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Developmental psychology mid term
Developmental psychology mid term
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Development Psychology
Development psychology refers to the scientific study of the systematic psychological changes that normally occur to human beings throughout their growth period from birth to old age. It was originally concerned with children and infants, but it has since expanded to include the entire life span of mankind including adolescence and adulthood. Development psychology covers the extent to which human development occurs through gradual accumulation of knowledge, and the extent to which children born with inmate mental structures learn through experience. Several psychological theories and approaches like the behavioral, humanistic, psychoanalytic, biological, and cognitive approaches have been developed to explain the development psychology. This paper explains these approaches and theories.
Behavioral psychology studies how living organisms develop different behaviors in response to the conditions surrounding them (Lerner, 2002, p. 34). Among the theories that best explains behavioral psychology is Skinner’s operant conditioning theory (Lerner, 2002, p. 53). This theory asserts that the behavioral change process does not require repeated efforts but rather requires an immediate reaction to familiar stimulus. In his starving rat experiment, it emerged that different behaviors are learnt by reinforcement, which is used to strengthen or discourage a desired behavior of a particular living organism.
Lerner (2002) further suggests that human beings respond positively to verbal operant, since they can listen to advice, warnings, and obey rules (p. 59). Since human beings have the knowledge of what will happen if they choose to behave in a particular way, they can keep themselves from acting in certain unacceptable...
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...activities like learning, sensing, feeling, thinking and the brain. Tenenat (2008) asserts that the brain is the controls center for movement, sleep, hunger and virtually every other vital activity necessary to survive.
In conclusion biological psychology is vital during mental illness and understanding how human beings behave, since human behavior is triggered by the mind. Despite its many strengths and supportive facts, biological psychology fails to consider the social and emotional aspect of the person and the things that can affect them outside of their biology.
Works Cited
Lerner, R 2002, Concepts and theories of human development, Blackwell, Oxford.
Piaget, J 1983, “Piaget’s theory” handbook of child psychology, Willey, New York.
Tenenat, J 2008, The nervous system, viewed 8th April 2011,
Hence, in his experiment, Skinner placed rats in the Skinner box and observed its’ behaviors. Initially, these rats would be randomly moving around exploring, and would usually press the bar accidently. At this point, a food pellet would drop into the tray. He observed that if a hungry rat receives a pellet of food when it presses a lever after, maybe 2 minutes have elapsed since the last pellet, then its response rate increases with the passage of time. In other words, after the first incident of the food pellet dropping into the tray, the rate of the rats pressing the bar rises dramatically and remains high until the rats hunger were satisfied. Thus, this study showed a clear association made between the behavior and the consequence of that behavior. In this case, the consequence of a behavior encouraged the repetition of that behavior also known as positive reinforcement.
Developmental theories are often based on an age-related stages, or milestones, that signify meaningful changes in physical, cognitive, behavioral and social aspects within the human lifespan. One of the most well known developmental theories is Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual stages of development. Freud, like others after him, theorized that early childhood experiences play an important role in personality development. Although, contemporary developmental theories include adolescence, adulthood, and late adulthood, the theories early focus on childhood development makes this approach particularly useful when working with children.
Skinners studies included the study of pigeons that helped develop the idea of operant conditioning and shaping of behavior. His study entailed making goals for pigeons, if the goal for the pigeon is to turn to the left, a reward is given for any movement to the left, the rewards are supposed to encourage the left turn. Skinner believed complicated tasks could be broken down in this way and taught until mastered. The main belief of Skinner is everything we do is because of punishment and reward (B.F. Skinner).
Psychologists are of different views on human development. Some of them split human development into different stages, some of them focus on the people’s later development, some are optimistic but some not, and some opined that our development are deterministic but also some do not think so. Erik Erikson has developed a theory named as Psychosocial in which he stated that there would be eight development stages from birth to later adulthood within our life. (Cooper & Roth, 2002). The theory emphasised that our development is a product of the interaction between the society and individual; and our parents seems to play a key role in our early life.
It is inevitable, children and adults constantly evolve and the evolution of this population requires an ongoing scientific investigation (Eberbach & Crowley, 2009). The scientific investigation of the evolution of children and adults is described as developmental psychology. Developmental psychologists establish theories of developmental trajectories, interpersonal, intrapersonal, emotional, and cognitive processing. Moreover, developmental psychologists endeavor to provide descriptive and expository research to enhance client and professional development (Machery, 2011).
In this essay I intend to discuss two psychological theories of development; The psychodynamic approach and the behavioural approach. In order to do this, I will outline each theory and explain how it accounts for psychological development, health and behaviour of the individual. In addition to this, I will explain how an understanding of these theories relates to care and would help a care professional to support an individual in a care setting.
1. "Psychoanalytic Theories of Development." Psychology - Complete Guide to Psychology for Students, Educators & Enthusiasts. Web. 04 Feb. 2012. .
Developmental theories are broken up into two perspectives; Life-course, and Latent Trait. These perspectives may answer questions on why juveniles have grown to lead a destructive life-style and why others grow out of their delinquency. Latent trait explains that some tendencies we are may be born with and how important it is to be there for our children. Our parenting skills do have a profound effect on how our children may lack self control or have an impulsive behavior.
Bio-Psychologists study the principles of biology as it relates to the comprehension of psychology in the field neuroscience that underlies ones emotions, ideology, and actions (Brittanica). Based upon the conduction of research, the relationship between the brain and ones behavior extends to the physiological process in one’s intellect. Scientists are cognizant that neurotransmitters function as a significant role in mood regulation and other aspects of psychological problems including depression and anxiety. A biological perspective are relevant to psychology in three techniques including: the comparative method, physiology, and the investigation of inheritance (Saul Mc. Leod).
“Behavior theory consists of ideas about how human actions and emotions develop, are sustained, and are extinguished through principles of learning” (Walsh, 2010). Positive and negative reinforcement is used to help manipulate the behaviors of the individual. The theory has been used to help eliminate unwanted behaviors. In addition, behavior theory has been use primarily with children, and persons with developmental disabilities. According to Walsh (2010) behavior theory evolved in the 1960s from a field of philosophy to the field of science. Ivan Pavlov discovered classical conditioning, which plays a major role in behavioral theory. Classical conditioning is the process of learning through ones surroundings, conditioned, and unconditioned stimuli and response. B. F. Skinner discovered operant conditioning the process of learning to influence the future responses to the environment (Clark, 2004). The two concepts has been used throughout the behavior theory to help assist clients with unacceptable behaviors that is occurring. The combination of the two concepts has been a very helpful aspect to the behavior theory. Both concepts offer a different approach or solution to the behavior of the client.
Developmental psychology is an area of research devoted to explaining the continuing growth and change that occurs over the course of one’s life. Throughout history many varying theories have been used to attempt to explain the complex process of childhood experiences altering who individuals become as an adult.
The theory of “psychosocial development” discovered by
There are a number of different theories about development: Cognitive/Constructivists: Piaget believed that children think and learn according to their age and stage of development. Children adapt to what they believe as their experiences change. They need to extend their experiences in order to extend their learning, so eventually they can think about experiences that they have not yet developed. Psychoanalytic: Freud stated that our personalities are made up of 3 parts: 1 the id: the instinctive part of our personality, it is based on biological needs.
Child psychology, also known as child development, is the study of psychological growth of children; how these mechanisms develop from infancy to adolescence and why they deviate from one child to the next. Child development is associated with biological, psychological, and emotional diversity that occur in humans. Although there is a different advancement for each child, these developmental changes may be greatly determined by genetic factors and experience during prenatal life. The early years of a child’s life are very important for his or her health and development. Parents, health professionals, educators, and others can work together as partners to help children grow up to reach their full potential.
This research paper explains what developmental psychology is, how it is applicable and understand how it applies in the life. For this reason, the benefits of developmental psychology obtain the knowledge of human development. In addition, human development acquires several changes and processes in our bodies that will be known even through the years. Also, a developer persists that apart the life and how humans may become indifference aspects of human evolutionary development. Then, human development produces the different stages of various changes depending on a character.