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Theories of Child Development
Psychoanalytic Theories
Originated with Sigmund Freud.
Emphasizes the importance of early experiences in shaping development.
Focuses on unconscious drives and motivations.
Erik Erikson expanded on Freud's work, emphasizing psychosocial stages of
development across the lifespan.
Learning Theories
Highlights the role of environment and experience in shaping development.
Includes:
Behaviorism:
Key figures: John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner.
Focuses on observable behaviors and how they are learned through
classical and operant conditioning.
Social Learning Theory:
Key figure: Albert Bandura.
Emphasizes learning through observation and imitation.
Bobo doll experiment demonstrated that children can learn
aggressive behaviors by watching others.
Bandura's later work introduced the concept of self-efficacy: one's
belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a
task.
Cognitive Theories
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Focuses on how children think, learn, and process information.
Key figures:
Jean Piaget:
Proposed that children actively construct knowledge through
exploration and discovery.
Stages of Cognitive Development:
Sensorimotor (0-2 years): Infants learn through sensory
experiences and motor actions.
Preoperational (2-7 years): Children develop symbolic
thinking but struggle with logic and perspective-taking.
Concrete Operational (7-11 years): Children begin to think
logically about concrete events and understand conservation.
Formal Operational (12+ years): Adolescents develop abstract
reasoning and hypothetical thinking.
Lev Vygotsky:
Emphasized the role of social interaction and culture in cognitive
development.
Introduced the concept of the Zone of Proximal Development
(ZPD): the gap between what a child can do independently and
what they can achieve with guidance from a more knowledgeable
other.
Scaffolding: Providing support to a learner that is tailored to their
current level of understanding.
Ethological Theories
Focuses on the biological and evolutionary bases of behavior.
Key figures:
Konrad Lorenz:
Studied imprinting in animals, where young animals form strong
attachments to the first moving object they see.
John Bowlby:
Applied ethological principles to human attachment.
Proposed that infants have an innate drive to form attachments
with caregivers.
These early attachments serve as internal working models for
future relationships.
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Ecological Systems Theory
Developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner.
Emphasizes the interconnectedness of various environmental systems in
influencing development.
Five Environmental Systems:
Microsystem: Immediate environment, such as family, school, and peers.
Mesosystem: Interactions between different microsystems.
Exosystem: External settings that indirectly affect the child, such as
parents' workplace.
Macrosystem: Broader cultural values, laws, and customs.
Chronosystem: The influence of time and historical events on
development.
Dynamic Systems Theory
Views development as a complex, dynamic process involving interactions
between multiple systems.
Emphasizes that change is nonlinear and context-dependent.
Development emerges from the self-organization of these systems.
Comparison of Theories
Theory Key Focus Key Figures
Unconscious drives, early
Psychoanalytic Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson
experiences
Observable behaviors, John B. Watson, B.F. Skinner,
Learning
environmental influences Albert Bandura
Thinking, learning, information
Cognitive Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky
processing
Biological and evolutionary bases
Ethological Konrad Lorenz, John Bowlby
of behavior
Ecological Interconnectedness of
Urie Bronfenbrenner
Systems environmental systems
Dynamic Complex interactions between
-
Systems multiple systems
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Practical Applications
Informing Parenting Practices: Understanding attachment theory can guide
parents in providing sensitive and responsive care.
Educational Strategies: Cognitive theories inform teaching methods that
promote active learning and discovery.
Social Policies: Ecological systems theory highlights the importance of creating
supportive environments for children and families.
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