Chapter 2: Theory And Research In Development

Question 1

Theory #1: Psychoanalytic Theory

Answer 1

• Sigmund Freud: Unconscious Mind and Psychosexual stages of development
• Erik Erikson: Psychosocial stages of development and crisis at each stage

Question 2

Theory #2: Behaviorism

Answer 2

• focuses on environmental control over observable

Question 3

Theory #3: Classical Conditioning

Answer 3

• pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit the same response

Question 4

Theory #4: Operant Conditioning

Answer 4

• increasing or decreasing the likelihood of of a voluntary behavior due to the consequences that follow that behavior

Question 5

Reinforcement:

Answer 5

To increase the likelihood of behavior

Question 6

Punishment:

Answer 6

To decrease likelihood of behavior

Question 7

Extinction:

Answer 7

To ignore undesirable behavior while reinforcing alternative postive behaviors

Question 8

Theory #5: Social Cognitive Theory

Answer 8

• learning by observation and imitation of others “bobo doll experiment”

Question 9

Theory #6: Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Answer 9

• Children as little scientists

Question 10

Theory #7: Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory

Answer 10

-Importance of the social world and culture in promoting cognitive growth
- zone of proximal development > scaffolding

Question 11

Theory #8: Information Processing

Answer 11

Examines the acquisition, storage, and retrieval of information

Question 12

Theory #9: Evolutionary Theories

Answer 12

-Based on Darwin’s idea of natural selection
-Ethology > imprinting

Question 13

Theory #10: Ecological Systems Theory

Answer 13

• Uri bronfenbrenner said individuals grow and develop within a set of 5 nested influences
  • Microsystems- face-to-face interactions
  • Mesosystem- interaction among mircosystems
  • Exosystem- outside of the child’s influence, but still affect the child
• Macrosystem- cultural norms that affect the organizations and places in our lives
  • Chronosystem- the dimension of time

Question 14

Theory #11: Dynamic Systems Theory

Answer 14

• All different aspects of development interact and affect each other over time
  • Culture and Development > Cultural Variation
  • Development theories based on Western Culture

Question 15

Methods and Measures:

Answer 15

1 observation

#2 self-report (surveys, questionnaires, interviews, etc.)
#3 Standardized Tests- all given the same, no matter where
#4 Physiological Measures- using someone’s physical state (heart rate, etc.)
#5 Archival Records- use of existing data to study developmental trends
#6 Case Study- detailed examination of a single person/group
#7 Ethnography- individuals join a culture in order to study it

Question 16

Developmental Designs:

Answer 16

1 Longitudinal Design- select one group and continue to study it over time

#2 Cross-sectional Design- studying several age groups at once
#3 Cross-sequential Design- Studying several age groups over time