Social Development, Chapter 2: Classical Theories

1. Social Development, Chapter 2:Classical Theories Socialization Theories Freud Erikson Watson Skinner Bandura Piaget

2. 1. What is socialization? Acquisition of Beliefs Values Behaviors Who/what socializes children? - Parents, peers, school teachers, clergy, etc. - Institutions

3. 1. What is socialization? Socialization has three important functions: Regulates behavior Promotes individual growth Perpetuates social order

4. 2. Theories: What do we want them to do? �There is nothing as practical as a good theory.� --Kurt Lewin What do we want our theories to do?

5. 3. Freud�s Theory A theory of psychosexual development Maturation of the sex instinct Thinks humans are driven by unconscious motives

6. 3. Freud�s Theory Instinct Inborn biological force that motivates responses Repression Motivated forgetting Thoughts that produce anxiety are forced out of conscious awareness

7. 3. Freud�s Theory Three components of personality Id Inborn component; driven by instinct Ego Rational component; ego matures Superego Internalized moral standards; between ages 3 and 6 Eros Life instinct Thanatos Death instinct

8. 3. Freud�s Methods Practicing neurologist Hypnosis Free association Dream analysis Indicate repressed motives ThrThr

9. Freud�s stages of psychosexual development Oral: birth to one year Anal: 1-3 years Phallic: 3 -6 years Latency: 6-12 years Genital: adolescence and up

10. 3. Contributions of Freud�s theory Idea of unconscious motivation Impact of early experience Idea that children have sexual energy Emotional side of human development Loves, fears, anxieties, etc.

11. 3. Criticisms of Freud�s theory Testability Not much evidence that psychosexual conflicts predict personality development Small numbers of subjects

12. 4. Erikson�s theory A theory of psychosocial development

13. 4. Erikson Also a stage theory Each stage carries a specific developmental task Goes beyond Freud�s theory Includes 8 stages instead of 5; covers adulthood Also holds that children and adults are actively adapting to the environment

14. Overview of Eriksons� stages: Trust vs. mistrust: birth to one year Autonomy vs. shame and doubt: 1-3 years Initiative vs. guilt: 3-6 years Industry vs. inferiority:6-12 years Ego identity vs. role diffusion: adolescence (12-20) Intimacy vs. isolation: Young adulthood (20 - 40) Generativity vs. stagnation: Middle adulthood (40 - 65) Ego integrity vs. despair: Late adulthood (old age)

15. Erikson�s Stages Trust vs. mistrust (Birth to 1 year) Trust others to care for your needs Mother is key social agent

16. Erikson�s Stages 2. Autonomy vs. shame and doubt (1-3 years) Learn to be independent, e.g., feed and dress self If can�t, feel ashamed Parents are key social agents

17. Erikson�s Stages 3. Initiative vs. guilt (3-6 years) Accept responsibilities that may be too hard to handle Goals may be in conflict with family members Child must have initiative but not impinge on others� feelings Family is key social agent

18. Erikson�s Stages 4. Industry vs. inferiority (6- 12 years) Master social and academic skills. Compares self with peers �Goal� of stage is self-assurance Teachers and peers become more important social agents

19. Erikson�s Stages Identity vs. role confusion (12-20 years) Crossroad between childhood and maturity �Who am I?� Establish social and occupational identities Peers are key social agents

20. Erikson�s Stages Intimacy vs. isolation (20-40 years) Form friendships and achieve love and companionship Lovers, spouses, and close friends are key social agents

21. Erikson�s Stages Generativity vs. stagnation (40-60 years) Must become productive in work and raising family or helping younger generation Giving back Standards are culturally defined Spouse, children, and social norms are key social agents

22. Erikson�s Stages Ego integrity vs. despair (60-80 years) Look back and view life as meaningful and happy or disappointing Fulfilled or unfulfilled promises? Goals? Life experiences determine the outcome of this crisis

23. Contributions and Criticisms of Erikson�s Theory Positive: Rational, adaptive point of view Negative: doesn�t really explain mechanisms of development

24. 5. The learning perspective: Watson Behaviorism Starts with John Watson First social learning theorist Thought that he could mold a child into anything he wanted to Child is viewed as a tabula rasa Illustrated that fears are easily learned Little Albert and the white rat

25. 6. Skinner Operant conditioning Children learn to operate on environment or to engage in behaviors because of their effects Positive and negative reinforcers Reinforcer: consequence of an act that increases likelihood of behavior e.g., aggressive behavior may be reinforced because peers give in to it Punishment

26. 7. Bandura Social cognitive theory Bandura Observational learning

27. 7. Bandura�s Bobo Doll Experiment Children watched a film of an adult model behaving aggressively with a Bobo doll Three experimental conditions Model-rewarded condition Model-punished condition No-consequence condition

28. 7. Bandura�s Bobo Doll Experiment Two kinds of tests Performance test Learning test Findings? Performance test: children who saw model punished were less likely to imitate. Learning test: no difference in conditions. All children had learned and could reproduce the aggression when offered a reward.

29. Important relation of Bandura�s theory to cognitive development: Imitation Bandura�s studies show that children will imitate what they see on TV Implications?

30. Important relation of Bandura�s theory to cognitive development: Imitation Meltzoff in maternity wards (Meltzoff & Moore, 1977)

32. Important relation of Bandura�s theory to cognitive development: Imitation Meltzoff (1988) 14-month-olds imitated simple action of something they had seen on TV 24-hours before 2-year-olds imitative complex actions if they understand the model�s reasons for doing them

33. 7. Important relation of Bandura�s theory to language development Verbal mediators Verbal encoding of modeled behavior that observer stores in memory Indicates deeper level of processing Develops with verbal ability Coates and Hartup (1969) Showed a film to 4-5 year-olds and 7-8 year-olds Some told to describe actions they saw (active) Others told just to watch (passive)

34. Verbal mediators

35. Verbal Mediators Shaffer suggests that 7-8 year-olds use verbal labels to describe what they see, but is there another explanation? Verbal processing probably helps in retention

36. 8. Piaget Most Important Principles in Piaget�s Theory The mind is dynamic The mind is organized

37. 8. Piaget Basic concepts: Scheme Adaptation: assimilation and accommodation Equilibration

38. Piaget�s stages of development Sensorimotor: birth to two years Preoperational: 2-6 or 7 years Concrete operational: 6 or 7 - 12 years Formal operational: 12 years and up

39. More-advanced Piagetian concepts Operation Centration Beaker task Class inclusion Conservation Reversibility Compensation

42. Egocentrism in development Preschoolers Examined with spatial perspective taking Adolescents Imaginary audience Personal fable Adults?