Year 1 miscelaneous and other imp theories

What are the 2 theories of early childhood development?

Piagets theory

Vygotsky’s theory of social development

Outline piaget’s theory and how it works

• Children’s brains aren’t mini adult brains and go through 4 developmental stages

• Piaget theories suggest that Children aren’t passive learners—they’re active explorers. They interact with their environment and construct knowledge through experience. This learning process is centered around schemas, which are mental frameworks or “blueprints” for understanding the world. They build on information schemas by adapting what they know to accommodate new information.This is done via 2 mechanisms:

1. Accommodation (modify existing schema or create new schemas)

2. Assimilation (fit into existing schema)

🔄 Two Key Processes for Adapting Knowledge??? Kya hain bolo bolo samjhao

1. Assimilation

• New experiences are interpreted using existing schemas.

• It’s like fitting new info into old mental folders.

• ✅ Used when the new info is similar to what they already know.

Example:
A child sees a zebra for the first time and calls it a "horse" because they already have a schema for horses.

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2. Accommodation

• The child changes or creates a new schema when the info doesn’t fit.

• This happens when they realize the new experience doesn’t match what they already believe.

Example:
The child learns that a zebra is different from a horse and creates a new schema for zebras.

Flaws with piaget’s theory

• Actual development and learning are a lot smoother (not concrete stages)

• Underestimation of child's capacity & overestimation of adults capacity

Outline Vygotsky’s theory of social development

•Full cognitive development requires social interaction.

•Culture teaches children how to think and what to think.

•Argued that language = crucial for collaborative problem solving

•collaborative problem solving = vital for children’s cognitive development

• Learning happens in the “zone of proximal development” = The gap between what a child can do without help and what they could do with appropriate guidance or collaboration

• The zone of proximal development is why social interaction is important in this theory as help from adults or peers can help children complete tasks they can’t do by themselves.

What are the two theories of adolescent identity formation?

Eriksons Theory

Marcia’s theory

Explain Eriksons theory

•Central Conflict: Adolescents struggle to form a theory of self and become confused about their roles and values. 

•Exploration and Commitment: Erikson highlighted the importance of adolescents exploring different roles, values, and beliefs, and making commitments to those that resonate with them. 

•Successful Resolution: A strong sense of identity provides direction and purpose, while unresolved conflict leads to role confusion and a lack of self-understanding.

Explain Marcia’s theory

•Said that adolescent stage doesn't involve identity resolution or confusion

•Involves the degree to which one has explored and committed to an identity in a variety of life domains (religion, gender roles etc)

•Exploration - Time to explore and re-evaluate values and choices

•Commitment - Commitment to a particular role or value

•Adolescents classified into 4 statuses based on whether they have explored various alternatives and made firm commitments to a life domain

•Identity Diffusion – these adolescents have not yet thought about or resolved identity issues and future life decisions

•Identity Foreclosure – These adolescents are committed to an identity but didn’t experience or explore the identity

•Identity Moratorium – These adolescents have explored options but not yet committed

•Identity Achievement - These adolescents have explored options and found what suits

Outline Physical Changes in adolescence - Tanner’s stages