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You will be given a theory to add in the key points for revision. You need to include:

Brief summary of the theory

2 criticisms of the approach

Any key words of the theory

How it links to development

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if you need help ask on gc

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Meaning

= behavior is learned through experiences and the environment

= focuses on observable actions instead of thoughts

Key Facts

classical conditioning (Pavlov)

behavior is learnt through association

example: doctor rewarding child with a lollipop

operant conditioning (Skinner)

behavior is shaped through reinforcement (getting rewarded) and punishment

positive reinforcement: encourage positive behavior through rewards

negative reinforcement: removing unpleasant stimulus to encourage positive behavior

punishment: applying consequences to reduce undesirable behavior

observant learning (Bandura)

learning through watching others

example: younger brother watches older sister clean her room so he starts cleaning his room

behavior modification (Skinner)

to change negative behavior into positive ones

consists of identifying triggers, applying reinforcement, providing feedback

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Maryam & Sophia - Behavioural

Saira - Biological

Berry - Cognitive (Beck, Piaget)

Leah - Cognitive (Vygotsky and Erikson)

Anais - Ecological theory

Gwen - Bowlby attachment

Tereza - Disengagement theory of aging + Nature v Nurture

Lillie & Izzy - Humanistic (Maslow and Rogers)

Mia & Iffy - Psychosocial (Erikson)

Seren - Social learning theory (Bandrua, Vygotsky)

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Biological psychologist - Gesell

Summary:

Gesell believed "Our personalities and behaviour is inherited by physiological processes rather than our background, culture and environment.​" This is a nature perspective. The biological approach helps professionals have realistic expectations of a child’s capabilities with regard to their stage of development. It also informs them of any early signs and symptoms of a condition.

Criticisms:

1. Focuses too much on the 'nature' side of the nature/nurture debate. It argues that behaviour is caused by hormones, neurotransmitters and genetics. One theory is that schizophrenia is genetic, however, twin studies show that it is not completely genetics and the environment has a part to play.

2. It develops theories about disorders and generalises them to apply to everyone. It does not take into account the view that humans are unique. This is a reductionist approach meaning it generalises rather than looking at individuals uniqueness.

Key words:

Maturation – The process by which children develop in a predetermined sequence, driven by genetic factors rather than environmental influences. Maturation involves physical and behavioral changes that occur as the child’s brain and body grow.

Gesell's Norms – A set of developmental norms or typical age ranges for certain behaviors and abilities, which Gesell used to measure and assess child development. These norms were based on large-scale observations of children.

Nature vs. Nurture – Gesell's theory emphasized the importance of nature (biological maturation) over nurture (environmental influences). He believed that children’s development was primarily determined by their genetic programming, although the environment played a supportive role.

Individual Differences – While Gesell emphasized maturation, he also acknowledged that individual children might develop at different rates. However, he believed that each child followed the same general sequence of development.

How it links to development:

Arnold Gesell's theory of development emphasises the role of biological maturation in child growth, suggesting that children develop in a predictable, sequential pattern driven primarily by genetics. He believed that milestones like motor skills, language, and social behaviors emerge naturally as part of a child’s maturation process, rather than through environmental learning. While he acknowledged individual differences in the pace of development, he argued that all children follow the same biological timetable, regardless of external influences.

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Behavioural theory

Criticisms

reduces human behaviour to “stimuli- response” and doesn’t acknowledge that’s humans can adapt

Doesn’t account for free will, emotions, feelings or moods

Focuses to much on reinforcement and doesn’t account for many one off experiences e.g when a child hears a fact and immediately remembers it

Key words

operant conditioning

Classical conditioning

Skinner - rat experiment

Pavlov - dogs experiment

Watson - baby experiment

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Brief summary:

This theory describes how personality develops throughout eight stages from infancy to later adulthood.

This is a theory that explains that if a child feels nurtured they are believed to have a better later life however if they don’t feel warmth or relationships then they will find it hard to find relationships in later life

Key words:

Trust vs mistrust

Autonomy vs shame/doubt

Initiative vs guilt

Industry vs inferiority

Identity vs confusion

Intimacy vs isolation

Generativity vs stagnation

Integrity vs despair

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Social learning theory is a theory of social behavior that proposes that new behaviour can be acquired by observing and imitating others.

Criticisms

The social learning theory does not account for behaviour when there is no role model and the theory can be difficult to test because of ethical issues.

Key words

Imitation - The copying of a behaviour. It is commonly applied to the way in which an observer copies the behaviours of a model

Self efficacy - The belief that one is able to achieve certain goals or succeed at something.

How it affects development

- According to social learning theories, relationships provide a behavioral guide for navigating the world. Individuals learn how to successfully interact using direct (e.g., reward/punishment responses to new behavior) and indirect (e.g., observation) experiences.

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Looks at human experience from the viewpoint of the individual.

Focuses on the idea of free will and the belief that we are capable of making choices.

Maslow believed that we are all seeking to become the best that we can possibly be

spiritually

Physically

Emotionally

Intellectually

Maslows heirarchy

Self actualisation

Self esteem

Love and belonging

Safety and security

Physiological needs

Criticisms

Maslow’s theory has no scientific evidence

Doesn’t separate social needs with intellectual needs and so mixes them together

Lillie

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According to Rogers, individuals have an innate self-actualising tendency which can be promoted or inhibited by the environment imposed on them.

Interested in the concept and view of self.

He believed that you should be the best version of yourself, accepting who you really are and aspiring to be better.

This theory reflects on self worth, self image and ideal self.

Criticisms are:

Rogers idea of self acceptance is difficult when behaviours are extreme.

It doesn't specify exactly what self actualisation looks like.

Key words include: Self, Self worth, self image and ideal self.

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beck

brief summary

focuses on the distortions and thought processes that can lead to negative behaviours

criticisms of the approach

could send someone into a mental loop of depression

can lead to a negative view of the world, their future and themselves

key words

negative behaviours

cognitive distortions

thoughts

depression

learned

self-image

world-image

future image

how it links to development

by emphasizing the role of cognitive processes in shaping how individuals perceive and interact with the world as they grow

suggests that our thoughts and beliefs influence our emotions and behaviours

Piaget

brief summary:

suggests how a child constructs a mental model of the world as they develop through different life stages

key words

sensorimotor

pre-operational

concrete operational

formal operational

knowledge

stages

equilibrium

assimilation

accommodation

develop

how it links to development

it talks about how a child creates a mental image of what the world looks like as they develop and get older.

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The ecological theory believes a child develops through their environment.

Criticisms

1. So many examples in each stage, can’t single out and identify how which example helps development

2. Does not provide detailed suggestions for how development occurs

Key words

Microsystem

Mesosystem- peers, school, healthcare services, family, religious institutions.

Exosystem- extended family, media, legal services, neighbours, social wellfare services, friends and family.

Macrosystem- culture, law, social class

How it links to development

ecological systems theory views child development as a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the

surrounding environment, from immediate settings of family and school to broad cultural values, laws, and custom.

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by gwenllian herbert

John Bowlby's human development theory, known as attachment theory, focuses on the bonds formed between children and their primary caregivers. Bowlby proposed that early relationships with caregivers play a crucial role in a child's emotional and social development.

it states that whilst ageing we seem to distance ourselves more from the things we love

it also states that as we develop within different age brackets we tend to distance ourselves from individuals and things that we love

Disengagement is a natural part of ageing and is normal for everyone

nature vs nurture occasionally can also play a big part in this for example it can affect relationships within our family making it more or less likely to become attached or grow attachment to others.

It can also affect some childhood experiences which will then affect you in later adulthood life

Some key words to include is disengage, attachment, separation, distancing

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Psychological theory

Brief summary

Psychological theory thought human develop through stages and this stages continue through out life time and we social in nature and human thoughts and brain are like machines and it's limitation. This theory helps know human brains work that is if we want know what people thinks we need to understand the internal process of the mind which are the stages.

Critism

He sees human action as machine, this theory do not take human emotions into account fully believing human can simply think their way out of problems without seeking out or trying to adreess the origin of the problems. Erikson also thought all human develop through stages and it will continue through life time, but not all human continue to develop some stops during some stages.