social development

Theories of Social Development

  • Objectives of the Module:

    • By the end of this module, students should:

    • Have a basic understanding of the 4 types of social development theories.

    • Recognize the importance of each theory and its contributions to different aspects of understanding social development.

Psychoanalytic Theories

Freud's Theory of Psychosexual Development

  • Freud proposed a theory structured around five stages of psychosexual development:

    • Oral Stage (0-2 years):

    • Infant achieves gratification through oral activities such as feeding, thumb sucking, and babbling.

    • Anal Stage (2-3 years):

    • The child learns to respond to societal demands, particularly regarding bowel and bladder control.

    • Phallic Stage (3-7 years):

    • The child becomes aware of the differences between males and females and begins to understand sexual identity.

    • Latency Stage (7-11 years):

    • Development continues, but sexual urges are relatively dormant; focus shifts to social skills and friendships.

    • Genital Stage (11 years to adulthood):

    • The growing adolescent detaches from previous dependencies and learns to interact maturely with the opposite sex.

Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development

  • Erikson described eight stages of psychosocial development:

    • Infancy: Trust vs. Mistrust

    • Question: "Can I trust others?"

    • Childhood: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

    • Question: "Am I independent?"

    • Initiative vs. Guilt

    • Question: "Can I do what I want?"

    • Industry vs. Inferiority

    • Question: "Am I capable or competent?"

    • Adolescence: Identity vs. Role Confusion

    • Question: "Do I know who I am?"

    • Adulthood: Intimacy vs. Isolation

    • Question: "Do I have close relationships?"

    • Generativity vs. Stagnation in Middle Adulthood

    • Question: "Have I made a difference to others?"

    • Old Age: Integrity vs. Despair

    • Final reflection on one’s life: "Has my life been meaningful?"

Learning Theories

Behaviourism: Watson

  • Watson's famous quote from the 1930 essay "Behaviourism":

    • “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in, and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select—doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors.”

  • Little Albert Experiment:

    • Demonstrated classical conditioning; Little Albert was conditioned to fear a white rat, showcasing generalization of fear responses.

Skinner’s Operant Conditioning

  • Focuses on changing the frequency of behaviors through:

    • Reinforcement: Encourages desired behavior.

    • Punishment: Discourages undesired behavior.

  • Key Influencers:

    • Attention is considered a powerful reinforcer.

    • Intermittent Reinforcement: A more effective condition which sometimes rewards the behavior, increasing persistence.

  • Behaviour Modification Therapy (B-Mod):

    • Application of operant conditioning principles to edit behaviors in a structured method.

Bandura’s Social Learning Theory

  • Pioneering study involving the Bobo Doll where behavior was modeled to show that children learn social behaviors through observation.

  • Reciprocal Determinism:

    • Child-environment interactions are bi-directional; the child influences their environment, and in return, the environment influences the child.

Theories of Social Cognition

  • Self-socialization:

    • Children play an active role in their own development by selecting activities and friends, reminiscent of the concept of “niche picking”.

  • Dweck’s Theory of Self-Attribution and Achievement Motivation:

    • Discusses two orientations:

    • Mastery Orientation: Focusing on learning and self-improvement.

    • Self-Worth Orientation: Concerned with how one appears to others.

    • Two mindsets:

      • Growth Mindset: Belief that abilities and intelligence can develop through effort.

      • Fixed Mindset: Belief that abilities are static and unchangeable.

Ecological Theories

Ethology

  • Study of behavior that considers its evolutionary significance and need for survival.

  • Importance of Critical/Sensitive Periods:

    • Such as imprinting where certain behaviors are most readily acquired.

Evolutionary Psychology

  • Application of Darwinian concepts of natural selection and adaptation to human development.

    • E.g., the evolution of larger brains leads to a longer developmental period required for maturity.

Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Theory

  • Framework that analyzes the complex interplay of different environmental systems that influence development:

    • Community Contexts: Messages about anti-drug uses spread through media and community norms.

    • Family Influences:

    • Family attitudes about antisocial behaviors and substance abuse impact individual behaviors.

    • School Environment:

    • Expectations and climate significantly influence development outcomes.

    • Individual Factors & Peers:

    • Individual traits, lifestyle reinforcement, and peer group influences are crucial.

    • Community Dynamics:

    • Community policies and history that might dissuade or encourage antisocial behaviors, such as drug use; issues like absenteeism and cultural disenfranchisement are noted.