Major Theories & Theorists

Question 1

G. Stanley Hall

Answer 1

The founder of psychology in the US. He popularized the study of the child and child guidance.

Question 2

Behaviorism

Answer 2

Was outlined by John B. Watson, Ivan Pavlov, Joseph Wolpe and B.F. Skinner. The mind is a blank slate and the child learns behavior. All behavior is a result of learning

Question 3

Empiricism

Answer 3

John Locke’s view that knowledge is acquired by experience

Question 4

Erik Erikson

Answer 4

based on ego psychology; growth is orderly, universal and systematic. The 8 stages are:

1) Trust vs mistrust (birth to 1.5 years)
2) Autonomy vs shame & doubt (1.5-3 years)
3) Initiative vs guilt (3-6 years)
4) Industry vs Inferiority ( 6-11 years)
5) Identity vs role confusion (12-18 years)
6) Intimacy vs isolation (18-35 years)
7) Generativity vs stagnation (35-60 years)
8) Integrity vs despair (65 and beyond)

Question 5

Jean Piaget’s 4 stages of Cognitive Development

Answer 5

Sensorimotor (birth-2 years)
Preoperational ( 2-7 years)
Concrete Operations (7-12 years)
Formal Operations (11/12-16 years)

Question 6

Piaget’s adaptation

Answer 6

occurs when individual fits information into existing ideas (also known as assimilation) and modifies cognitive schema to incorporate new information (accommodation);

Question 7

Piaget’s Object permanence

Answer 7

an object the child can’t see still exist; occurs in the sensorimotor stage

Question 8

Piaget’s Centration

Answer 8

the act of focusing on one aspect of something; key factor is preoperational stage

Question 9

Piaget’s Conservation

Answer 9

the child knows the volume and quantity does not change just because the appearance of an object changes (water in different glasses); takes places in the concrete operations stage

Question 10

Keagan’s Constructive Developmental Model

Answer 10

emphasizes the impact of interpersonal interaction and our perception of reality

Question 11

Lawerence Kohlberg’s 3 levels of Moral Development

Answer 11

Preconventional: behavior governed by consequences
Conventional: a desire to conform to socially acceptable rules
Postconventional: self-accepted moral principles guide behavior.

Question 12

Daniel Levinson’s 4 Major Eras/Transitions Theory

Answer 12

Four key eras:

1) Childhood and adolescence
2) Early adulthood
3) Middle adulthood
4) Later adulthood

Question 13

Lev Vygotsky

Answer 13

proposed that cognitive development isn’t the result of innate factors, but our activities that take place in one’s culture

Question 14

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development

Answer 14

refers to the difference in the child’s ability to solve problems on their own and capacity to solve them w/ some help from others

Question 15

Freud’s Psychoanalytic/Pyschodynamic 5 Psychosexual stages

Answer 15

1) Oral: birth- 1 years
2) Anal: 1-3 years
3) Phallic: 3-7 years
4) Latency: 3-5 years until 12 years
5) Genital: adolescence and adulthood

Question 16

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Answer 16

lower-order physiological and safety needs must be fulfilled before self-actualization can occur

Question 17

William Perry’s 3 Stage Theory of Intellectual & Ethical Development in Adults

Answer 17

1) Dualism: students view the truth as right or wrong
2) Relativism: the notion that a perfect answer might now exist, there’s a desire to know multiple opinions
3) Commitment to relativism: willing to change their opinion based on novel facts and new points of view

Question 18

James Fowler’s Prestage and 6 Stage Theory of Spiritual Development

Answer 18

Stage 0: Undifferentiated, primal faith (birth-4 years)
Stage 1: Intuitive-projective faith (2-7 years)
Stage 2: Mythic-literal faith (childhood & beyond)
Stage 3: Synthetic-conventional faith (adolescence and beyond); stage of conformity
Stage 4: Individuative-Reflective faith (young adulthood and beyond)
Stage 5: Conjunctive Faith (mid-30’s and beyond) openness to other points of view
Stage 6: Universalizing faith (midlife and beyond) few reach this stage

Question 19

Diana Baurmind’s Parenting Styles

Answer 19

Authoritative
Authoritarian
Permissive Passive Indulgent

Question 20

Authoritative

Answer 20

high expectations but is warm & nurturing. The child is given an explanation of the rules

Question 21

Authoritarian

Answer 21

characterized by bossy parenting. The child is told to follow orders with no explanation. Can produce anxious, withdrawn children who are likely to engage in antisocial behavior

Question 22

Permissive Passive Indulgent

Answer 22

parent has a low level of control and is easily manipulated, very affectionate and wishes to please the child. Child can display lack of social skills, boundaries and can be extremely demanding