Chapter 1 Theories of Growth and Development Child Development

Robert J. Havighurst Theory of Developmental Tasks Famous quote: “A successful mother sets her children free and becomes free herself in the process."

Robert J. Havighurst Developmental Tasks – skills that should be mastered at a certain stage in life. (ex. crawling, self-feeding, dressing) Havighurst believed that achieving developmental tasks leads to happiness and success with later tasks. He identified the developmental tasks of children as coming from three sources.

Havighurst’s three sources for developmental tasks: Physical Growth: baby is born as a helpless human, as its body matures, the child can learn many new skills, like walking and talking. Social Pressures: through rewards and penalties, society pressures the child to master the tasks seen as important. These tasks differ from culture to culture. Inner Pressures: the actual desire to achieve comes from within the child; it is the child that is responsible for mastering each task. Physical – physical Social pressures – I’m faster than you! A child will work hard and running faster. Inner pressure –a child wants to run faster because he/she wants to be on the track team

Abraham Maslow Theory of Human Needs

Abraham Maslow Believed that development is a result of meeting personal needs His theory states all people work to fulfill basic needs and higher level needs. Maslow’s basic needs are divided into four categories: Physiological needs: food, water, shelter Safety needs: avoidance of illness and danger, security Belonging and Love needs: affiliation (belonging to a group such as a family), acceptance, and love Esteem needs: mastery, achievement, recognition

Abraham Maslow Maslow also created a category for higher-level needs: Self-Actualization needs: knowledge and appreciation of beauty, goodness, freedom, and a realistic view and acceptance of self and others Maslow ranked these basic and higher-level needs in an order he called the hierarchy of human needs. This means that lower-level basic needs must be somewhat fulfilled before higher level needs can be pursued.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow sees humans as driven by the need to become more fulfilled.