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPME

NT

Emotional Development

Attachment TheoryLooks at the close social and emotional bond that

develops between an infant and the care givers/parents (attachment)

At around 6-8months babies show a strong preference for their mother and if they are separated from them then they show signs of separation anxiety. (emotional distress experienced when the infant is separated from who they have formed a bond with)

Harlow and Rhesus Monkeys.Why do babies form an attachment to their mothers?Harlow believed it was because she was the one that feeds them.

He decided to investigate on Rhesus monkeys.He found that his “feeding hypothesis was not supported”

Monkeys preferred the cloth mother over the wire mother despite the wire mother providing the food.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU9jKlNK1Qc&feature=related3minhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrNBEhzjg8I&feature=related5min

John BowlbyAttachment theory

John Bowlby provided a new approach. Believed that attachment had a strong biological basis.

Infants are programmed to display certain behaviours such as smiling, clinging which leads to an affectionate protective adult response. Adults are hardwired to be attracted to this behaviour. Bowlby came up with an attachment process that occurs in infants

John Bowlby

Age Infant behaviour Adult response

0-newborn Crying Care and sympathy

4-6 weeks Social smiling Joy and pleasure

3-4 months Anger, surprise, sadness Reinforces connection with parents

5-7 months Fear Continues to reinforce connection

6 months Happy greeting (smiles, arms to parents)

Consolidates parent connection

6-8 months Shame and shyness Consolidates parents connection

How infants attach to their carers over time. Each behaviour is shared with an adult response which makes the attachment

stronger.

• Is there anything wrong with these strong bonds that are

formed???

• As a consequence of these strong bonds when a parent needs to leave the infant becomes distressed. This is known as separation anxiety.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6QtuU1L_A830sec

• There are different phases of attachment according to Bowlby.

1 2 3 4

Phase name Pre-attachment Critical period-attachment in the making

Clear-cut attachment

Coal directed partnership

Age in months 0-2 2-6 6-48 >48

behaviours •Dont discriminate between different people•Dont mind being left alone with unfamiliar people•Preference for humans.

•Direct signals to certain people•Recognise their parents

•Separation anxiety

•Children predict and accept the comings and going of parents.•Separation anxiety decreases.

Bowlby’s Findings

• Infants need to develop a secure dependence before launching out on their own explorations.

• To grow up mentally healthy the infant should experience a warm, intimate and continuous relationship with his/her mother.

Mary Ainsworth

• Wanted to look at1. How does attachment occur?2. Are there different types of attachment?3. What are the long term effects of

attachment?

1) How does attachment occur?

It occurs gradually over time. As they become more attached then they show stronger signs of distress when the carer leaves.

To study an infants reaction to being separated Ainsworth developed a technique called the Strange Situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTsewNrHUHU3min15

2) Different Types of attachment.1. Secure attachment: most common type (65%). Care giver

responds to the infant appropriately and consistently to ensure that the infant believes the mum will be available and responsive.

2. Resistant attachment: accounts for 10% of attachments. Babies anxious even when mum is around. Protest when she leaves and cant be comforted easily when she returns. Care give not consistent in responding to the infants needs.

3. Avoidant attachment: accounts for 25% of attachments. Babies seek little contact from mum and isn’t distressed when she leaves. Can be with the care giver of a stranger. Caregiver is usually inconsistent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPwAcOw2QZ86min

What causes theses differences in attachment?

There are three things that cause these differences..

1. Care giver factors.2. Role played by the infant.3. External factors (family

circumstances)

Page 198.

3) Effects of Attachment Deprivation

• Impacts on emotional development, mental illness, depression and delinquency.

• Can be short or long term.

Impact of healthy Attachments.• Become more resilient, competent with high self esteem.• Experience more positive emotions• Advanced cognitive development• Healthier relationships in adulthood.

Cognitive Development

Cognitive Development: transitions in patterns of thinking including reasoning, remembering

and problem solving.

This is why children think differently from adults.

Jean Piaget• Piaget proposed a stage approach to children’s

cognitive development.• He believed thought processes go through a series

of changes across four different stages. At each stage thinking matures as the child comes to understand and utilise new information. Everyone goes through each stage however the rate may differ from one person to the next.

STAGES:1. Sensorimotor2. Pre-operational3. Concrete operational4. Formal operational

Assimilation and AccommodationHow infants come to an understanding of the world.

Children create thinking frameworks (mental patterns also called schemas). These are the building blocks of intelligent behaviour that helps them understand the world around them. These frameworks (schemas) are developed via the process of assimilation and accommodation.

Assimilation: taking in NEW information and incorporating it into our existing ideas. The world is fitted in to what the child already knows.

Accommodation: altering your existing ideas (OLD) as a result of new information.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAQur-Y_BJY1min16

Using these two processes children move through the four stages of cognitive development.

Piaget’s modelStage Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4

Description Sensorimotor Pre-operational

Concrete operational

Formal operational

Typical ages Birth -2 years 2-7 years 7-11 years 11 through to adulthood.

Cognitive changes

Coordination of sensory input and motor responses

Development of symbolic thought

Mental operations applied to concrete events

Mental operations applied to abstract ideas

Key developments

*Object permanence

*Conservation*Irreversibility*Centration*Egocentrism

*Reversibility*Decentration*Hierarchical classificaton

*Logical, systematic and abstract thinking

Sensorimotor stageObject permanencehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKZ9IPRKkkUPre-operational stage:Conservationhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtLEWVu815oCentrationhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXSI-D75r48Egocentrismhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OinqFgsIbh0Concrete operational stageReversibilityhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA04ew6Oi9MFormal operational stagehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw36PpYPPZM

Evaluating Piaget’s Work• There is lots of research to support his theory.• His theory has inspired many others• His theory has been applied to educational

settings which has changed the way children are taught at school. He has provided valuable information about when to teach certain concepts and how to teach them.

Criticisms.• Underestimated children’s development.• Mixing across the stages.• The timing for each stage varies so children

don’t always pass through each stage at a set age.

• His observations were biased.• Small sample size (his own children)• Tests may have been culturally biased.

Psychosocial Developmen

t

ERIKSONS 8 STAGE MODEL

Erikson divided life into 8 psychosocial stages. Psychosocial stage: 8 stages in which the individuals major goal is to satisfy desires related to social needs.

Each stage characterises a psychosocial crisis.Psychosocial Crisis: a challenge in each of Erikson’s stages that a person must deal with in order to develop positive traits in the future. If you do not handle the crisis then negative traits will appear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvAwAzlWHek&feature=related

4min

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s59JvdL-lBA&feature=related

2min

Evaluating Erikson’s Theory• His theory shows how social situations stimulate

personality development by dealing with challenges linked to certain periods of a person’s life.

• His descriptions don’t explain the enormous personality differences that exist between people.

• His concepts like trust and autonomy are hard to test.

• His work has been very influential.

Moral Developm

ent

Bob’s wife is dying of cancer and the drug to help her costs $200,000. Bob cant afford this and no one will help him. Without the drug she will die.

He breaks into the pharmacy and steals the drug.

Should Bob have done this? Why/why not?

Moral DevelopmentMorals: A person's standards of behaviour or beliefs

concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do

Moral development: the change in moral behaviour over time.

Morality: the ability to distinguish right from wrong and to behave accordingly.

Was what Bob did right or wrong??

Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stage Theory

• Looks at how people acquire a sense of right and wrong.

• Kohlberg’s theory is based on the idea that people progress through three levels of moral development.

• Each level is divided in 2 stages.• Everybody needs to go through the 6 stages in

order and no stage can be skipped over.

Kohlberg’s LevelsLevel 1:Pre-conventional

Consists of stage 1 and 2. Concerned with the self. Judge morality by consequences.Level 2: Conventional

Consists of stage 3 and 4. Moral reasoning determined by conformity.

Level 3: Post-conventionalConsists of stage 5 and 6. Decide on a personal set of ethics.

Moral thinking is more flexible. Stage 5 reasoning is determined by careful consideration. Stage 6 reasoning is determined by principles that are abstract, emphasising

equity and justice.

Level of Moral Development

Pre-conventional Level Conventional Level Post-conventional Level

Stages Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Stage 6

Life stage children children Many adolescents and adults

Many adolescents and adults

Some adults reach this level

Very few adults reach this level.

Orientation Punishment and obedience

Naive reward-related to self

Mutual interpersonal expectations, relationships and conformity

Authority law and order

Social contact/ individual rights

Individual principles and conscience

Key features about right and wrong

Determined by what is punished. Punishment provides info about what is wrong

Determined by what is rewarded

Determined by close other’s approval or disapproval

Determined by society’s rules/laws to be obeyed

Determined by society’s rules/laws which are viewed as fallible rather than absolute-laws should be obeyed

Determined by abstract ethical principles that emphasise quality and justice.

Bobs life example. Bob should no steal –he will go to jail

He should steal to save his wife. But he will go to jail to pay the price.

He should steal. What is expected of him from family.

Should not steal because of the effect on society. What if everybody decided to do the same thing.

He should steal the drug. Life is more important than money

He should steal. Life is important. His wife’s life is very important.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7pQJ0ptjk0

4min30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL3ADOS6XsY

5min30

Evaluating Kohlberg.• Supported by research• As children get older moral reasoning alters in a

predicted direction.• First four stages have been found in other cultures.Concerns:• Most people never reach level6• Some people may skip stages or go in reverse order.• Too biased towards males • Mixing of stages.

homework

• Activities:6.3 all6.7 all6.9 all6.11 questions 1,2,3,4,6