Theorist research Megan Ng & Ashlyn Seeley

Sociocultural  This theory stresses the interaction between developing people and the culture in which they live.  Lev S. Vygotksy, a psychologist in Russia who began his work following the Russian Revolution of 1917, is most closely identified with sociocultural theory. Vygotsky, argued: “The social dimension of consciousness is primary in time and in fact. The individual dimension of consciousness is derivative and secondary”  According to Vygotsky, "Every function in the child's cultural development appears twice  first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people and then inside the child

Cognitive  Cognitive theory is a learning theory of psychology that attempts to explain human behavior by understanding the thought processes.  humans are logical beings that make the choices that make the most sense to them  Social cognitive theory is a subset of cognitive theory. Focused on the ways in which we learn to model the behavior of others.  Stages of Development:  sensorimotor,  preoperational,  concrete operational,  formal operational  How Piaget’s theory differ from others  It is concerned with children, rather than all learners.  It focuses on development, rather than learning per se, so it does not address learning of information or specific behaviors.  It proposes discrete stages of development, marked by qualitative differences, rather than a gradual increase in number and complexity of behaviors, concepts, ideas, etc.

Behaviorist Three types of learning  Learning occurs when an organism interacts with the environment.  Through experience behavior can be modified or changed.  Observational learning or Modeling  Whenever there are more than one person it can be considered social. Therefore there is learning and modeling.  Operant conditioning:  Focuses on response rather than stimulus  Classical conditioning:  A dos salivates at the sight of food. When the sound of a bell is paired with the sight of food, the dog learns salivate weather there is food or not.

Humanistic  One who is concerned with the interests and welfare of humans.  Humanist thinkers felt that both psychoanalysis and behaviorism were too pessimistic, either focusing on the most tragic of emotions or failing to take into account the role of personal choice.  Humanistic psychology was instead focused on each individual's potential and stressed the importance of growth and self-actualization.  In the 1950s, humanistic psychology began as a reaction to psychoanalysis and behaviorism. Basic needs are Whose absence breeds illness Whose presence prevents illness Whose restoration cures illness Preferred by the deprived person over other satisfaction, under certain conditions Found to be inactive, at low ebb, or functionally absent in the healthy person.

Maturation  Maturation, is the process of physical and mental growth that is determined by heredity.  Maturation and growth are interrelated and occur together.  Studies show that the maturation sequence is the same for all children.  Maturation theory has helped parents, teachers, and physicians alike determine weather a child's growth is with in the norm.  There are two vital points to remember  Although maturation determines the sequence of development, the age is approximate.  Growth is uneven, there is usually a growth spurt at puberty.

Multiple intelligences  Proposed by Howard gardener in 1983  Gardner argues that the concept of intelligence as traditionally defined in psychometrics (IQ tests) does not sufficiently describe the wide variety of cognitive abilities humans display  This theory suggests that traditional psychometric views of intelligence are too limited.  The nine intelligences are 1.Spatial 2.Linguistic 3.Logical-mathematical 4.Bodily-kinesthetic 5.Musical 6.Interpersonal 7.Intrapersonal 8.Naturalistic 9.Existential Criteria: 1.Potential for brain isolation by brain damage 2.Place in evolutionary history 3.Presence of core operations 4.Susceptibility to encoding (symbolic expression) 5.A distinct developmental progression 6.The existence of savants, prodigies and other exceptional people 7.Support from experimental psychology and psychometric findings

Ecological Ecological theory shows how the many influences in a Childs life can affect development. Bronfenbrenner shows four systems that influence human development With the child in the center, these four are the settings in which a child spends most of their time. Activity in one part effects the other parts.

Bibliography  ist_humanistic.htm ist_humanistic.htm  ss/multiple-intell.htm ss/multiple-intell.htm  sociocultural-theory.htm sociocultural-theory.htm  htm htm  

Psychodynamic  emphasizes systematic study of the psychological forces that underlie human behavior, feelings and emotions and how they might relate to early experience.  It is about personality development and emotional problems  This theory was approached by Sigmund Freud and his followers.