1. Theories of Human Development Chapter 1 /Section 2-3
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2. What Is a Theory? Why Are Theories Useful?
Theory: A framework that presents a set of interconnected ideas in an original way that inspires further research
Why are theories useful?
Summarize facts as currently known
Allow prediction of future behavior
Provide guidance
Stimulate new research
Provide filters for identifying relevant information
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3. Let’s read a story

4. Classic Theories
Scientific theories have been around for a short time (only about 120 years)
The major theories of conceptualizing development are:
Psychoanalytic approach
Psychosexual-Freud
Psychosocial-Erikson
Behaviorist approach
Social Learning
Constructivist approach
Ecological
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ved.

5. Freud's Psychosexual Theory 1865-1939
Earliest scientific theory of human development
Physician who worked w/people who suffered from different mental health problems
Learned that his patients has experienced some kind of traumatic event in childhood
Trauma was buried in the unconscious mind/repressed(suppressed)
Repressed experiences shaped people's personality & mental functioning.
Developed psychoanalysis to bring out those repressed memories and work through them to get better
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6. Developed psychosexual theory based on his work w/patients.
Sexual desire is the driving force behind human development.
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7. Freud’s Psychosexual Theory
The mind consists of three basic parts
the id – part of mind that seeks immediate/unrestrained satisfaction
the ego – rational thought, reality principle
superego – conscience, moral part of mind that adults teach children.
- restricts the satisfaction of desire, makes child feel guilty for disobeying
constant state of conflict between the three components
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8. Example when arguing with someone id= hitting or pushing that person
superego= not polite to hit someone
ego= angry words and walk away
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9. Freud’s Psychosexual Stages
Table 1.1
Freud’s Psychosexual Stages
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10. Freud’s Psychosexual Theory
Complexity of human behavior
He never worked with children
Mostly worked w/upper class women in Vienna
Ignored development of girls
Let's Watch
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11. Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory 1902-1994
Focuses on social and cultural environment and not sexuality
Driving force behind development was to become part of social & cultural environment.
Continued throughout lifespan and not limited to first six years as Freud
Eight stages of development characterized by crisis and resolution
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12. Let's Watch
Table 1.2
Erikson’s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development
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13. Behaviorism & Learning Theories
Opposing psychoanalytic theories
Study of development should be based on observable behavior
See what a child actually does NOT what child thinks, feels or imagines
Conditioning is the fundamental learning process in behaviorism

14. Ivan Pavlov 1849-1936 Studying the digestion of dogs
Dogs salivate (unconditioned response) to smell of food (unconditioned stimulus)
Bell (neutral stimulus) caused salivation (conditioned response)
Let's Watch
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15. John Watson
Behaviorism-theory that all thought & behavior can be explained in terms of learning mechanisms •
Anything can be learned
Behavior can be shaped by the response of others
Little Albert experiment
Let's Watch •
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16. B.F. Skinner
Operant conditioning-voluntary behavior can be modified through the use of reinforcement
Behavior is more/less likely to happen
Reinforcement makes behavior more likely to occur
Positive reinforcement: behavior is encouraged by reinforcer
Ex: a child picks up his toys and gets a sticker
Negative reinforcement: encouraging a behavior by taking away undesirable stimulus
Ex: alarm goes off and annoys you, press button to stop it
Ex: wet hands are not wanted, use towel to dry them
Let's Watch
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17. Albert Bandura
Social learning theory- learning can also occur via observation/imitation without directly experiencing reinforcement or conditioning.
Modeling is central learning process
What do children learn by watching others, tv?
Bandura- Bobo doll experiments
Let's Watch
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18. Constructivist Theories
People actively construct reality in the mind as they interact with objects & people in the world
We learn by interacting with people and things in the environment
Cognitive Constructivist- Jean Piaget
Social Constructivist- Lev Vygotsky
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19. Cognitive Constructivist
Jean Piaget
Cognitive Constructivist
Children actively adjust their understanding about the world as they learn about it.
Maturation is the driving force behind moving through stages of cognitive development
mental schemes: children’s cognitive structures for processing, organizing, and interpreting information.
assimilation: process of bringing new objects or information into a scheme that already exists in the mind.
accommodation: process of adjusting a scheme so it better fits the new experience.
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20. Assimilation & Accommodation

21. Let's Watch

22. Lev Vygotsky •
Vygotsky’s Social Constructivist Theory- views cognitive development as a social and cultural process.
Aka sociocultural theory
Social b/c we learn from interactions
Cultural b/c what we need to know is determined by the culture we live in. •
1. zone of proximal development (ZPD)
2. scaffolding: providing support for the person while they are learning
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24. Socio-Cultural Theory
“Zone of proximal development“ is where learning occurs.
Keep student engaged in ZPD by making material exciting
Let's Watch

25. Urie Bronfenbrenner 1917-2005 Ecological Theory
Focuses on multiple influences that shape behavior.
Five levels:
Microsystem-Immediate environment
Mesosystem-Interconnections between microsystems
Exosystem-institutions that have indirect effects on development
Macrosystem-Cultural Beliefs
Chronosystem-Time
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26. Let's Watch
Figure 1.3
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27. How We Study Human Development Chapter 1 Section 3
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28. Scientific Study of Human Development
The scientific method
Composed of 5 steps:
Identifying a question
Forming a hypothesis
Choosing a research method or design
Collecting data
Drawing conclusions
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29. The Scientific Method LO 1.9 Scientific Method
Figure 1.4
The Steps of the Scientific Method
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30. The Five Steps of the Scientific Method
Every study starts with an idea or question
Can come from previous research, a theory or personal observation
Forming a hypothesis
The researcher’s idea about a possible answer to a research question
Will dictate research methods, design, and analysis
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31. The Five Steps of the Scientific Method
Choose a research method and design
The way hypotheses are investigated
Collecting data
Researchers try to collect a sample that represents the population
5. Draw conclusions  
Data is inferred and peer reviewed
Can lead to theory modification or changes
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32. Ethics in Human Development Research
Institutional Review Boards work to prevent ethical violations
Ethical guidelines include:
Protection from physical and psychological harm
Informed consent prior to participation
Confidentiality
Deception and debriefing
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