Lifespand Development

Introduction to Developmental Theories

• Developmental theories provide frameworks that help explain and organize the processes of human development across different stages of life.

• They guide research, education, and practical approaches to nurturing human growth.

Focusing Questions

• What are the main developmental theories and their significance?

• How have psychodynamic theories influenced the understanding of development?

• What contributions do learning theories make to developmental understanding?

• How do cognitive developmental theories explain changes in thinking throughout life?

• What insights do contextual theories offer regarding developmental changes?

• How do adult developmental changes vary from those in childhood/adolescence?

• What benefits arise from comparing and contrasting various developmental theories?

The Nature of Developmental Theories

• Developmental Theories: Frameworks for understanding the long-term changes and continuities over a person's lifespan.

• Importance: Theories help synthesize conflicting information and provide organized explanations for developmental phenomena.

• A good theory should be consistent, explanatory, open to evaluation, stimulate research, and provide practical guidance.

Key Theorists and Theories

• Psychodynamic Theorists (Freud, Erikson, Mahler, Stern): Focus on the interplay of psychological conflicts and social influences on personality development.

  • Freud: Emphasizes internal conflicts among the id, ego, and superego; psychosexual stages of development.

  • Erikson: Outlines eight psychosocial stages from trust versus mistrust in infancy to ego integrity versus despair in late adulthood.

  • Mahler: Focuses on object relations and the need for psychological individuation.

  • Stern: Discusses the formation of the self through interpersonal relationships.

• Behavioural Learning Theories (Pavlov, Skinner, Bandura): Concentrate on observable changes in behaviour as a result of environmental interactions.

  • Pavlov: Classical conditioning, where associations shape behaviour; relevant in understanding infant responses and skills acquisition.

  • Skinner: Operant conditioning involving reinforcement and punishment; used widely to modify behaviours across development.

  • Bandura: Emphasizes observational learning, modelling, and the reciprocal nature of learning from the environment.

• Cognitive Developmental Theories (Piaget, Neo-Piagetian, Information-Processing): Focus on the evolution of thinking and problem-solving abilities.

  • Piaget: Proposes stages (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational) where cognition builds on prior stages.

  • Neo-Piagetians focus on mental capacity and environmental interaction.

  • Information-Processing Theory: Views the mind as a system that processes information in distinct stages, emphasizing memory types (STM, LTM).

• Contextual Theories (Bronfenbrenner, Vygotsky, Lerner, Elder): Highlight the influence of environmental contexts on development.

  • Bronfenbrenner: Ecological systems theory examines how different environmental systems (microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem) interact to shape development.

  • Vygotsky: Sociocultural theory emphasizes the role of social interaction in learning and the concept of the zone of proximal development.

  • Lerner and Elder: Focus on the dynamic interplay between the individual and the changing contexts over time in development.

Developmental Differences Between Adults and Children

• Normative-crisis models highlight predictable changes during adulthood linked to psychological crises (e.g., intimacy, generativity).

• Timing-of-events models focus on life events and their implications, both normative and non-normative, affecting individual life trajectories.

Conclusion: Integrating Theories

• No single theory comprehensively explains development; each has distinct strengths and weaknesses.

• Understanding various theories provides a richer perspective on how multiple factors contribute to development.

• Theories can guide practical applications in education, parenting, and therapy, enriching insights into human growth across a lifespan.