social development

Introduction

  • Appreciation for patience regarding recent events.

  • Acknowledgment of emails received over the last couple of weeks.

  • Inbox situation described as 'on fire'.

  • Promise to catch up within the next 24 hours.

Midterm Update

  • Received only two midterms recently; not yet reviewed.

  • Plan to finalize readings later in the week and update by next Tuesday.

  • Mention of outstanding ethics for one or two groups, which will be prioritized.

Course Progress

  • Currently on track in the course timeline.

  • Transitioning to Chapter 9: Social Development.

  • Social development will be the focus until the end of the term.

    • Introduction of a discussion forum linked to social research.

Social Development Frameworks

  • Lecture will frame various approaches to social processing as per textbook chapters.

  • Upcoming chapters:

    • Chapter 10: Emotion Development

    • Next: Temperament and Attachment

    • Following Chapters: Peers and Families

Overview of Social Development Theories

  • A brief primer on psychoanalytic theories is necessary given their influence in Western psychology.

  • Psychoanalytic theory focuses on:

    • Human personality and behavior derived from the unconscious.

    • Resolution of psychological conflicts affecting motivations and observable behaviors.

    • Internal drives (nature vs. nurture).

Psychoanalytic Theories and Developmental Themes

  • Major figures include Freud and Erikson.

  • Freud's Theory:

    • Development through staged, often unconscious conflicts related to sexuality.

    • Stages:

    1. Oral Stage: Self-gratification through oral activities.

    2. Anal Stage: Development of self-control and agency, influenced by adult expectations.

  • Erikson's Theory:

    • Focus on psychosocial conflicts rather than biological drives.

    • Stages of development related to social issues (Trust, Agency, Identity).

    • Noted for having eight stages, impacting identity and relationships.

Psychodynamic Theories Impacts

  • Stage-based theories influence fields like personality research and therapy.

  • Critiques:

    • Difficulty in empirical testing.

    • Theories lack operational definitions for terms like trust and autonomy.

Learning Theories

  • Begin with Behaviorism and Clark S. Watson:

    • Little Albert experiment as a demonstration of classical conditioning.

    • Goal: Show that emotions can be conditioned in humans.

    • Watson’s focus on observable behavior and rejection of internal states.

Classical Conditioning Criteria from Watson

  • Little Albert's responses to different stimuli showed:

    • Fear could be conditioned.

    • Stimulus generalization occurred with similar stimuli (e.g., furry objects).

Operant Conditioning (Skinner)

  • Focus on reinforcement as a behavioral modifier:

    • Attention as a powerful reinforcer in behavior management (gambling examples).

    • Intermittent reinforcement serves as a compelling behavioral factor.

Behavior Modification

  • Application of operant conditioning as therapeutic methods for undesirable behaviors.

  • Practical methods used in interventions (e.g., phobias, autism therapy).

Bandura's Social Learning Theory

  • Overview of the Bobo Doll experiment demonstrating observational learning:

    • Children model aggressive behaviors observed in adults.

    • Aggression learning through social imitation, not only direct reinforcement.

Social Cognition and Active Agency in Children

  • Emphasis on children’s active role in social environments and self-socialization.

  • Differences in socialization based on environment (library vs. sports).

Achievement Motivation (Carol Dweck’s Theory)

  • Theories on mindset regarding intelligence:

    • Fixed vs. growth mindsets impacting achievement and self-perception.

Implications of Self-Attribution and Mastery Orientation

  • Mastery orientation connects children's success or failure to their self-worth development.

  • Early experiences can set patterns for future motivations or failures.

Concluding Theories on Social Development

  • Discuss implications of ecological frameworks (Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory):

    • Focus on interactions of various systems influencing child development.

    • Directionality of influences between child, family, and broader community.

Future Directions

  • Prepare for discussion on how different theories can be applied in understanding social development.

  • Encouragement to engage with data in upcoming classes based on the ongoing research.