Overview
This lecture introduces the field of lifespan development, focusing on its key theories and historical context, and outlines foundational debates and approaches in developmental psychology.
Historical Perspectives on Development
- Early views saw children as innately evil, needing strict discipline.
- Enlightenment philosophers John Locke (tabula rasa) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (inherent goodness) shifted perspectives on childhood.
- The Industrial Revolution led to child labor laws and recognition of childhood as a special developmental period.
Major Theories of Development
Freud’s Psychosexual Theory
- Development centers on managing basic drives (sex, aggression) versus societal constraints.
- Personality has three parts: Id (instinct), Superego (morality), Ego (mediator).
- Stages: Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital; unresolved issues can cause adult problems.
Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory
- Expands on Freud, covering the lifespan with stages defined by psychosocial conflicts.
- Stages: Trust vs. Mistrust; Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt; Initiative vs. Guilt; Industry vs. Inferiority; Identity vs. Role Diffusion; Intimacy vs. Isolation; Generativity vs. Stagnation; Ego Integrity vs. Despair.
Behaviorism (Watson & Skinner)
- Focuses on observable behavior shaped by conditioning.
- Classical conditioning: passive association (e.g., Pavlov’s dogs).
- Operant conditioning: behaviors are shaped by reinforcement and punishment (positive/negative).
Social Learning Theory (Bandura)
- Learning occurs by observing others’ behaviors and outcomes (modeling).
- Emphasizes the influence of role models.
Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory
- Children learn through active exploration and develop mental structures (schemas).
- Stages: Sensorimotor (birth-2), Preoperational (2-7), Concrete Operational (7-12), Formal Operational (12+).
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory
- Development is influenced by nested environmental systems: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, chronosystem.
Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory
- Emphasizes social interaction and cultural context in cognitive development.
- Zone of Proximal Development: skills learned with guidance.
- Scaffolding: structured support from more skilled individuals.
Key Debates in Development
- Nature vs. Nurture: biological inheritance vs. environmental influences.
- Continuity vs. Discontinuity: gradual development vs. stages.
- Active vs. Passive Child: children as agents vs. recipients of experience.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Tabula Rasa — concept that the mind is a "blank slate" at birth.
- Id, Ego, Superego — Freud’s components of personality (instinct, reality, morality).
- Classical Conditioning — learning by association (Pavlov).
- Operant Conditioning — learning by rewards and punishments (Skinner).
- Reinforcement/Punishment — increases/decreases likelihood of behavior.
- Zone of Proximal Development — Vygotsky’s range of tasks achievable with help.
- Scaffolding — support given during learning.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review chapter one in the textbook on lifespan development theories.
- Prepare to study research methods in developmental psychology in the next lecture.