L2: Theories in perspective

Freud’s psychoanalytic theory

Biologically based sexual instincts motivate our behavior and guide development through 5 psychosocial stages.

Freud’s psychoanalytic theory

• Nature or nurture

more Nature → Biology shapes development, but early experiences in the family also influence development.

Freud’s psychoanalytic theory

• Active or passive

Passive → You are influenced by forces beyond your control/

Freud’s psychoanalytic theory

• Continuous or discontinous

Discontinuous → There are phases.

Freud’s psychoanalytic theory

• Universal or context-specific

Universal

Erikson’s psychoanalytic theory

People grow through 8 psychosocial conflicts.

Erikson’s psychoanalytic theory

• Nature or nurture

Interaction → Equal degree of nature and nurture.

Erikson’s psychoanalytic theory

• Active or passive

Active

Erikson’s psychoanalytic theory

• Continuous or discontinuous

Discontinous → There are phases

Erikson’s psychoanalytic theory

• Universal or context-specific

Universal, but the stages may be different in different cultues.

Skinner’s learning theory

Development is the product of learning the consequences of behavior through operant conditioning.

Skinner’s learning theory

• Nature or nurture

Mostly Nurture

Skinner’s learning theory

• Active or passive

Passive → People are shaped by the environment.

Skinner’s learning theory

• Continuous or discontinous

Continuous → Habits gradually increase or decrease

Skinner’s learning theory

• Universal or context-specific

Context-specific → Because the direction of development depends on experience.

Learning theory by Bandura

Development is the product of cognition, as evidenced by observational learning and over-imitation (“human agency”).

Learning theory by Bandura

• Nature or nurture

more Nurture

Learning theory by Bandura

• Active or passive

Active → People influenced their own environment

Learning theory by Bandura

• Continous or discontinous

Continuous

Learning theory by Bandura

• Universal or context-specific

Context-specific

Cognitive developmental theory

Development goes through four stages of cognitive development

Cognitive developmental theory

• Nature or nurture

Interaction → Coming of age involves gaining experiences.

Cognitive developmental theory

• Active or passive

Active

Cognitive developmental theory

• Continuous or discontinuous

Discontinuous → there are phases

Cognitive developmental theory

• Universal or context-specific

Universal

Ecological systems theory

Development can go in many different directions, depending on transactions between the changing person and the changing environment.

Ecological systems theory

• Nature or nurture

Interaction → Nature and nurture influence each other

Ecological systems theory

• Active or passive

Active

Ecological systems theory

• Continuous or discontinuous

Both

Ecological systems theory

• Universal or context-specific

Context-specific