Week 1: Human Growth and Development

Classical Conditioning and Associative Learning

• Ivan Pavlov is associated with classical conditioning
• Classical conditioning involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a natural response
• This type of conditioning is used to create a conditioned response to a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response

Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Development

• The conflict of Trust vs. Mistrust occurs in the first stage of Erik Erikson's psychosocial development, which is Infancy (0-1.5 years)
• Industry vs. Inferiority is the conflict in the fourth stage of Erik Erikson's psychosocial development, which is Middle Childhood (6-12 years)
• In this stage, children must learn to accomplish tasks and take pride in their accomplishments in order to develop a sense of competence
• Intimacy vs. Isolation is the conflict in the sixth stage of Erik Erikson's psychosocial development, Young Adulthood (18-40 years)
• Identity vs. Role Confusion is the conflict in the fifth stage of Erik Erikson's psychosocial development, Adolescence (12-18 years)
• Generativity vs. Stagnation is the conflict in the seventh stage of Erik Erikson's psychosocial development, Middle Adulthood (40-65 years)

Operant Conditioning

• B.F. Skinner is associated with operant conditioning
• The primary focus of operant conditioning is on behaviors that are developed or conditioned through reinforcements
• Reinforcement is a key concept in operant conditioning, which refers to any stimulus that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring

Theories of Development

• Erik Erikson's theory of development states that individuals advance through stages based on how they adapt to the psychosocial crises of each stage
• Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory states that individuals learn by observing others and the consequences of their actions, and then imitating those behaviors
• Cognitive processes such as attention, memory, and motivation play a crucial role in social learning

Moral Development Theory

• Kohlberg's Moral Development Theory has six stages, with the fourth stage characterized by a focus on maintaining good relations and conforming to societal norms
• This stage is known as the Law and Order orientation, where individuals understand the importance of social norms and laws in maintaining social order

Psychosexual Theory

• Freud's Psychosexual Theory suggests that a person's body and behavior are shaped by their experiences and desires, particularly as they progress through the five stages of psychosexual development
• The fifth stage of Freud's Psychosexual Theory, Genital stage, is associated with a focus on the genital region and the emergence of sexual interests

Cognitive Development Theory

• Piaget's cognitive development theory states that the central concept of schema refers to the mental representation of the real world
• A schema is an organized pattern of thought or behavior that helps individuals understand and make sense of their environment

Senescence

• Senescence refers to the process of aging and declining physical and mental abilities that occur naturally as people get older

Memory and Learning

• Memory consolidation refers to the process that stabilizes and strengthens memories, making them easier to retrieve and recall
• Memory consolidation occurs through the process of consolidation, which involves changes in the strength of neural connections between neurons in the brain

Midlife Crisis

• Midlife crisis is a term used to describe a period of emotional and psychological crisis that occurs in middle adulthood, often triggered by a major life event or transition.

Test your understanding of behaviorism, conditioning, and the key figures associated with classical and operant conditioning such as Pavlov and Skinner. Explore the concepts of modeling, social context, and the influential experiments that shaped our understanding of human behavior.