Developmental Theories

Theory: A DefinitionTheory: A Definition

A set of interrelated statements that provides an explanation for a class of events.

Psychoanalytic TheoriesPsychoanalytic Theories

The view that personality is fashioned progressively as the individual passes through various psychosexual stages:Oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital.

Three states of being: id, superego, ego

Freud: Psychosexual Stages of Freud: Psychosexual Stages of DevelopmentDevelopment

The Role of the Unconscious Psychosexual Stages Fixation

Erik Erikson: Psychosocial Erik Erikson: Psychosocial Stages of DevelopmentStages of Development

Epigenetic Principle Stages pose tasks and crises that

individuals must struggle through. Personality development takes place

throughout the entire life span.

Erikson’s Nine StagesErikson’s Nine Stages Trust vs. mistrust Autonomy vs. shame and doubt Initiative vs. guilt Industry vs. inferiority Identity vs. identity confusion Intimacy vs. isolation Generativity vs. stagnation Integrity vs. despair Despair vs. hope and faith

Behavioral TheoryBehavioral Theory

Concerned with observable behavior: what people do and say.

Behavior divided into units: responses Environment divided into units: stimuli Also called learning theory

Classical ConditioningClassical Conditioning

Process of stimulus substitution in which a new, previously neutral stimulus is substituted for the stimulus that naturally elicits a response

Operant ConditioningOperant Conditioning

A type of learning in which the consequences of a behavior alter the strength of that behavior

Behavior ModificationBehavior Modification Pathological behavior is acquired through

learning. The way to eliminate an unwanted behavior

is to stop reinforcing it.

Cognitive TheoryCognitive Theory

Cognition: Acts or processes of knowing

Representing, organizing, treating, and transforming information as we devise our behavior.

Jean PiagetJean Piaget

Cognitive Stages in Development: Sequential periods in the growth or maturing of an individual’s ability to think--to gain knowledge, self-awareness, and awareness of the environment.

Cognitive Stages in Cognitive Stages in DevelopmentDevelopment

Sensorimotor Preoperational Concrete Formal

Cognitive Learning and Cognitive Learning and Information ProcessingInformation Processing

Cognitive Learning (Bandura, Mischel, Rosenthal and Zimmerman)

Imitation of behavior of socially competent models

Self-Efficacy Use of symbols

Ecological TheoryEcological Theory

Centers on the relationship between the developing individual and the changing environment.

Focus on the relationship between the person and the environment .

Sociocultural TheorySociocultural Theory

Development (Vygotsky): Determined by the activity of groups

a.Child interacts with other persons

b.Assimilates social aspects of activity

c.Takes information and internalizes it

d. Social values become personal values

ControversiesControversies

Mechanistic Model: Focuses on the universe as a machine composed of elementary particles in motion

Continuity: Learning is cumulative, building on itself.

Organismic Model: Focuses on the universe as a whole

Discontinuity: Individual is seen as passing through stages.

Different tasks call for different theories

Eclectic Approach: Selects from the various theories

Nature Versus Nature:Nature Versus Nature:

The “Which” Question The “How Much” Question The “How” Question

Behavioral GeneticsBehavioral Genetics

Jerome Kagan: Timidity Studies The Minnesota Twin Project Polygenic inheritance

Evolutionary Adaptation Evolutionary Adaptation TheoryTheory

Natural Selection (Charles Darwin) Ethology Releasing Stimuli Imprinting Critical Period Sensitive Period