Chapter_1_-_Power_point_-_Lopes

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.