1+2: intro to developmental psychology/development of learning Flashcards
how would you describe development
Development is:
Lifelong
Multidimensional and multi-directional- not always getting worse or better at certain things, different processes and functions may gai in abilities but also may lose
Multidisciplinary- education incredibly important to development, medicine, biology
Plastic- open to change, ability to change, e.g. changes in brain functions and structures
Change in one aspect of our development can influence changes in another aspect of development
what is developmental psychology
Aims to characterise, describe, and understand the way in which infants, children, young people, and adults develop.
what are the three areas development is split into
Physical- growth of body, hormonal changes,
cognitive- intelligence, problem solving, memory,
psychosocial- emotions and how they are regulated, relationships we are part of
why involve young people in research
- A rights based moral argument
Children and young people have a right under the UNCRC (all about the rights children should have in day to day lives) to have a say in matters which affect them. - An evidence-based argument
Can lead to better research- particularly if they are involved in planning of the research - Young people are the ultimate end users of policies, programmes, and services that are relevant to them
- Direct input from young people can help reflect lived realities, experiences, and priorities in policy and service design of what life is like for them in the current time
- can share opinions
ethical considerations
- Informed consent – role of gatekeepers (consent from a parental guardian, school). Need to know exactly what is asked and expected from them. Need to make sure the tasks given to the children are understandable or the answers will be inaccurate
- Privacy- young people sharing their opinions and views will remain private and confidential.
- No exposing young people to harm or being caused distress in any way. Can make sure of this by not asking young children to do anything harmful, as well as informed consent
- Making sure young children have access to support after the research had been conducted
- Power dynamics- authority figures- want to make sure the young people know that we are not. Their participation is entirely voluntary. Need to know they can withdraw from research at any time.
- Legal requirements of working with children and young people (Disclosure). No criminal convictions that make you unsuitable for that type of work
why are theories important?
Provide organising frameworks for our observations of people
who theorised psychosocial development?
Erik Erikson
whos understanding of development did Erik Erickson draw on?
Freuds
outline theory of psychosocial development
- According to his theory we experience eight stages of development over our lifespan as we interact with society, from infancy through late adulthood. At each stage there is a conflict, or task, that we need to resolve, in order to move to the next stage of development.
Theories how we form our identity and personality develops across the lifespan
Successful development involves dealing with and resolving the goals and demands of each of these psychosocial crises in a positive way. Can move on with a healthy manor. If we don’t move through in a positive way, we may have a more unhealthy personality or sense of self. Will be much harder to progress through stages as you haven’t developed the skills needed to deal with these situations
What are the stages of psychosocial development theory (don’t describe them)
trust vs mistrust (infancy), autonomy vs shame/guilt (early childhood), initiative vs Guilt (pre school), industry vs inferiority (school age), identity vs role confusion (adolescents), intimacy vs isolation (young adulthood), Generativity vs stagnation (middle adult hood), ego integrity vs despair (maturity).
Trust vs mistrust
Trust or mistrust that basic needs will be met and the world is good.
If a child’s parent supports them in a consistent and stable way then you will develop trust. If not = develop mistrust
autonomy vs shame/doubt
Develop a sense of independence in tasks. If parents provide a supportive environment for them to explore and develop simple skills, child will develop autonomy. If not given this space to develop then they may lack self esteem
initiative vs guilt
Take initiative and gain a sense of ambition and responsibility. If children and young people are allowed to engage in creative play and interact with one another in a supportive way, then this can help them develop decision making skills and allow them to take initiative. If they don’t, they may feel they are being a nuisance to other people
industry vs inferiority
Learn to work hard, develop self-confidence in abilities and cooperate with others. If children are allowed to take initiative and develop skills they want to develop and are supported for this then they will have a better self esteem. If not, they will lack self esteem and may feel inferior
identity vs role confusion
Experiment with and develop identity and roles. Whether adolescents develop a healthy identity, given space to explore and choose their own identity. Or do they end up confused with what their role is in this world.
intimacy vs isolation
Establish healthy intimate relationships with others. Whether a young adult seeks out intimacy/ romantic relationships with a life partner. If they do, they will achieve intimacy, if they don’t, they will feel lonely and isolated. Could be due to trust issues lingering from stage 1 or 4, etc.
generatively vs stagnation
Contribute to society and the next generation. Seek things that will outlast you e.g. what legacy may be- children, careers, contributions to society. If you do- will develop a healthy manner. If you dont you will feel disconnected from society
integrity vs despair
Feeling satisfied with life and that it was worth living. Reflecting back on your life and what you have achieved. If you see yourself as having a successful life- integrity. If you feel like you haven’t achieved our life goals you will feel despair
strengths of Erik Eriksons psychosocial theory
- first model to look at whole lifespan
- Clear framework for understanding both healthy and maladaptive outcomes during development.
- considers role of culture and social interactions
limitations of Erik Ericksons psychosocial theory
- Criticised for assuming that completion of one crisis is a strict prerequisite of for the next
- Focused on societal expectations that are found in some cultures but not in all (western bias)
- Focused on men – doesn’t account for gender differences
- Little empirical evidence to support - difficult to test empirically
- More opinion than fact- in some ways- lacks scientific validity
what is cognitive development
Concerned with thinking – the mental activities through which we acquire and process knowledge (Crawford & Walker, 2007). Focuses on attention, memory, how we process knowledge
who is Jean Piaget and what did he believe
Jean Piaget is one of the most influential cognitive theorists in developmental psychology. He was inspired to learn more about cognitive development due to his own children. He was a constructivist- believed children construct their own knowledge by exploring and interacting with the world
As the brain develops and children’s experiences expand, they move through four broad stages, each characterised by increasingly sophisticated thinking and understanding of the world.
Piagets theory in practice
people react differently to learning according to stage of cognitive development. Teachers should take a mentoring role and encourage earners to learn from mistakes
people reacting differently to learning may not be as a result of age, but what development stage they are at
how many stages did jean Piaget theorise and what are these
4
sensorimotor period, pre operational period, concreteoperational period, formal operational period ,
