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 ,
what are schemas
- help us understand the world. - Knowledge we already have about the world.
- Units of knowledge.
- Helpful in helping us categories and determining info.
-Use them to interpret experiences we are having or to categorise new info.
-Born with these but every day schemes are adapted while world is more interacted with.
what is assimilation
where something we experience in the world fits in with what we already know. its a cognitive process that involves incorporating new info into existing info
what is accommodation
when an individual modifies existing g shims or creates new ones to accommodate new info or experiences that don’t fit into current understanding.
what is the sensorimotor period and what age
0-2
World experienced through senses and movement, by grasping, using feel. One of the most dramatic stages of brain development. Use senses and motor skills to understand environment
Limitations - object permanence. Don’t understand that just because you can’t see anything anymore, it can still exist e.g. a teddy being moved away. They will think this has gone completely
Describe study on object permanence
sensorimotor period
- object permanence- don’t understand that just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there.
Piaget 1963- toy hidden under blanket while child watched. If child searched for hidden object indicates metal representation of object
results of object permanence
infant under 8months they don’t attempt to retrieve the item- they don’t understand it still exists
8-9months- actively search for the object- object permanence is still limited- the children often search the same place even if they have witnessed it being moved to another
what is pre-operational and the age
2-7
Use words and images to represent things, but lack logical reasoning. Which is why children this age play imaginary play, e.g. using arms to pretend they are an aeroplane.
Limitations – egocentrism ( can only see things from their own point of view. Thye think everyone sees what they see and has the same preferences as them)
Describe the study on ego centrism
Piaget and Inhelder, 1956
3 mountains task
- shown 3 mountains, one covered in snow, one with a church ontop and one with trees on top
- child on one side of display and doll on other side
- the child was shown pictures from the scene at different viewpoints and asked to select the best view from what the doll could see
- correct;hy picked photo- no egocentrism
egocentrism results
- 4y report what can be seen from their viewpoint
6y more aware of other viewpoints but will still choose wrong ones
-7-8y - consistently chose the right picture
suggests ego centrism stops at 7 years old
limitations of 3 mountains task
- may have underestimated child abilities
- complicated language used
- lack of content
- misinterpretation
what is concrete operational and the age
7-11
Understand concrete (real) events and analogies logically. Can take into account different peoples perspectives. Can think logically about concrete events
Conservation: Children understand that the volume of an object remains the same even if its shape changes.
Limitations – Abstract logic - not at stage of adult logic. Adults can think logically of things that have happened in the past or are yet to happen
study on conservation
Piaget and Szeminska (1952)
- cpiaget asked children wether rows of counters or beakers of liquid were the same or different before and after a change was made to physical appearance
conservation results
7y majority of children can conserve liquid
5y though there was a different volume because the shape changed
what is formal operational and the age
12+
Can deal with abstract and hypothetical ideas and situations. Can reason in the same way that scientists do. Cn problem solve and think of alternative decisions. Ability to use imagination and speculate about things
operational thought studies
Piaget (1970)- 3rd eye problem- asked children where they would place a third eye
Schaffer 1988- 9y suggested a third eye on their forehead
11y suggested a third eye on their hand so that they could look round corners
strengths to Piaget
Stages provide a clear and logical progression of cognitive development
Practical implications for education
Highlights importance of interaction with environment
Major influence in Developmental Psychology -
limitations
- Criticised for overemphasising the role that physical maturation plays in cognitive development.
- Piaget underestimated the competences of infants and children (Baillargeon)
- Underestimate’s role of culture and experience- different cultures have different impacts on children’s development at different ages.
- He didn’t think any changes happened in adulthood
what did Baillargeon focus on
infants looking time and attention
she argued Piagets tasks are too demanding and relied heavily on motor abilities
Baillargeons study
rolling cart experiment
cart shown rolling along a track. object was placed on a track and screen obscured object
possible event; cart stopped when it reached hidden object
impossible event: cart seemed to roll through hidden object as if it existed
results: infants as young as 4m looked longer ar impossible event- understood object permanence and expected hidden object to block cart
what is missing from Piagets theory
consideration given to the social and cultural context of cognitive development. - vygotsky included this
who theorised the socio-cognitive theory
Vygtosky
what did vygotsky think was a key determinant of social development
social interaction
what did vygotskys theory theorise
children depend on assistance from adults and more expert peers to develop their intelligence. He agreed with Piaget that children constructed their now knowledge, however they need help to develop further
what is temporary maximum
children have a limited level of understanding. things the child can do independently
what is zone of proximal development
when they encounter tasks or skills that they cannot perform independently but can accomplish with guidance or collaboration from most knowledgeable others (MKOs)
what type of target should be set for ZPD
The task needs to be slightly beyond the child’s independent abilities to activate the ZPD.
what is scaffolding
the role of teachers and others in supporting the learners development and providing support structures to get to next level
hints and prompts that assist learning
build interest in the subject ad engage with people
graduated guidance to complete task
limitations of scaffolding
heavy emphasis on social interaction a nd may not account for potential for individual creativity
too much dependance on external influences like teachers
strengths of socio-cultural theory
- emphasises role of social interaction
- implications for education- role of scaffolding
- culture- language, symbols, cultural variation
what is the socio ecological model
attempts to tie In everything together
created by bronfenbrenner
Views the person as developing within a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the surrounding environment.
works from the inside out
first stage of socio-ecological model
the middle- person- age, sexuality, any special needs
2nd stage of socio-ecological
microsystem- immediate environment
- child= school, peers, family, who they live or interact with
- adult= jobs, children, where you live
3rd stage of socio-ecological
mesosystem- relationship between microsystems
- child= relationship between family and school
4th stage of socio-ecological
exosystem- link between 2 settings
immediate setting and one where the person doesn’t play an active role
e.g. if a Childs parents workplace works low hours, or allows family leave- parent may spend more Time and interact with the child
in contrast- if a parent is always at work and can’t make the Childs games- child may feel unsupported
5th stage of socio-ecological
macrosystem= longer cultural and social context on childs development
attitudes and ideologies of culture
- social norms and gender roles already established in society
e.g. a society that values individual attachment - kid may be encouraged to be competitive and independent
6th stage socio-ecological
chronosystem- role of time
when events occur in a persons life
w.g. becoming a parent at certain ages can have different outcomes for different individuals
strengths of socio-ecological model
- importance of context/environment and interaction between both of these
- accounts for role of culture
- considers change of time e.g. marriage, divorce
- can apply to many fields e.g. education, justice
