Psychology Child Development Theories - 1094 Words

Psychology: Child Development Theories According to Merriam-Webster, psychology is â€Å"the study of the human mind and its functions†. With psychology, we are able to understand and predict human behavior and overall understand how we think and process the world around us. In this research paper we will be discussing the most known theories of a specific branch of psychology, child development, then I will explain which theory of all I believe is right and why. Developmental psychology is the scientific study how and why human beings change over the course of their life. We will be discussing the following theories: Developmental Milestone, Cognitive Stages, Psychosocial Stages, and Psychosexual Stages, and Moral stages. Before we dive in we†¦show more content†¦His theory was based on the ideal that children should be raised closer to nature. Treated like animals until 16 and then let them develop into in an adult. This was the first time children would be seen from a developmental point of view. From t hen on Charles Darwin made great contributions to psychology. 1877 he wrote the â€Å"Biographical Sketch of an Infant† based on study he performed on his own child. It was the first English child study and inspired others in England to study children. Lastly came James Mark Baldwin who based his theory on the mental aspect and growth of infants. It became a huge influence to Jean Piaget’s theory of Cognitive Development. Piaget’s Cognitive Stage Theory: This theory tells us how a child constructs a mental model of the world. It is split up into 4 Stages: The Sensorimotor Stage, The Preoperational Stage, The concrete Operational Stage, and The Formal Operational Stage as well as 4 fundamental concepts. The first one is called Schemas. Schemas are categories of knowledge that help us interpret and understand the world around us. The second concept is called Assimilation. Assimilation is the process of taking in new information into our already existing schemas. The third concept is called accommodation which is another part of adaptation which involves changing or altering our existing schemas in light of new information or new experiences. The last concept is called equilibration which is the balanceShow MoreRelatedChild Development Theories Within The Field Of Psychology Essay928 Words   |  4 Pagesthere was a prominent debate on â€Å"Nurture† versus â€Å"Nature† in the fiel d of psychology. Psychologists fought against each other to assert their own theories and statements. Nowadays, people have reached a consensus on this topic that the environment and the genes actually interact with each other and eventually lead to the typical features of individuals. Evidently, parent is one key topic in various child development theories since parents generally provide the whole living environment for childrenRead MoreJean Piaget s Theories Of Cognitive Development1360 Words   |  6 Pagesfields of Developmental Psychology and Epistemology. He’s known for his works and theories in the field of child development. His theories of cognitive development and epistemological views are called, â€Å"genetic epistemology†. Piaget placed the education of children as most important. His works and theories still play a huge role and influence the study of child psychology today. Jean Piaget was born on August 9, 1896 in Neuchatel, Switzerland. He was the oldest child in his family. His motherRead MoreHow Do Humans Develop Over A Lifetime? Essay1173 Words   |  5 Pagesdevelopmental psychology. Developmental psychology is the study of how humans develop relating to the mind, body, and spirit. It not only is an approach based on a micro sense, but on a macro sense as well. Micro meaning the development from baby to adult and macro meaning how a culture itself develops over a time span. Because developmental psychology is an umbrella term, it is used to describe a number of different disciples that are all focused on one common goal (Developmental Psychology). Being thatRead MoreComparing Childhood Studies And Child Psychology1368 Words   |  6 Pages Part 1: Comparing and contrasting childhood studies and child psychology a. What are the main features of childhood studies? (400 words) Childhood studies is a subject area surrounding the study of children’s lives through many different concepts or ideas with many different features. It is related to many different fields such as law, history, sociology, health, anthropology and much more as Martin Woodhead (Open University) said â€Å"It uses multiple methods rather than just singular methods† andRead MoreErikson s Psychosocial Theory And Psychosocial Development1561 Words   |  7 PagesTheories and Theorists Theories are the building blocks of psychology. Theories whether old or new has allowed us to know what we know now. There are many theories in the field of psychology or educational psychology that are important to further understand human behavior. However, this paper will focus on only two theories which are; Erikson’s psychosocial theory and Alfred Adler’s Adlerian theory. Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development has always been a great contribution to the field of psychologyRead MoreEssay about Understanding Piaget’s Theory and Current Criticism1370 Words   |  6 Pagesestablished a theory of cognitive growth during childhood. This theory was viewed as a major model for understanding the intricate steps of mental development from the thinking to understanding for a child. This theory also gave rise to the mentality that cognitive processes during childhood are not minuscule versions of adults but rather an irrational yet unique process with its own rules. Even though Piaget’s theory seems quite reasonable and logical, under the light of recent speculation his theory hasRead MoreQuestions On Theories Of Attachment Essay1191 Words   |  5 PagesUnderstand Theories of Attachment. Evaluating two theories that explain the development of the infant attachment to parents or surrogates. Ainsworth and Bell’s theory, based on Strange Situation Test (SST), and Bowlby’s monotropic theory will be evaluated and shall show their usefulness in psychological research. Summary of Attachment. An attachment is, to quote Kagan et al. (1978, cited in Gross, 2015), â€Å"†¦an intense emotional relationship that is specific to two people, that endures over time,Read MorePsychology and the Nature of Humanity1227 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction. The American Psychologist Association (APA) defines psychology as ‘the study of the mind and behaviour . The discipline embraces all aspects of the human experience — from the functions of the brain to the actions of nations, from child development to care for the aged. ‘(Association, 2014). With such an extensive definition, it is not overly surprising that its scientific kudos has been used to propagate political dogma, including abominable beliefs such as the innate inferiorityRead MoreMy Point Of View Attachment Theory1033 Words   |  5 PagesMain Post Attachment theory is defined as the characters associated with the long term associated of human beings. From my point of view attachment is a lasting, secure and positive bond between a child and a caregiver, a reciprocal relationship. John Bowlby who used his knowledge in developmental psychology, psychoanalysis, ethology, and data processing to base his principle of the theory developed attachment theory. John Bowlby believed that attachment theory was on of the four essential behavioralRead MoreErik Erikson s Theory Of Psychosocial Development1359 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"There is in every child at every stage a new miracle of vigorous unfolding.† And no matter who you are and what you do, I believe that everyone will go through stages in their life. Erik Erikson was a famous psychologist in the twentieth – century, where he developed â€Å"Psychosocial stages†. Erikson’s theories centered on issues that were met on specific ages in someone’ s life. Love, care, and tender is critical and many parents do not realize how much nurturing and caring for a child is very important