Theories in Child Development

Question 1

Behaviorism

Answer 1

• Directly observed events; stimuli + responses
• Two types of conditioning
• Classic ; stimulus-response associations, involuntarye responses
• Operant; stimulus-response associations with reward or punishment reinforcers, voluntary responses, parents can “mold” their children
• Development is perceived as continuous process
• Environment is a major influence
• Many possible courses

Question 2

Social Learning Theory - A. Bandura

Answer 2

• Building on principles of behaviorism and conditioning
• Learning through observations, modeling(role models) and imitations
• Others are primary source for learning new skills

Question 3

Social Learning Theory + Motivation

Answer 3

• Different factors
• Context - can also explain variations within groups
• Previous experiences ; reinforcement and punishment

Question 4

Social Cognitive Theory - A. Bandura

Answer 4

• His newer work
• Cognitive abilities influence learning through observation
• Child has an active part in learning, they can control their learning and behavior
• Children gradually gets more selective in what they want to imitate - self efficacy (self-blame or self-praise)

Question 5

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

Answer 5

• Multidisciplinary field; Biology, psychology, neuroscience and medicine study
• Relationship between brain and developing childs cognitive processing and behvioral patterns
• Rely on brain imaging techniques and other measurements to record brain activities
• In early childhood, brain is highly plastic - open to reorganization and growth
• Plasticity also possible throughout life - recovery from accidents after brain damage
• Types of experiences influencing brain development at a certain age

Question 6

Ethology Theory

Answer 6

• Focuses on survival value of behavior/skills, promoting survival
• Critical periods for development;
  Adaptive behaviors learned during critical periods IF a specific stimulating environment is present

Example - Language
Presence or absence of communications with parents - stimulating environment
Critical for a childs language development - the adaptive behavior
What happens if communication is absent?

• Both continiuous and discontiniuous
• One course
• Nature and nurture

Question 7

Evolutionary Developmental Psychology

Answer 7

• An extension of Ethology Theory
• Understanding the adaptive value of human competencies in survival, withing the developmental domains and how they change with age
  Role of learning
  What is needed or not needed for survival?
• Developmental seen as an organism-environment system

Question 8

Dynamic Systems Theory

Answer 8

• New theory
• Better understand variation among individualst, an additional argument or perspective
• Heredity shape basic skills to a point (universal)
• Context matters, act-react
• Nature + Nurture = Individuality, they are integrated system
• System is dynamic, changes is on division/subsystem result in reorganization
• Largely applied to moter & cognitive skills