DEVELOPMENTAL Flashcards
DESCRIPTION
- The term development refers to the changes that take place over a person’s lifetime. These changes may be a result of:
- inherited factors (nature), which include events that occur as a result of maturation, such as puberty
- lifetime experiences (nurture), which include interactions with other people
- psychologists used to talk about ‘nature versus nurture’, meaning that development could be explained in terms of either nature or nurture
- They now recognise that all behaviour is a result of an interaction between both nature and nurture. But they still argue about which has the greater influence
ASSUMPTION
• A main assumption of the developmental approach is that cognitive, emotional and behavioural development is an ongoing process and that such changes result from an interaction of nature and nurture.
STRENGTHS
- Developmental psychology is a dynamic view of behaviour, emphasising the changes that occur over time and the factors that influence those changes
- Developmental psychology has many applications, ranging from providing advice about education, to providing information on the effects of day care on cognitive and socio-emotional development and better ways to raise children
- Many studies in this area are longitudinal which means that they do get to investigate changes and how these changes are influenced
- It can provide useful information about how we can better understand how children learn and deal with emotional difficulties and therefore improve the lives of children
WEAKNESS
- There is a tendency to generalise findings from often very limited samples. The developmental approach often looks for general patterns of development based on non representative samples
- A further limitation with the developmental approach is the validity of measuring children’s behaviour and thoughts. We can therefore question if psychologists are actually measuring what they are attempting to measure especially as children may have qualitatively different thoughts to adults.
4 MARKS QUESTION
The Developmental approach
Describe how the Developmental approach can explain aggression.
The developmental approach would describe aggression as a result of an interaction between nature (genetics) and nurture (environment). From the study of Bandura we learn that aggression can be learned through observation and imitation of a model i.e. Social learning theory. The study also demonstrates that boys are more physically aggressive than girls but there was no difference in verbal aggression. The higher level of aggression in boys could be as a result of the higher level of testosterone in their body in comparison to girls. Also boys were more physically aggressive because aggression is seen as a more masculine trait and this is why there was some evidence of a same sex effect in boys than in girls.
Describe how the Developmental approach can explain conservation.
The developmental approach assumes that cognitive development is an ongoing process and that such changes result from an interaction of nature and nurture. Piaget suggests that cognitive abilities such as conservation are acquired through a series of stages known as the ‘Stages of Development’ which is universal amongst all children. The study of Samuel and Bryant demonstrates that children at the pre-operational stage can conserve. In Piagets’ study children were unable to conserve because of a flaw in the methodology. Piaget asked children the same question twice; pre-transformation and post-transformation. The children became confused and responded to Demand characteristics and as a result failed the conservation task. The Samuel and Bryant study also demonstrates that older children made fewer errors; children made fewer errors in the one judgement condition and children fewer errors on the number task and most errors on the volume task.
Describe how the Developmental approach can explain phobias.
The developmental approach assumes that behavioural development is an ongoing process and that such changes result from an interaction of nature and nurture. With regards to nature it can be argued that a phobia can develop when there is conflict between the Id and Ego which gives rise to anxiety within the ‘self’. Ego defence mechanisms are deployed to deal with the excessive anxiety. Pathological behaviour such as a phobia will start to appear when defence mechanisms can no longer cope. This is demonstrated in the case of Little Hans, where he had a conflict between a desire to be with his mother and a castration anxiety. Hans displaced his fear of his father on to white horses which represented his father (black around horses’ mouth and black blinkers associated with father’s moustache and glasses). With regards to nurture Little Han’s phobia can be explained because of an actual event, where he witnessed a father telling his daughter that if she touches a white horse it may bite her.
12 MARKS
Discuss the strengths and limitations of the Developmental approach using examples from the study by Bandura. (12 marks)
One strength of the Developmental approach is that it is a dynamic view of behaviour, emphasising the changes that occur over time and the factors that influence those changes.
From the study of Bandura it is clear that children’s behaviour is influenced by two factors; nature and nurture. It is evident from Bandura’s study that children learn aggressive behaviours through observation; nurture. In Bandura’s study boys were more physically aggressive than girls. This could be due to the fact that boys have a higher level of the hormone testosterone; nature.
Therefore the study demonstrates that human behaviours are a result of an interaction between nature and nurture.
A second strength of the Individual differences approach is that psychology has many practical applications.
From the study of Bandura we learn that children learn to be aggressive because they have observed others being aggressive.
This supports the social learning theory; that children learn behaviours through observation. Therefore media should monitor the level of aggression they broadcast on TV, Films and Music.
Parents and adults who are in care of children should be more vigilant about how they behave in front children. They should also be vigilant about what they are exposed to as it is evident that they learn and imitate behaviours that they have observed in others. Thus in turn raising children in better ways.
One weakness of the Individual differences approach is the tendency to generalise findings from often very limited samples. The developmental approach often looks for general patterns of development based on non-representative samples.
For example in Bandura’s study the children all attended the university nursery. We can make assumptions from this about their social status, past play experience, confidence with adults and willingness to comply. Fairly large group of 72 children selected but each experimental condition had 6 children. Therefore researchers cannot generalise the findings and because the sample is not representative.
But it must be taken into consideration that it is difficult to recruit a large number of children for research.
A further limitation with the developmental approach is the validity of measuring children’s behaviour and thoughts. We can therefore question if psychologists are actually measuring what they are attempting to measure especially as children may have qualitatively different thoughts to adults.
For example, Bandura’s study could be criticised for interpreting the children’s behaviour towards the Bobo doll as aggression. Perhaps the children interpreted their own behaviour as play.
One way to improve the validity of measurement is to check for concurrent validity. This is where the performance of participants on the newly devised test is compared with their performance on a previous test developed to measure the same thing. If the scores correlate between the two tests, then it can be concluded that the new test is valid.
