PSYB20 – Week 2 Lecture Notes: History of Developmental Psychology
Compiled based on the Week 2 Study Guide
1. Four Overarching Themes in Developmental Psychology
- Continuity vs. Discontinuity: Is development gradual or stage-like?
- Nature vs. Nurture: Is development driven more by biology or environment?
- Active vs. Passive Child: Do children shape their development or are they shaped by
others?
- Holistic Nature of Development: Development affects and is affected by multiple
domains.
2. The Nature of Scientific Theories
- A theory is a framework for understanding behavior and development.
- Good theories are:
• Parsimonious (simple and concise)
• Falsifiable (testable)
• Heuristic (stimulate new research)
3. Major Theoretical Perspectives
a. Psychoanalytic Theories
i. Sigmund Freud
- Three components of personality: Id, Ego, Superego
- Psychosexual stages: Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital
ii. Erik Erikson
- Psychosocial stages from infancy to old age (e.g., Trust vs. Mistrust, Identity vs. Role
Confusion)
iii. Comparison: Freud emphasized unconscious drives and sexuality; Erikson
emphasized social and cultural influences.
iv. Other Neo-Freudians: Expanded or revised Freud’s theories; emphasized ego,
interpersonal relationships.
b. Learning Theories
i. John B. Watson – Classical Conditioning (e.g., Little Albert)
ii. B.F. Skinner – Operant Conditioning (reinforcement and punishment shape
behavior)
iii. Albert Bandura – Social Learning Theory (learning through observation and
imitation; Bobo doll study)
c. Cognitive-Developmental, Sociocultural, and Information-Processing Theories
- To be reviewed in detail in later classes (Lectures 6/7)
d. Ethological and Evolutionary Theories
i. Konrad Lorenz – Imprinting and critical periods
ii. Key Concepts:
- Critical Periods: Specific time frames for development (irreversible)
- Sensitive Periods: Optimal but not rigid time frames
- Natural Selection: Traits that aid survival are passed on
e. Ecological Systems Theory – Urie Bronfenbrenner
- Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem, Chronosystem
- Development occurs through interactions between child and layered environments
4. Theories and World Views
a. Contextual Model: Development results from dynamic interaction between individual
and environment.
b. Mechanistic World View: Development is a passive, continuous process influenced by
external forces.
c. Organismic World View: Development is active and stage-like, with qualitative
changes.
