CHAPTER 2: Theories of Development Flashcards
What are the similarities and differences between folk theories and scientific theories?
Scientific theories are similar to folk theories in that they both try to explain facts, concepts, observations, and sensations that human beings encounter at every moment. However, unlike folk theories, they lead to new insight and elicit alternate interpretations.
What three things do theories do?
Theories produce hypotheses, generate discoveries, and offer practical guidance.
How is a norm different from a theory?
A norm is a fact or event the can be calculated, whereas a theory is broader and deeper—it is a group of ideas, assumptions, and generalizations that provide a framework for understanding the patterns and problems of development.
What is the relationship between theories and facts?
A theory raises questions and suggests hypotheses, which leads to research and data that may eventually reveal a norm.
Who develops theories—everyone or just scientists?
Everyone. Humans spontaneously Develop theories about everything they observe.
What is the basic emphasis of psychoanalytic theory?
Our unconscious drives and motives influence every aspect of our thinking and behavior.
What similarities and differences are found between Freud’s and Erikson’s theories of adulthood?
While both Erikson and Freud acknowledged the importance of the unconscious and of early-child experience, Erikson emphasized family and culture, not sexual urges.
How does the central focus of behaviorism differ from psychoanalytic theory?
Behaviorism arose in direct opposition to the psychoanalytic emphasis on unconscious, hidden urges. Behaviorists emphasize nurture, the specific, observable responses from other people and the environment to whatever a developing person does.
When is social learning most powerful?
Early adolescence, when children want to be similar to their peers.
What did Piaget discover that earlier psychologists did not realize?
He discovered that infants were capable of thought and curiosity, and that how children think change over time.
How does information processing contribute to the cognitive revolution?
Unlike Piaget’s stage theory, information processing provides a detailed description of the steps of cognition, with attention to perceptual and neurological processes.
What does neuroscience make possible that was impossible for Freud, Skinner, or Piaget?
It enables discoveries within the brain that can support or contradict various theories, e.g., that infants’ brains are more active when they hear the language their mother spoke in the womb.
Why is the sociocultural perspective particularly relevant within the U.S.?
Cultural differences within the U.S. can be related to SES and gender, not just ethnicity or race.
How do mentors and mentees interact within the zone of proximal development?
Mentors find the area in which learners have skills, knowledge, and concepts within their grasp but have not yet mastered them. Mentors engage with the mentees in that zone so that learning is mutually exciting, which facilitates success.
Why would behaviors and emotions that benefited ancient humans be apparent today ?
Some of the best qualities, such s cooperation, spirituality, and self-sacrifice, may have originated thousands of years ago, when groups of people survived because they took care of one another.
What is the evolutionary explanation for mating patterns and promiscuity?
Mating often (and for men, with multiple partners) ensured that more babies were born at a time when survival was much more difficult.
What are the criticisms of each of the five theories?
- Psychoanalytic Theory: too subjective
- Behaviorism: too mechanistic
- Cognitive Theory: undervalues emotions
- Sociocultural Theory: neglects individual choice
- Evolutionary Theory: ignores the power of religion, laws, and social norms
Why are most developmentalists eclectic in regard to theories?
Not being tied to any one particular theory helps reduce bias.
Why is it useful to know more than one theory to explain human behavior?
Since no single theory provides all the answers about development, developmentalists need to understand the content, methods, and concepts of all of them.
Psychoanalytic theory, behaviorism, and cognitive theory are considered “grand theories” because they are comprehensive, enduring, and widely applied. TRUE or FALSE
TRUE
Proponents of behaviorism believe that all behavior arises directly from operant or classical conditioning. TRUE or FALSE
FALSE
Piaget believed that how people think and how they understand the world depends on their age. TRUE or FALSE
TRUE
Developmental psychologists are increasingly aware that culture shapes our responses. TRUE or FALSE
TRUE
According to sociocultural theory, learning is active. TRUE or FALSE
TRUE
The newest theory of development stresses that all humans, at the
basic level, are alike. TRUE or FALSE
TRUE
According to evolutionary theory, some traits result from genetic inheritance alone. TRUE or FALSE
FALSE
All developmental theories attempt to explain the broad spectrum of human development. TRUE or FALSE
FALSE
Cognitive theory has been faulted for overvaluing emotions. TRUE or FALSE
FALSE
Most developmentalists incorporate ideas from several theories into their thinking. TRUE or FALSE
True
The anecdote about Larry DePrimo illustrates three aspects shared by every theory, scientific as well as folk; What are the 3 aspects?
1) behaviour can be surprising
2) humans develop theories to explain everything
3) experience and culture matter
Definition of developmental theory:
Groups of ideas, assumptions, and generalisations that interpret and illuminate the thousands of observations that have been made about human growth
Framework for understanding how and why people change as they grow older
What do theories about human development really do?
- produce hypotheses
- offer practical guidance
- generate discoveries
What is the psychoanalytic theory?
Irrational, unconscious drives and motives, often originating in childhood, underlie human behaviour
What were the 3 main concepts Freud covered regarding his psychosexual theory?
- Five psychosexual stages
- Early conflict resolution determines personality
- Personality had three parts: id, ego, and superego
What were the 2 main concepts Erik Erikson covered regarding his psychosocial theory?
- Eight developmental stages, each characterised by challenging developmental crisis
- Five psychosocial stages built on Freud’s theory, but added three adult stages
How does Erikson differ from Freud?
- His stages emphasises family and culture, not sexual urges
- Recognised adult development, with three stages after adolescence
What is behaviourism?
The study of observable behaviour, and the theory (learning theory) explaining the acquisition of habits and competencies
What are the three behavioural learning processes?
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
- Social Learning Theory
What does conditioning propose?
proposes that learning takes place through processes by which responses become linked to particular stimuli
What does the social learning theory describe?
the laws and processes by which behaviour is learned
What does the social learning theory focus on?
focuses on observable behaviour
What is classical conditioning?
the learning process by which a natural (unconditioned) response becomes triggered by a formerly neutral stimulus by repeatedly pairing it with the stimulus that naturally triggers that response
type of learning that happens unconsciously
What is operant conditioning?
the learning process by which a particular action is followed by something desired (which makes the person or animal more likely to repeat the action) or by something unwanted (which makes the action less likely to be repeated).
What is social learning theory?
An extension of behaviourism that emphasises the influence that other person’s behaviour. Even without specific reinforcement, every individual learns many things through observation and imitation of other people
Who discovered classical conditioning?
Ivan Pavlov
Who is John Watson?
One of the earliest proponent of behaviourism and learning theory
Behaviourists in the United States:
- argued that scientists should examine only what they could observe and measure
- proposed that anything can be learned with focus on behaviour
- no specific stages proposed
What did B. F. Skinner agree with Watson about?
that psychology should focus on the scientific study of behaviour
What was B. F. Skinner best known for?
experiments with rats, pigeons, and his own daughter.
B. F. Skinner designed a glass-enclosed crib in which temperature, humidity, and perceptual stimulation could be controlled to do what?
to make his daughter’s crib time in the crib enjoyable and educational
What is the criticism the psychoanalytic theory and behaviourism receive?
- Many psychologists reject psychoanalytic theory as unscientific
- Other reject behaviourism as demanding of human potential
What is the cognitive theory?
Thoughts and expectations profoundly affect actions, attitudes, beliefs and assumptions. Changes in how people think over time.
What did Jean Piaget propose about cognitive development?
Cognitive development only occurs in 4 major age-related periods, or stages and that intellectual advancement occurs lifelong because humans seek cognitive equilibrium
What is a schema?
A mental container we build to hold our experiences .
How can a little girl use her “dog” schema when encountering a cat?
- She can assimilate the experience into her schema by referring to the cat as a “dog
OR
- She can accommodate her animal schema by separating the cat, and even different types of dogs into separate schemas
What is assimilation?
Experiences are interpreting to fit onto, or assimilate with, old ideas
What is accommodation?
Old ideas are restructures to include or accommodate, new experiences
What is Cognitive Equilibrium?
– State of mental balance, no confusion; New ideas through past ideas interpreted; Needed for intellectual advancement
– Easy equilibrium not always possible; If new experience is not understandable, cognitive disequilibrium can occur.
What is the information-processing theory?
- representative of a newer version of cognitive theory
- Compares human thinking processes, by analogy, to computer analysis of data, including sensory input, connections, stored memories, and output.
What does the EEG (electroencephalogram) measure?
electrical activity in the cortex
What is EEG activity dependent on?
the level of consciousness
What can an EEG do?
It can differentiate active brains: from sleeping brains and brain states that are half-awake