Heredity and Environment

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Part I
Chapter Two

• Heredity and Environment

What Theories Do Grand Theories Emergent
Theories What Theories Contribute
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What Theories Do

• Developmental theorysystematic statement of
  principles and generalizations that provides a
  coherent framework for studying development

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What Theories Do, cont.

• Theories
• form basis for hypotheses that can be tested by
  research studies
• formulating right question is more difficult that
  finding right answers
• generate discoveries
• offer insight and guidance by providing coherent
  view

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A little history.

• 16th Century Preformationism
  

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17th Century

• John Locke
• Forerunner to Behaviorism
• We can train children
• Tabula rasa
• Parents could mold their child through careful
  instruction, good examples and rewards for good
  behavior.

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18th Century

• Jean Jacques Rousseau
• Child-centered approach
• Noble Savages we are born with a sense of right
  or wrong and with a plan for growth

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18th and 19th Century

• John Tetens and Frederich Carus urged that
  attention to development be extended through
  adulthood.

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What Theories Do, cont.

• Different Types
• Grand theories
• originated in psychology
• Minitheories
• originated more in sociology through study of
  social groups and family structures
• Emergent theories
• multidisciplinary approach includes historic
  events and genetic discoveries

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What Theories Do

• Developmental theories
• Grand theories
• describe universal processes and development
  throughout the entire life span
• offers a framework for interpreting and
  understandingchange and development of all
  individuals
• some are emergent theories new systematic and
  comprehensive theories of the future

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Grand Theories

• Psychoanalytic
• Behaviorism (learning theory)
• Cognitive
• grand in that they are

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Psychoanalytic Theory

• a grand theory of human development that holds
  that irrational, unconscious drives and motives,
  often originating in childhood, underlies human
  behavior

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Grand Theory 1 Psychoanalytic Theory (HEART)

• Psychoanalytic theory interprets human
  development in terms of motives and drives

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Psycholanalytic Theories cont. Freuds Ideas

• Sigmund Freud (Psychosexual)
• Three stages of development in first six years
• oral, anal, phallic
• in early childhood, latency (interlude in sexual
  drives) and then adolescence, genital
• each stage includes potential conflicts
• how a person experiences and resolves conflicts
  determines personality and patterns of behavior

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Psychoanalytic Theory

• Erikson 1902-1994
• a follower of Freud, interested in
• culture diversity
• social change
• psychological crises
• described eight developmental stages
• Trust vs. Mistrust
• Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
• Initiative vs. Guilt
• Industry vs. Inferiority
• Identity vs. Role Confusion
• Intimacy vs. Isolation
• Generativity vs. Stagnation
• Integrity vs. Despair

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Erik Erikson

• Psychosocial Theory
• Expanded Freuds views and created a psychosocial
  theory to cover the life span
• Recognized that normal development must be
  understood in each culture.

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Grand Theory 2 Behaviorism (Hand and Foot)

• Behaviorism is built on laws of behavior and
  processes by which behavior is learned
• focus ways we learn specific behaviors that can
  be described, analyzed, and predicted with
  scientific accuracy

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Behaviorism Theory

• Watson 1878 1958
• emphasis on unconscious

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Behaviorism cont. John Watson (1878-1958)

• Began the American study of behaviorism
• Studied directly observable stimuli and
  response behavior
• Built upon Classical Conditioning (Pavlovs Dog)
• Meant to link a stimulus with a response

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Behavorism cont. John Watson

• Classical Conditioning Adults could mold
  childrens behavior by controlling
  stimulus-response associations

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Behaviorism cont. B.F. Skinner

• Operant Conditioning Theory
• Behaviors can be increased by using rein forcers
• Behaviors can be decreased by using punishments

• Reinforcers are
• Punishments are

Does behaviorism work?
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Behaviorism Theory

• Social Learning Theory
• an extension of behaviorism that emphasizes the
  influence that other people have over a persons
  behavior
• Modeling
• The central process of social learning by which a
  person observes the actions of others and then
  copies them

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Grand Theory 3 Cognitive Theory

• Focuses on the structure and development of
  thought processes, which shape perceptions,
  attitudes, and actions.

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Cognitive Theory cont. Jean Piaget
Children develop as they actively manipulate and
explore the environment Children develop in
stages Childrens understanding is very
different from adults
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Cognitive Theory

• Jean Piagets 4 Stages

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Cognitive Theory

• Cognitive equilibrium
• Assimilation
• Accommodation

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Emergent Theories

• Emergent theories arise from several accumulated
  minitheories and may be the new systematic and
  comprehensive theories of the future

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Sociocultural Theory

• an emergent theory that holds that development
  results from the dynamic interaction between each
  person and the surrounding social and
• cultural forces
• Lev Vygotsky

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Sociocultural Theory

• cultural variation
• adult responses are shaped by culture
• society provides not only customs but also the
  tools and theories
• guided participation
• a technique in which skilled mentors help novices
  lean not only by providing instruction, but also
  by allowing direct, shared involvement in the
  activity

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Emergent Theories cont.

• Cultures help cultures children and adults
  develop unique strengths in every culture that
  are not present in other cultures.

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Emergent Theories cont. The Zone of Proximal
Development

• Zone of proximal development

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Epigenetic Theory

• An emergent theory of development that considers
  both the genetic origins of behavior (within each
  person and within each species) and the direct,
  systematic influences that environmental forces
  have over time on genes

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Genetic Adaptation

• Selective adaptation
• the process by which humans and other organisms
  gradually adjust to their environment
• genes for the traits that are most useful will
  become more frequent, thus making survival of
  species more likely.

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What Theories Contribute

• Psychoanalytic theory has made us aware of the
  importance of early childhood experiences.
• Behaviorism has shown effect of the immediate
  environment on learning.
• Cognitive theory shows how intellectual process
  and thinking affect actions.
• Sociocultural theory has reminded us of the
  importance of culture in learning.
• Epigenetic theory reminds us of the power of
  genes and their interaction with the environment.

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The Nature-Nurture Controversy

• Nature
• The genes that people inherit
• Nurture
• To all the environmental influences

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The Nature-Nurture Controversy

• Nature and Nurture Always interact
• Heredity vs. Environment
• How much of any characteristic,
• behavior, or pattern of development is
• the result of genes and how much is
• the result of experience?