W2 Theoretical Perspectives Flashcards
What is Continuity vs Discontinuity
Continuity are changes along a spectrum, quantitative, Discontinuity is discrete, qualitative changes
What is Universality and Context Specificity
Universal: Is development similar from
person to person and from
culture to culture?
Context Specific:
Do developmental pathways
vary considerably depending on
the social context?
What is Domain Specificity and Domain Generality
Domain Specificity: a swiss army knife of specific tools
Domain generality: A single general purpose tool
What was Freud’s view of development?
Psychosexual. Sexual instincts motivate behaviour.
Explain Freud’s views based on N-N, A-P, C-D, U-CS?
More nature. (Biology drives development, but family influences too).
Passive (We are affected by forces beyond our control)
Discontinuous. (Psychosexual stages, distinct)
Universal
What was Erikson’s view of development?
Less emphasis on sex, more on social influences.
More on rational side.
Explain Erikson’s views based on N-N, A-P, C-D, U-CS?
Nature and nurture equal.
Active.
Discontinuous.
Universal, (though stages expressed differently in different cultures.)
What is the main tenant of Behaviourism?
Psychological science should be based
on objective observations of behaviour rather than unobservable
What is Operant conditioning?
A form of learning in which behaviours (operants) become more
or less probable depending on the consequences they produce.
What is Social cognitive theory?
Emphasis on the critical role that the active cognitive
processing of social information plays in human learning,
motivation, and self-regulation.
Example: Bobo Doll experiment (Hit doll)
Explain Watson/Skinner’s views based on N-N, A-P, C-D, U-CS?
Mostly nurture.
Passive (Shaped by environment).
Continuous.
Context Specific. (Depends on individual experiences)
Explain Bandura’s views based on N-N, A-P, C-D, U-CS?
More nurture.
Active.
Continuous.
Context Specific.
What was Maslow’s theory of development?
Emphasises the inherent ‘goodness’ in people
Hierarchy of needs. Self actualization.
“To oversimplify the matter, it is as if Freud supplied us the sick half
of psychology and we must now fill it out with the health half.”
Explain Maslow’s views based on N-N, A-P, C-D, U-CS?
Nature equal to nurture.
Active.
Continuous.
Context specific.
What was Piaget’s theory of development?
Constructivist
• Child is not a blank slate, but does not come “preloaded” with innate
knowledge either
• Child actively “constructs” increasingly complex knowledge and
abilities out of simpler components (e.g., reflexes)
Stage-Based
• Children travel through a series of stages as they develop new
knowledge and abilities
• Each stage forms the foundation for the next stage
• Development is about “leveling-up”
• Involves qualitative changes (e.g., the emergence of new abilities)
What was Vygotsky’s theory of development?
Sociocultural Theory
• Children are entrenched in different sociocultural
contexts
• Cognitive development is advanced through social
interaction with more skilled individuals
• Social constructivism: humans actively create their
own understandings of the world through social
interactions and cultural tools (e.g., language)
• Disagreed with notion of universal stages
What is the Information Processing theory of development?
Computer metaphor of mind
• Hardware (brain) and software (knowledge, thought
processes, logic)
• Development involves changes in capacity and
speed
• “Hardware” improves in capacity and speed with age
• “Software” improves with experience (e.g., new
knowledge, better strategies)
• Focus on:
• Attention
• Memory
• Decision-making
• Language
Explain Piaget’s views based on N-N, A-P, C-D, U-CS?
More nature.
Active.
Discontinuous.
Universal.
Explain Vygotsky’s views based on N-N, A-P, C-D, U-CS?
More nurture.
Active.
Continuous.
Context Specific.
Explain Information Processing theory based on N-N, A-P, C-D, U-CS?
Nature and nature equally
Active.
Continuous.
Context Specific.
What is Gottlieb’s theory of development?
Systems Theories.
Epigenetic psychobiological systems perspective:
biological and environmental forces interact as part of a
larger system that shapes development.
Cultural evolution: changes in a species
stemming from learning and experience
passed on across generations.
Explain Gottlieb’s theory based on N-N, A-P, C-D, U-CS?
Nature and Nurture equally.
Active.
Both.
Context specific
What are the Pros/Cons of system theories?
Strengths \+ Broader, more comprehensive view of development \+ Focus on transactions between individual and environment Limitations - Partially formulated and tested - Difficult to establish coherent theories (Is each life span unique?)
What are the Pros/Cons of Cognitive Theories?
Strengths \+ Testable, well research, and generally supported by evidence \+ Contribute to education and parenting practices \+ Vygotsky highlighted importance of social interaction and culture Limitations - Too little consideration of motivation/emotion - Piaget underestimated abilities at different ages, overemphasized stage-like progression
What are the Pros/Cons of Humanistic Theories?
Strengths \+ Focused on psychological wellness as more than simply absence of disease \+ Focus on positive dimensions \+ Foundation for positive psychology Limitations - Initial theories and concepts too broad and hard to measure - Universality of hierarchy questioned
What are the Pros/Cons of Social cognitive Theories?
Strengths \+ Testable \+ Simple mechanisms \+ Principles apply across life span \+ Practical applications Limitations - Inadequate accounts of developmental change - Insufficient emphasis on genetics and maturation
What are the Pros/Cons of Freudian Theories?
ion to unconscious processes \+ Emphasised importance of early experience for later development \+ Highlighted role of emotions and conflict in personality development Limitations - Vague, difficult to test - Overemphasis on sexuality
What are the Pros/Cons of Erikson Theories?
Strengths \+ Wider view of development \+ Considers both nature and nurture Limitations - Vague, difficult to test - More descriptive than explanatory
