PS 214: Major Themes in Developmental Psychology PDF

Esther Mercado Garrido [email protected] Major themes in developmental psychology Draw on different theories and theorists to give an overview of these debates within the field Discuss how some approaches may be more important for specific areas of development 1. Biolo...

Esther Mercado Garrido [email protected] Major themes in developmental psychology Draw on different theories and theorists to give an overview of these debates within the field Discuss how some approaches may be more important for specific areas of development 1. Biology vs. Environment: Which is more important in shaping development -- genes/maturation or the environment? 2. Active vs. Passive: Is the child active in shaping their own development, or passively shaped by biological and environmental influences? 3. Continuity vs. Discontinuity: Is development marked by continuity or discontinuity (e.g., are there discrete stages of development)? 4. Cultural universals vs Cultural relativism: Are there universal laws of development that apply across all cultures Theme 1: Biological Versus Environmental Influences Is human development primarily the result of nature (biological forces) or nurture (environmental forces)? GesellChildDevsmall Arnold Gesell (1925) - child development is determined by a maturational timetable inherited in our genetic code “The child’s personality is a product of slow gradual growth. His nervous system matures by stages and natural sequences. He sits before he stands; he babbles before he talks; he fabricates before he tells the truth; he draws a circle before he draws a square; he is selfish before he is altruistic; he is dependent on others before he achieves dependence on self. All of his abilities, including his morals, are subject to laws of growth. The task of child care is not to force him into a predetermined pattern but to guide his growth.” (Arnold Gesell, 1943). Theme 1: Biological Versus Environmental Influences Is human development primarily the result of nature (biological forces) or nurture (environmental forces)? John Watson (1930) - development is determined by environmental influences “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select – doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant- chief and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors.” J.B. Watson (1930). Some of the more lively debates about human development are arguments about which of these processes contributes most to particular developmental changes ⊹ Maturation: biological unfolding of an individual Darwin × Species-typical biological inheritance DNA × Individual person’s biological inheritance ⊹ Learning: experiences producing relatively permanent changes in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors  GesellChildDevsmall Species-typical motor skill development (3.41) follows a pattern that reflects a maturational process (Chapter 5) Jean Piaget argues that cognitive Lawrence Kohlberg develops a development is a maturational maturational model of moral process (Chapter 6) development (Chapter 13) Because identical twins share the same genetic code, comparing the health of twins can help determine whether genetic or environmental factors play more of a role in their health. Fraternal twins share only 50% of the genetic code. Comparing identical and fraternal twins enables researchers to separate genetic from environmental influences without measuring genes directly. Concordance rate = percentage of pairs of people in which both members of the pair display the trait if one member has it Identical twins, reared together or reared apart, have more similar intelligence test scores when compared with either fraternal twins or siblings reared together (see Chapter 2). Piaget argues that the child is active in constructing knowledge and adapting to the world Watson and Skinner argue that the child is passive and shaped by environmental conditioning and reinforcement ❖Quantitative changes are changes in degree or amount (e.g., growing taller, running faster, acquiring more knowledge about the world (continuous development) ❖Qualitative changes are changes to form or kind -changes that make the individual fundamentally different in some way than he/she was earlier (discontinuous development ) Does our culture influence how we see or conceptualise development? The literature on emotional bonding/attachment and language development suggests that there may be critical periods early in development when key functions are acquired. The case of Genie creates questions as to a potential ‘sensitive period’ for language development Cultural Universalism: certain developmental processes, behaviours, or experiences are consistent across all human cultures. E.g. sensitive periods. Cultural Relativism: Development is heavily shaped by cultural context. Culture plays a fundamental role.