Chapter 1: Theories of Child Development and Research Methods Flashcards
Reasons to study Child Development
Answers questions about raising children, Helps choose social policies, Understand human nature, Reach children at risk (low socioeconomic status)
Hobbes’ Theory of Children
Children are inherently selfish and need control
Rousseau’s Theory of Children
Children are innately pure and are corrupted by society, freedom from an early age; Plato, Nativist
Locke’s Theory of Children
“Tabula Rasa” - the child is malleable by society, discipline from an early age; Aristotle, Empiricist
Freud’s Psychosexual Theory
Stages of development can be hit or missed, and each one directly affects future mental health; basis of psychodynamic therapy
Watson and Skinner’s View
Behaviorism; any child can be shaped to be anything (equipotentiality)
Nativism
You are what you are; your nature takes precedent.
Plato’s Beliefs
Emphasized self-control and discipline, believed in innate knowledge
Aristotle’s Beliefs
Case-based approach, believed in experience based knowledge
Empiricism
Experience shapes who you are; nurture takes precedent
Epigenetics
Behaviors and environment can affect the expression of your genes, causing the same genetic code to express different traits in different people
Kagan’s Innate Moral Sense
All children have five abilities from birth: Infer thoughts and feelings of others, apply concepts of good and bad on behavior, reflect on past actions, understand that negative consequences can and should be avoided, and understand motives and emotions
Darwin’s Theory
Evolutionary; wrote the “baby biography” which was the first study of child development, still guides modern day research
Modern theory of Child Development
A mix of nativism, empiricism, and epigenetics, with emphasis on observing children in social situations (with peers, teachers, family, etc.)
What is Nature
Experience-Independent change (does not require outside influence)
Examples of nature
Genetic factors (eye color, chromosomes, etc.), Maturational timetables, Hormonal changes, Reflexes, Instincts
What is Nurture
Experience-dependent change (relies on external input)
Examples of Nurture
Environmental factors (native language, prenatal toxins, etc.), Learning, Effects of Experience (food preferences, racism, etc.)
Largest Social Reform in Child Development Studies
The Industrial Revolution (1700s - 1900s); in response to child labor
7 Basic Themes of Child Development
Interaction between Nature and Nurture, The Active Child shapes their own development, Continuity/Discontinuity of development, Mechanisms of change (how does change occur), Sociocultural Context and how it influences development, Individual differences, Research and Children’s Wellfare
Behaviors that stem from Nature/Nurture interactions
Language (human ability/culture specific), food aversions (adaptive for different species/conditionable response), Duckling imprinting (critical period for imprinting ability/amount of effort exerted by the duckling), Bird-song (always produce a song/culturally ‘taught’ the correct song)
Big Questions of Developmental Psychology
What causes individual differences? Does everything change/develop? What is the shape of change?
Competence vs. Performance
Knowing something vs. showing that knowledge
Romanian Adoption Study
Children with severe neglect were adopted at young ages into caring homes; most children recovered but still retained some issues with language and brain development. RESULT: atypical social development persists into adulthood