Theories of Human Development Flashcards

Key Concepts of Human Development

• Growth: Refers to the increase in physical size of an organism or its parts, as well as the increase in number and size of cells.
• Maturation: Involves changes in the complexity of bodily structures over time.
• Development: A continuous and orderly progression leading to enhanced functionality and complexity, which aids in survival.
• Learning: Behavioral changes that arise from both maturation and experiential factors.

Jean Piaget's Stages of Development

• Piaget's Framework: Developmental theorist known for his study of how children learn through four distinct stages.
• Assimilation: Incorporating new experiences into existing knowledge frameworks.
• Accommodation: Adjusting prior understandings to incorporate new information, such as reclassifying trucks when realizing they don’t fit into the “car” category.

Stages of Cognitive Development

• Sensorimotor Stage: Birth to around 2 years, focusing on sensory experiences and motor actions; includes the development of object permanence.
• Preoperational Stage: 2 to 6 or 7 years, characterized by language development but lacking in logical operations; features include egocentrism, magical thinking, and animism.
• Concrete Operational Stage: 6 or 7 to 11 years; children develop logical thinking about concrete events and have an understanding of time, differentiating fact from fantasy; reflective reasoning emerges.
• Formal Operational Stage: Starts around age 12, individuals gain the ability to think logically about abstract concepts and understand hypothetical situations and future consequences.

Sigmund Freud's Psychosexual Development Stages

• Freud's Theories: Focuses on psychosexual stages where childhood experiences influence adult motivations.
• Oral Stage: Birth to 2 years, centered on oral stimulation as a primary pleasure source.
• Anal Stage: 1 to 3 years, involves pleasure centered around bowel and bladder control; may lead to anal-retentive or anal-expulsive personality traits.
• Phallic Stage: Ages 4 to 7, where children gain gratification from their genitals; involves Oedipus and Electra complexes.
• Latency Stage: Sexual urges are repressed; children engage in social interactions with peers of the same sex.
• Genital Stage: Begins at puberty, involving the re-emergence of childhood sexual conflicts that are resolved during adolescence.

Key Terms and Concepts

• Oedipus Complex: A boy's psychological struggles involving sexual feelings for his mother and rivalry with his father.
• Electra Complex: A girl's psychosexual competition with her mother for her father's affection during the phallic stage.
• Erik Erikson: Notably recognized for extending developmental theories, although details were not covered in the provided information.