Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 1-1 Chapter 1: The Science of Child Development 1.1 Using This Book 1.2 Theories of Child Development 1.3 Themes in Child- Development Research
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc Using This Book This module is not about children but about how to use this book Read this module to understand how to use this book to learn about children’s development
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc Theories of Child- Development Canada’s Unique Contribution The Biological Perspective The Psychodynamic Perspective The Learning Perspective The Cognitive-Developmental Perspective The Contextual Perspective Newer Approaches to Child Development The Big Picture
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 1-4 The Biological Perspective Development is determined primarily by biological forces In maturational theory, development reflects the natural unfolding of a pre-arranged biological plan In ethological theory, many behaviours are viewed as adaptive because they have survival value
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 1-5 Canada’s Unique Contribution James Mark Baldwin started the first psychological lab at the University of Toronto Developed important theoretical ideas about children’s development, including the roles of stages theory, nature and nurture
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 1-6 The Psychodynamic Perspective Development is determined by how a child resolves conflicts at different ages Freud’s components to personality -- id, ego, and superego During psychosexual development, different parts of the body are the focus of pleasure Erikson’s stages of psychosocial develop- ment are defined by a unique challenge
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 1-7 The Learning Perspective Early learning theories emphasized the importance of experience in development B.F. Skinner studied operant conditioning (reinforcement and punishment) Other learning theorists suggested that children can learn by observing others According to Bandura’s social cognitive theory, children’s sense of self-efficacy influences their behaviour
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 1-8 The Cognitive- Developmental Perspective Development reflects children’s efforts to understand the world Jean Piaget developed a four-stage sequence that characterizes children’s changing understanding of the world According to information-processing theory, development consists of increased efficiency in processing information
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 1-9 The Contextual Perspective Development is determined by immediate and more distant environments, which typically influence each other Lev Vygotsky believed that adults convey to children the beliefs, customs, and skills of their culture Urie Bronfenbrenner believes that the developing child is embedded in a series of complex and interactive systems
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc Bronfenbrenner’s Theory
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc The Big Picture Classical developmental theories were very broad Newer developmental theories tend to be narrower but more precise
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc Themes in Child- Development Research Early Development is Related to Later Development but Not Perfectly Development is Always Jointly Influenced by Heredity and Environment Children Help Determine Their Own Development Development in Different Domains is Connected
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc Early Development is Related to Later Development… Known as the continuity-discontinuity issue The continuous view: Children stay on the same path throughout development The discontinuous view: Children can change paths at any point in development Development is not completely rigid, nor completely flexible
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc Development is Always Jointly Influenced by Heredity and Environment Known as the nature-nurture issue Current view: Nature and nurture interact with each other to influence development
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc Children Help Determine Their Own Development Known as the active-passive child issue Children were once viewed as passive recipients of their environments Today’s view: Children interpret their experiences and often influence the experiences that they have
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc Development in Different Domains is Connected Development in different domains of children’s lives is always connected Cognitive development affects social development and vice versa