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Overview of Child Development (PSY 206)

  • Child Development studies the physical, mental, emotional, and social development from conception through adolescence.

  • Key topics include:

    • Motor development

    • Language development

    • Attachment

    • Temperament

    • Gender and identity development

    • Intelligence

    • Prosocial and aggressive behavior

    • Play

    • Family influences on development

Psychological Perspectives Influencing Child Development

  • Understanding child development requires examining multiple psychological perspectives:

    1. Biological Perspective

    2. Psychodynamic Perspective

    3. Learning Perspective

    4. Cognitive Developmental Perspective

    5. Contextual Perspective

Biological Perspective

  • Belief that intellectual and personality development, as well as physical and motor development, are rooted in biology.

  • Maturational Theory (Arnold Gessell):

    • Child development follows a specific, predefined plan within the body.

    • Development unfolds naturally based on a biological timetable; experience has minimal impact.

    • This theory echoes J. Rousseau's earlier ideas.

    • Gessell suggests behaviors such as speech, play, and reasoning emerge spontaneously at set times.

  • Limitations of Maturational Theory:

    • Rejected for not accounting for experiences.

    • Ethological Theory: Focuses on adaptive behaviors that assist survival, indicating that many behaviors are inherited.

      • Examples: Grasping and crying in infants.

      • Certain learnings occur during critical periods, such as language acquisition.

Psychodynamic Perspective

  • The oldest perspective on child development, associated with Sigmund Freud.

  • Freud's theories emphasize how early childhood experiences shape later behavior.

    • Development involves resolving conflicts at different ages, with three components of personality:

      1. Id: Primitive instincts and drives seeking immediate gratification.

      2. Ego: Rational component dealing with reality.

      3. Superego: Moral conscience guiding behavior.

  • Erikson's Psychosocial Theory: Extends Freud's ideas to include social and psychological factors.

    • Proposes 8 stages of development, each with a unique crisis:

      • Trust vs. Mistrust (Infancy)

      • Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Early Childhood)

      • Initiative vs. Guilt (Preschool)

      • Industry vs. Inferiority (School Age)

      • Identity vs. Role Confusion (Adolescence)

      • Intimacy vs. Isolation (Young Adulthood)

      • Generativity vs. Stagnation (Middle Adulthood)

Learning Perspective

  • Inspired by J. Locke, viewing an infant's mind as a blank slate.

  • Watson applied this, stating experiences determine child development; Skinner extended it with operant conditioning, focusing on reinforcement and punishment.

    • Major Concepts: Reinforcement, Punishment, Imitation.

  • Social Cognitive Theory (Albert Bandura):

    • Emphasizes the influence of rewards, punishments, and modeling in learning.

    • Experience shapes children's beliefs in their abilities (self-efficacy).

Cognitive Development Perspective

  • Focuses on how children's thinking progresses over time.

  • Jean Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development:

    • Sensorimotor (0-2 years): Learning through senses and actions.

    • Preoperational (2-7 years): Using symbols, egocentric thinking.

    • Concrete Operational (7-11 years): Logical thinking about concrete events.

    • Formal Operational (12 and up): Abstract reasoning.

Contextual Perspective

  • Studies the role of various environmental influences (parents, school, media) on child development.

  • Lev Vygotsky's Contributions: Highlighted how cultural contexts influence cognitive development.

Summary of Theories

  • No single theory fully explains child development; combined themes from different theories provide deeper insights.

Key Themes in Child Development Research

  1. Continuity vs. Discontinuity: Examines predictability and consistency of development stages.

  2. Nature vs. Nurture: Investigates the interplay between genetics and environment in development.

  3. Active vs. Passive Child: Considers whether children actively shape their development or are shaped by their environment.

Research Methods in Developmental Psychology

  1. Systematic Observation: Researchers collect data from a distance without involvement.

  2. Naturalistic Observation: Observes behavior in a natural setting without intervention.

  3. Sampling Behaviors with Tasks: Uses specific tasks to observe behaviors.

  4. Self-reports: Includes interviews and questionnaires.

  5. Physiological Measures: Collects data on physiological responses.

Research Designs in Child Development Studies

  • Correlational Studies: Explore relationships between variables without manipulation.

  • Experimental Studies: Manipulate variables to determine cause and effect relationships.

  • Longitudinal Design: Studies the same subjects over time to observe changes and patterns.

  • Cross-Sectional Design: Compares different groups at one time to infer developmental trends.

  • Longitudinal Sequential Study: Combines longitudinal and cross-sectional, examining various cohorts over time.

Ethical Responsibilities in Research

  • Researchers must protect participants from harm and respect their rights, ensuring informed consent, confidentiality, and the option to withdraw.

  • Special considerations for research involving children to safeguard their welfare.

Communicating Research Results

  • Researchers publish findings in scientific journals, which contribute to knowledge and ongoing research in child development.

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