Developmental Flashcards
Define developmental psychology
Developmental psychology is a scientific approach which aims o explain growth, change and consistency through the lifespan.
Developmental psychology looks at how thinking, feeling and behaviour changes throughout a persons lifespan.
Piaget’s 4 stages of development
- Sensorimotor
- Preoperational
- Concrete operational
- Formal operational
Sensorimotor stage
- Coordination of sensory input and motor responses
- Development of object permanence
- Age 0-2
Preoperational
- Development of symbolic thought marked by irreversibility, centration and egocentrism
- Age 2-7
Concrete operational
- Mental operations applied to concrete events mastery of conservation, hierarchical classification
- Age 7-11
Formal operational
- Mental operations applied to abstract ideas logical, systematic thinking
- Age 11+
Features of Piaget’s theory
- Constructivism
- Independent learning
- Linear progression
- Unique ways of thinking
Criticisms ofpiaget
- Lack of familiarity
- Language
- Interactions
Lack of familiarity (piaget)
- Donaldson 1984 argued the 4 stages were unable to see another persons perspective of the lack of familiarity with the situation rather than lacking the cognitive ability
- Hughes found children aged between 3.5 years and 5 years could take another persons perspective, no longer appearing egocentric when faced with a familiar task
Language (piaget)
- Michael Sigegal 1991 believe children are unable to conserve in Piaget’s tasks due to adults breaking the conservation rules that children hold
- Lack of skills in verbal expression ma mask competence in reasoning
Interactions (piagets)
- Some critics believe he placed too little emphasis on development though interactions
- He acknowledge that social interactions influence the rate at which children move from each stage
- However, still under played the roles of social and cultural influences
Kearin’s prediction
She predicted that Aborignes would demonstrate high visual-spatial memory skills, necessary for survival
Kearin’s results
- Aboriginal adolescents and child out performed white Australian’s even controlling for familiarity with objects
- Aboriginal children used a visual strategy where as the white children used a verbal strategy
- White children fidgeted and responded hastily
Kohlberg 1981-1984 - moral development stages
- Pre-conventional
- punishment obedience orientation
- instrumental relativist orientation - Conventional
- good boy, nice girl orientated
- law and order orientation - Post conventional
- social and contract orientation
- universal ethical principle orientation
Criticism of Kohlberg
- Developmental sequence
- Gender bias
- Cultural bias
Developmental sequenced Kohlberg
- Cross sectional designs, therefore could not show that the stages reached were invariant
- Longtidudinal showed a followed a group of 20 of the origin participants
Gender bias of Kohlberg
- Kohlberg only used male participants
- suggests females reach stage 3 where as males reach stage 4
- Gilligan 1982 suggested this was due to differences in socialisation not values
- males are socialised to be independent and achievement orientated
- females are socialised as responsible and nurturing
Levels of moral reasoning
1. Self interest
2. Self sacrifice
3. Care as a universal obligation
Cultural bias of Kohlberg
- Richard shweder: babajis, an orthodox Hindu teacher
- Indian version of Hein’s dilemma
Erik Erikson
- development of identity across the entire lifespan
- indentity = the enduring personality characteristic of an individual
- a series of continual conflicts
- involve the psychological needs of society
Erikson 8 stages of development
Mistrust vs trust Autonomy vs shame Guilt vs initiative Industry vs inferiority Role confusion vs ego identity Isolation vs intimacy Stagnation vs generate its Despair vs integrity
Strengths of Erikson
- strong face validity
- ties together important psychological development across the lifespan
Limitations of erikson
- vague about causes of development
- verbal mechanism for crises resolution
- doesn’t explain how one psychological crises influences personality at later stages
- no objective way of assessment
Bandura -Social learning theory
- learning is a function of observing, retaining and replicating behaviour observed in others
- modelling occurs when one observers the behaviour and consequences of another to influence their own thoughts actions and feelings
4 key points of bandura
- Attention
- Retention
- Reproduction
- Motivation
