1. Developmental Theories
Chapter 2
Developmental Theories

2. Theory: A Definition
A set of interrelated statements that provides an explanation for a class of events.

3. Psychoanalytic Theories
The view that personality is fashioned progressively as the individual passes through various psychosexual stages:
Oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital.
Three states of being: id, superego, ego

4. Freud: Psychosexual Stages of Development
The Role of the Unconscious
Psychosexual Stages
Fixation

5. Erik Erikson: Psychosocial Stages of Development
Epigenetic Principle
Stages pose tasks and crises that individuals must struggle through.
Personality development takes place throughout the entire life span.

6. Erikson’s Nine Stages Trust vs. mistrust Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
Initiative vs. guilt
Industry vs. inferiority
Identity vs. identity confusion
Intimacy vs. isolation
Generativity vs. stagnation
Integrity vs. despair
Despair vs. hope and faith

7. Behavioral Theory
Concerned with observable behavior: what people do and say.
Behavior divided into units: responses
Environment divided into units: stimuli
Also called learning theory

8. Classical Conditioning
Process of stimulus substitution in which a new, previously neutral stimulus is substituted for the stimulus that naturally elicits a response

10. Operant Conditioning
A type of learning in which the consequences of a behavior alter the strength of that behavior

12. Behavior Modification
Pathological behavior is acquired through learning.
The way to eliminate an unwanted behavior is to stop reinforcing it.

13. Cognitive Theory Cognition: Acts or processes of knowing
Representing, organizing, treating, and transforming information as we devise our behavior.

15. Jean Piaget
Cognitive Stages in Development: Sequential periods in the growth or maturing of an individual’s ability to think--to gain knowledge, self-awareness, and awareness of the environment.

17. Cognitive Stages in Development
Sensorimotor
Preoperational
Concrete
Formal

18. Cognitive Learning and Information Processing
Cognitive Learning (Bandura, Mischel, Rosenthal and Zimmerman)
Imitation of behavior of socially competent models
Self-Efficacy
Use of symbols

19. Ecological Theory
Centers on the relationship between the developing individual and the changing environment.
Focus on the relationship between the person and the environment .

21. Sociocultural Theory Development (Vygotsky):
Determined by the activity of groups
a.Child interacts with other persons
b.Assimilates social aspects of activity
c.Takes information and internalizes it
d. Social values become personal values

22. Controversies Different tasks call for different theories
Mechanistic Model: Focuses on the universe as a machine composed of elementary particles in motion
Continuity: Learning is cumulative, building on itself.
Organismic Model: Focuses on the universe as a whole
Discontinuity: Individual is seen as passing through stages.
Eclectic Approach: Selects from the various theories

23. Nature Versus Nature: The “Which” Question The “How Much” Question
The “How” Question

24. Behavioral Genetics Jerome Kagan: Timidity Studies
The Minnesota Twin Project
Polygenic inheritance

25. Evolutionary Adaptation Theory
Natural Selection (Charles Darwin)
Ethology
Releasing Stimuli
Imprinting
Critical Period
Sensitive Period