PSYCH LECTURE 1- foundations and theoretical perspectives on development

development

a process of age-related changing across the lifespan, changes in growth, feelings, patterns of thinking

5 assumptions of lifespan perspectives

development is lifelong, multidimensional, multidirectional, highly plastic, affected by multiple interacting influences

age-graded influence

influences that are similar for individuals in a particular age group

history-graded influence

forces that influence the beh. and attitudes of individuals in a certain generation at a formative time in their lives ex; generational differences in parenting

non-normative inferences

unusual occurrences, major impact but not applicable to many people ex; car crash, cancer when younger

theory

an orderly, integrated set of statements that describes, explains, and predicts behavior

theory utility

baby crying and using different responses

view of developing person

organismic theory- change stimulated from within the organism

mechanistic theory- change stimulated by environment, passive

view of course of development

continuous

discontinuous- new understandings emerge in certain periods=qualitative changes

view of the determinants of development

nature-genetic, inborn qualities

nurture-learning and experience

psychodynamic developmental theory

governed by motives and drives that are internal, children more through stages in which the confront

freuds theoru

basic personality and psychological function

ID

present at birth, represents biological needs, requires immediate gratification; unconciouse

EGO

conscious, rational, emerges in early infancy, restricts ID; masters and controls urges

SUPEREGO

moral and ethical, includes concision and ego-idea develops from ages 3-6

ericksons psychological theory (differ from freud)

a) covers lifespan

b) viewed personality development as a psychosocial process, roles of social interaction and culture

c) emphasized psychosocial crisis/conflict -8-stages successful mastery results in a personality strength

d) more emphasis on ego than on ID

ego identify

a basic sense of who we are as individuals in terms of self-concept and self-image

learning theory #1: Traditional Behaviorism- Watso

• observable stimulus-response associations

• classical conditioning (doctor in white coat)

learning theory #2: Skinners operant conditioning

• consequences of a behavior determine whether or not it is repeated in the future

• reinforcement-increases likelihood

  • positive-something added\

  • negative- something removed

  • punishment- decrease likelihood

learning theory #3: Banduras social learning theory

observational learning-results from observing the behavior of other people

humans as cognitive beings-active processing of info from the environment plays a major role in learning

mideling in a complex process- many factors govern decision making- who to model

• powerful, attractive, salient similar

• anticipated outcomes matter

• do you have those skills

Pigets cognitive developmental theory

• nature of child: active naive scientist-constructivist

• nature of change: learning in stages; thinking becomes qualitatively different across these three stages

• seek equilibrium- balance between belief systems and info encountered in everyday world

assimilation

children incorporate new info into existing knowledge systems

accomodation

children change existing knowledge systems to accommodate new info

information processing

• the human mind is a symbol- manipulating system through which info flows. use computer analogies to model, and focus on the steps involved in mental activities

• not stage like perceive change as increases in childrens knowledge base in a particular area. not global changes in thinking

Vygotskys sociocultural cognitive theory

• focuses on how culture is transmitted

• higher mental functions grow out of social interactions and dialogues- cooperative dialogues

• cognitive development as a social mediated process

bronfenbrenners sociological systems theory

person develops within a multi-layered system of relationships

asks: how are intra-familial processes effected by extra-familial conditions

microsystem

immediate environment

mesosystem

connections between microsystems

exosystem

outside contexts that effect microsystems

macrosystem

cultural laws, values, customs

chromosystems

temporal component- change over life course and history

contextual development process

Vygotskys theory, bronfenbrenners theory, 5 overlapping structures