This page will share about Basic Issues, Historical Foundations and Mid 20th Century Theories.
Basic Issues of Child Development
Three issues on theories of child development
According to Berk, 2012, each theory of child development takes a stand on 3 fundamental issues:
1) Is development a continuous process, or is it discontinuous, following a series of distinct stage?
2) Does on general course of development characteristic all children, or are there many possible course, influenced by the distinct contexts in which children grow up?
3) Are genetic or environmental factors more important in influencing development (The nature versus nurture controversy) and are individual differences stable or characterized by substantial plasticity?
Contemporary researchers realize that answers may vary across domains of development and even, as research on resilience illustrates, across individuals.
(Berk, 2012)
From the 3 issues above, I may need to do more readings to answer the issues, or you as a reader can share your ideas regarding the issues. Below there is comment box, please feel comfortable to comment at your own pace.
According to Berk, 2012, each theory of child development takes a stand on 3 fundamental issues:
1) Is development a continuous process, or is it discontinuous, following a series of distinct stage?
2) Does on general course of development characteristic all children, or are there many possible course, influenced by the distinct contexts in which children grow up?
3) Are genetic or environmental factors more important in influencing development (The nature versus nurture controversy) and are individual differences stable or characterized by substantial plasticity?
Contemporary researchers realize that answers may vary across domains of development and even, as research on resilience illustrates, across individuals.
(Berk, 2012)
From the 3 issues above, I may need to do more readings to answer the issues, or you as a reader can share your ideas regarding the issues. Below there is comment box, please feel comfortable to comment at your own pace.
Historical Foundations
We are going to describe major historical influences on modern theories of child development.
During the medieval times, 6th through 15th centuries, childhood was regarded as a separate phase of life.
16th and 17th centuries, Puritan conception of original sin led to a harsh philosophy of child rearing. 17th century Enlightenment brought a new emphasis on human dignity and respect that led to more humane views of childhood. Locke's notion of the child as a tabula rasa or 'blank slate'. Rousseau's idea that children were noble savages foreshadowed the concept of stage and maturation.
Darwin's theory of evolution, efforts to observe children directly began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Hall and Gesell introduces the normative approach, which produced large body if descriptive facts about children. For Binet and Simon constructed the first successful intelligence test, which sparked interest in individual differences in development and led to a heated controversy over nature versus nurture. (Berk, 2012)
Questions: which you controversy you believe in, NATURE or NURTURE for the young children?
During the medieval times, 6th through 15th centuries, childhood was regarded as a separate phase of life.
16th and 17th centuries, Puritan conception of original sin led to a harsh philosophy of child rearing. 17th century Enlightenment brought a new emphasis on human dignity and respect that led to more humane views of childhood. Locke's notion of the child as a tabula rasa or 'blank slate'. Rousseau's idea that children were noble savages foreshadowed the concept of stage and maturation.
Darwin's theory of evolution, efforts to observe children directly began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Hall and Gesell introduces the normative approach, which produced large body if descriptive facts about children. For Binet and Simon constructed the first successful intelligence test, which sparked interest in individual differences in development and led to a heated controversy over nature versus nurture. (Berk, 2012)
Questions: which you controversy you believe in, NATURE or NURTURE for the young children?
Mid 20th Century theories
What theories influenced Child Development research in the mid 20th century?
In the 1930s and 1940s, psychiatrists and social workers turned psychoanalytic perspective for helping treating children's emotional problems. Freud's psycho sexual theory, children more through five stages- three portions of the personality - id, ego and superego - it became integrated.
Erikson's psychosocial theory, emphasized the development of culturally relevant attitudes and skills and - with the addition of 3 adult stages which is the lifespan of mature of development.
Psychoanalytic perspective gained in prominence, behaviorism emerged, focusing on directly observable events - stimuli and events - in an effort to create an objective science of psychology. B.F.Skinner's operant conditioning theory emphasizes the role of reinforcement and punishment in increasing or decreasing the frequency of behaviors.
Albert Bandura's social learning theory, focuses on modeling as major means through which children and adults requires new responses - it stresses the role of cognition, thinking , children's imitation and learning and it is known as social - cognitive approach.
Behaviorism and social learning theory gave rise to techniques of behavior modification to eliminate undesirable behaviors and increase desirable responses.
Piaget's cognitive development theory emphasizes that children actively construct knowledge as they move through 4 stages - baby's sensorimotor action patterns and ending with the abstract , systematic reasoning system of the adolescent and adult.
Piaget's work has stimulated a wealth of research on children's thinking and has encouraged educational programs that emphasize children's discovery learning.
(Berk, 2012)
Now is time to reflect about the topics above. On the above there are a few questions, you may give your own comments about your thoughts about the topics, or answer the questions stated above. Happy sharing!
In the 1930s and 1940s, psychiatrists and social workers turned psychoanalytic perspective for helping treating children's emotional problems. Freud's psycho sexual theory, children more through five stages- three portions of the personality - id, ego and superego - it became integrated.
Erikson's psychosocial theory, emphasized the development of culturally relevant attitudes and skills and - with the addition of 3 adult stages which is the lifespan of mature of development.
Psychoanalytic perspective gained in prominence, behaviorism emerged, focusing on directly observable events - stimuli and events - in an effort to create an objective science of psychology. B.F.Skinner's operant conditioning theory emphasizes the role of reinforcement and punishment in increasing or decreasing the frequency of behaviors.
Albert Bandura's social learning theory, focuses on modeling as major means through which children and adults requires new responses - it stresses the role of cognition, thinking , children's imitation and learning and it is known as social - cognitive approach.
Behaviorism and social learning theory gave rise to techniques of behavior modification to eliminate undesirable behaviors and increase desirable responses.
Piaget's cognitive development theory emphasizes that children actively construct knowledge as they move through 4 stages - baby's sensorimotor action patterns and ending with the abstract , systematic reasoning system of the adolescent and adult.
Piaget's work has stimulated a wealth of research on children's thinking and has encouraged educational programs that emphasize children's discovery learning.
(Berk, 2012)
Now is time to reflect about the topics above. On the above there are a few questions, you may give your own comments about your thoughts about the topics, or answer the questions stated above. Happy sharing!
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