Time Line. Prominent Approaches in Life Span Development. The Psychoanalytic Approach. The Ethological Approach. The Humanist Approach

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1 Prominent Approaches in Life Span Development Prominent Approaches in Life-Span Development The Cognitive Approach The Behavioural and Social Cognitive Approach The Ethological Approach The Humanist Approach The Ecological Approach Time Line

2 Psychoanalytic Theories Behaviour is primarily unconscious beyond awareness. Behaviour is heavily coloured by emotions. Behaviour is merely a surface characteristic with symbolic meaning. Early experiences with parents shape behaviour extensively. The Psychoanalytic Approach Sigmund Freud Erik Erikson Other Psychoanalytic Theories Sigmund Freud ( ) Medical doctor specializing in neurology Developed ideas about psychoanalytic theory from work with mental patients Considered problems to be result of experiences early in life

3 Freud s Three Structures of Personality Id Ego Superego The Id Totally unconscious: has no contact with reality Consists of instincts: our reservoir of psychic energy Has no morality The Ego Deals with the demands of reality Called the executive branch of personality Uses reasoning to make decisions Has no morality

4 The Superego The moral branch of personality Takes into account whether something is right or wrong Includes our conscience Erogenous Zones Parts of the body that have especially strong pleasure giving qualities at particular stages of development. The Oral Stage (birth to 18 months) Pleasure centres around the mouth. Chewing, sucking, biting are sources of pleasure.

5 The Anal Stage (18 months to 3 years) Pleasure centres around the anus. Elimination functions are sources of pleasure. The Phallic Stage (3 to 6 years) Pleasure focuses on the genitals. Self manipulation is a source of pleasure. Oedipus Complex may appear. Definition of Oedipus Complex The Oedipus Complex refers to an intense desire to replace the same sex parent & enjoy the affections of the opposite sex parent.

6 Resolution of the Oedipus Complex Children recognize that their same sex parent might punish them for their incestuous wishes. To reduce this conflict, the child identifies with the same sex parent, striving to be like him or her. The Latent Stage (6 years to puberty) All interest in sexuality is repressed. Child develops social and intellectual skills. Energy is channeled into emotionally safe areas. The child forgets the highly stressful conflicts of the phallic stage. The Genital Stage (Puberty onward) Sexual reawakening. The source of sexual pleasure comes from outside the family.

7 Fixation Individual remains locked in an earlier developmental stage because needs are underor over gratified. Examples of Fixations Oral due to parents weaning too early, as an adult the individual seeks out oral gratification through smoking, drinking, gum chewing. Anal due to parents being too strict with potty training, as an adult the individual is excessively neat & orderly (known as anal retentive ). Examples of Fixations (cont d) Phallic due to parents punishing the child for masturbating, as an adult the individual seeks out pornography. Genital due to parents smothering the child with too much affection, as an adult the individual has difficulty in romantic relationships, the result of being extremely needy.

8 What do we think of Freud s theories today? Unconscious thought remains a central theme Conscious thought plays larger role Less emphasis on sexual instincts Greater emphasis on cultural experiences Erik Erikson ( ) Recognized Freud s contributions. Believed Freud misjudged some important dimensions of human development. Erikson s Psychosocial Theory of Development Our primary motivation for behaviour is social. At each stage of development, social demands change & a unique developmental crisis must be resolved.

9 Psychosocial Crises Crisis does not mean catastrophes. Turning points of increased vulnerability & enhanced potential. Healthy development requires successful resolution of each crisis. Stages of Psychosocial Development Trust vs. Mistrust Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt Initiative vs. Guilt Industry vs. Inferiority Identity vs. Identity Confusion Intimacy vs. Isolation Generativity vs. Stagnation Integrity vs. Despair Trust vs. Mistrust (First Year) When the infant experiences consistent, warm care, he/she will learn to trust the caregiver. Important foundation for later development.

10 Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Second Year) Infants begin to discover that their behaviour is their own. Begin to assert their independence. More autonomy leads to increased confidence in the child. Initiative vs. Guilt (Preschool Years) Active, purposeful behaviour is required in this new environment (preschool). If the child does not act responsibly, they may develop feelings of guilt. Industry vs. Inferiority (Elementary School Years) Energy is directed toward knowledge & intellectual skills. Children who do not master these skills may develop feelings of inferiority. Teachers play a large role in this stage.

11 Identity vs. Identity Confusion (Adolescence) Adolescents figuring out who they are. Exploring new social roles & adult status. May experience confusion about their role. Intimacy vs. Isolation (Early Adulthood) We feel a need to form intimate relationships with others. Failure to find intimacy may result in feelings of isolation. Generativity vs. Stagnation (Middle Adulthood) Adults feel an urge to assist the younger generation. The feeling of having done nothing to help the next generation is stagnation.

12 Integrity vs. Despair (Late Adulthood) Reflecting back on life: Regrets or unresolved issues lead to feelings of doubt or gloom (despair). A life well lived leads to feelings of integrity. Evaluating the Psychoanalytic Approach Contributions of Psychoanalytic Theories Early experiences most important Family relationships are central Personality must be examined developmentally Considers the unconscious Development continues through entire lifespan

13 Criticisms of Psychoanalytic Theories Not scientifically testable Over emphasis on sexual development Criticisms of Psychoanalytic Theories ( cont d) Unconscious given too much credit. Present an image of humans that seems very negative. Culture and gender biased. The Cognitive Approach Piaget; s Cognitive Developmental Theory Lev Vygotsky s Socio-cultural Cognitive Theory Information- Processing Approach

14 The Cognitive Approach Jean Piaget ( ) Swiss psychologist Observed his own children to develop theory of cognitive development Changed how we think about the development of children s minds The Cognitive Approach Piaget s Cognitive Development Theory Children actively construct their understanding of the world. Two processes underlie development: Assimilation Accommodation The Cognitive Approach Assimilation Incorporating new information into one s existing knowledge.

15 The Cognitive Approach Accommodation Adapting one s existing knowledge to new information. The Cognitive Approach Piaget s Four Stages of Cognitive Development Sensorimotor Stage (0 2 years) Preoperational Stage (2 7 years) Concrete Operational Stage (7 11 years) Formal Operational Stage (11 and up) The Cognitive Approach Sensorimotor Stage (0 2 years) Infants make sense of the world around them using mainly sensory & motor schemas.

16 The Cognitive Approach Sensorimotor Stage (0 2 years) Newborns are limited to reflexive patterns. By age two they begin to use symbols. The Cognitive Approach Preoperational Stage (2 7 years) Children begin to represent the world with words, images, and drawings. The Cognitive Approach Operations Internalized mental actions that allow children to do mentally what they previously did physically What are some examples of mental operations?

17 The Cognitive Approach Concrete Operational Stage (7 11 years) Children can perform mental operations Logical reasoning replaces intuitive thought, as long as reasoning can be applied to concrete examples. e.g., Algebra is too abstract for this stage. The Cognitive Approach Formal Operational Stage (11 and up) Able to move beyond concrete experiences & think in more abstract, logical terms. The Cognitive Approach Formal Operational Stage (11 and up) Problem solving is more systematic & involves hypotheses. Adolescents develop images of ideal circumstances.

18 The Cognitive Approach Piaget s Stages The Cognitive Approach Vygotsky s Socio cultural Cognitive Theory Vygotsky shares Piaget s view that children actively construct their knowledge. Learning occurs through social interaction. The Cognitive Approach Vygotsky (cont d) Cognition is mediated by words, language, & forms of discourse. The child s socio cultural environment must also be considered.

19 The Cognitive Approach The Information Processing Approach Human mind is an information processor. Development is a continuous increase in our capacity for processing and storing information. The Cognitive Approach Evaluating the Cognitive Approach The Cognitive Approach Contributions of the Cognitive Theories Positive view of development Emphasize conscious thought Active construction of understanding

20 The Cognitive Approach Criticisms of the Cognitive Theories Skepticism about the pureness of Piaget s stages Inadequate attention given to individual variations in cognitive development. Information processing doesn t provide adequate description of developmental changes in cognition. Not enough credit given to unconscious thought. The Behavioural and Social Cognitive Approach Behavioural and Social Cognitive Theories Behaviourists see development as changes in observable behaviour. Emphasis on learning from experience. The Behavioural and Social Cognitive Approach Pavlov s Classical Conditioning Skinner s Operant Conditioning Social Cognitive Theory

21 The Behavioural and Social Cognitive Approach Classical Conditioning Pavlov A neutral stimulus acquires the ability to produce a behavioural response originally produced by another stimulus. The Behavioural and Social Cognitive Approach The Behavioural and Social Cognitive Approach Operant Conditioning Behaviour is shaped or created. Rewards increase the likelihood of recurrence. Punishments decrease this chance.

22 The Behavioural and Social Cognitive Approach Social Cognitive Theory Extension of conditioning theories Cognitive processes mediate stimulus response connections. Learning can occur through observation. We mentally represent what we see & adopt (or avoid) the behaviour. The Behavioural and Social Cognitive Approach Evaluating the Behavioural and Social Cognitive Approach The Behavioural and Social Cognitive Approach Contributions of Behavioural and Social Cognitive Theories Scientifically testable Focus on the environmental determinants of behaviour

23 The Behavioural and Social Cognitive Approach Criticisms of Behavioural and Social Cognitive Theories Behaviourists ignore cognition Over emphasis on environment Inadequate attention to developmental changes Inadequate consideration to spontaneity & creativity The Ethological Approach Ethological Theory Behaviour is: strongly influenced by biology tied to evolution characterized by critical periods The Ethological Approach Charles Darwin Konrad Lorenz John Bowlby

24 The Ethological Approach Imprinting Rapid, innate learning within a limited critical period of time that involves attachment to the first moving object seen The Ethological Approach Attachment Attachment to a caregiver over the 1st year of life has important consequences: Secure attachment results in positive development Insecure attachment results in problematic development The Ethological Approach Evaluating the Ethological Approach

25 The Ethological Approach Contributions of Ethological Theory Increased focus on the biological & evolutionary basis of development Careful observations in naturalistic settings Emphasizes critical periods of development The Ethological Approach Criticisms of Ethological Theory Critical period concept may be too rigid Over emphasis on biological foundations Inadequate attention to cognition The Humanist Approach The Humanist Approach People strive to become the best they can be. Humanists acknowledges the role of values, intentions, & meaning in understanding human behaviour.

26 The Humanist Approach Carl Rogers Abraham Maslow The Humanist Approach Carl Rogers ( ) Congruence Relationship between one s ideal self & one s perceived self. The Humanist Approach Abraham Maslow ( ) Developed a Hierarchy of Needs that helps to explain human motivation.

27 The Humanist Approach The Humanist Approach Physiological Needs Physiological needs must be met first. Oxygen, water, food, sleep, etc. The Humanist Approach Safety and Security Needs When physiological needs are met, we are motivated to the second level. Safety & security may be realized by job security, economic stability, savings for retirement, insurance, etc.

28 The Humanist Approach Love and Belonging Needs We are motivated towards behaviours that encourage our acceptance by family and friends. The Humanist Approach Esteem Needs We strive for recognition If our esteem needs are not met, we will suffer varying degrees of low self esteem and inferiority The Humanist Approach Self Actualization Realizing our potential Being the best we can possibly be

29 The Humanist Approach Evaluating the Humanist Approach The Humanist Approach Contributions of Humanist Approach Positive regard for human nature Reshaped the nature of therapist client interaction Considers the role of the environment on development The Humanist Approach Criticisms of Humanist Approach Interpretation is too subjective. Approach lacks scientific rigor of other approaches.

30 The Ecological Approach The Ecological Approach Emphasizes the effects of environmental factors on development. The Ecological Approach Bronfenbrenner s Ecological Theory The individual is influenced at five levels of their environment. The Ecological Approach Evaluating the Ecological Approach

31 The Ecological Approach Contributions of Ecological Approach Attention to connections between environmental settings Consideration of socio historical influences on development The Ecological Approach Criticisms of Ecological Approach Inadequate attention to biological foundations of development and cognitive processes.