Child Developmental Theories

1. Child Developmental Theories Constructivist

2. Developmental:Constructivist • Approach very concerned with socialization and the lifecycle. (curvilinear) (end point) • Draws from child psychologists, human development researchers. • Directs attention to the longitudinal career of the familyrather than focusing on one point in time.

3. Key Assumptions • 1. Human conduct is best understood through preceding as well as current social milieus. • 2. Human conduct cannot be understood apart from human development

4. Key Assumptions • 3. The human is both an actor and a reactor • 4. Individual and group development is dependant upon inherent and developed capacities. • 5. The individual in a social setting is a basic autonomous unit

5. The Developmental Approach • Constructivists approach helps to understand an individual’s internalization of family from their formation to the various stages of the lifecycle. • i.e.. courtship, engagement, wedding, divorce or death

6. Besides these there are theories dealing individual rather than the family psychoanalytic, cognitive and learning.

7. Summary • Taken independently, these theories describe only a portion of the realities of the family. • They should not be seen as mutually exclusive from one another.

8. Developmental analysis • Constructivist/development theories are weak in situational analysis. • Heavy emphasis on arbitrary stages in theory, concept and method. 

9. Concept- • An abstraction used as a building block for the development of propositions and theories.

10. Freudian Theoryor psychoanalytic tradition. • Freudian theory essential deals with the ego’s attempts to satisfy the desires of the id while dealing with opposition from both the superego and the real world.

11. To Freud… • Children are born with only the primitive element of the psychic structure-the id- sexual and aggressive drives.

12. Psychic energy • Freud’s theory essentially shows that the personality functioning was fueled by psychic energy that becomes distributed among the id, ego and superego.

13. ID =instincts, drives • All psychological functioning requires energy, and the id was the source of the energy. • The id is the only psychic structure possessed by children for roughly the first year of their lives.

14. The pleasure principle • They are driven by the pleasure principle, they are hedonistic beings who seek pleasure and avoid pain.

15. Young infants are wildly unsocialized creatures who seek immediate gratification whenever their sexual and aggressive urges are aroused.

16. The Ego • The ego is the rational, reasonable component of personality. The ego operates on the reality principle -it can plan, delay gratification, and block the irrational choices of the id.

17. The superego. • The third aspect of the personality to Frued is the superego. • Freud maintains that it usually develops within the child between the ages of 3 and 5

18. Psycho-Sexual Stages. • Freud was the first to conceptual child development in a stage pattern based upon a biological foundation:

19. His stages include: • Oral -year one • Anal -year two • Phallic-years three to five • Latency- adolescence • Genital-adolescence

20. Healthy vs. Pathology • Freud believed that in a healthy person, sexual energy now becomes focused on a loved person of the opposite sex.

21. Critique of Fruedian Theory • The following are the major criticisms: • A.      shortcoming in his methods used to validate his hypotheses-Freud’s data were the verbal reports of neurotic parents who were asked to free associate -not reliable indicator of the patients real thoughts….an ivory tower approach.

22. Freud’s concepts-difficult to measure • B.     Freud’s concepts are not defined in ways that make them amenable to concrete behavior assessment • How do you measure a child’s level of psychic energy? • How do you measure a child’s strength of ego?

23. Generalizing • C.      A third criticism is that although Freud’s theory can explain just about anything, it is difficult to use in making predictions…. • It is weak on relational rules if this happens, then that will happen

24. Nature more than Nurture • D. Lastly, it places too much emphasis on intra-psychic determinants of behaviour, paying little attention to environment.

25. For example, although he acknowledges parent-child relationships, he believed that internal conflicts and defenses are ultimately responsible for the child’s personality.

26. Freud’s Legacy   There is little direct influence on development today, but his concepts have had impact on research directions and issues… On research and theory-Erikson was student of Freud….. 

27. -Issues • -Issues such as Breast feeding can be directly attributed to Frued….Rooted in his notions of the oral stage of development.

28. Freud’s theory is highly criticized by Feminists who argue he is sexist, conservative and monolithic. • Responsible for `mother blaming’

29. Unscientific • Because Freud’s theory is so unscientific and lead to few clear-cutempirical predictions. • Many other theories have been developed emphasizing child’s formative years

30. Environment • Freud does not see the the social environment in influencing development. • The emphasis is upon socialization of the child becoming adult… • The Child is placed on the margins

31. Superego • . During this stage, children develop an Oedipal crisis, which they resolve by identifying with the same sex parent, thereby developing a conscience or an external representation of the values and sanctions of society.

32. Erik Erikson (1902-1994) A student of Frued • Psychoanalytic Approach- Erikson’s psychosocial theory was one of many developed by followers of Freud. • His theory stretched, rearranged and in many ways improved on Freud’s model.

33. Erikson (1902-1994) • Beginning in 1950 he expanded understanding of each stage of Frued’s developmental model. • Erikson’s, Childhood and Society (1950) • Identity, Youth and Crisis (1968)

34. Culture + Personality Erikson • Firmly rooted in the psychoanalytic tradition • Beginning with Freud-hotly debated -still with us- ie feminists

35. Easy to understand : Phases Linear Pattern • Divide into assumptions re. biological endowment, perception, learning and socialization 

36. Proposes a series of stages, specifies adult practices associated with each, postulates the maturation and timing of the child's capacities and proposed some relationships between experiences at each stage and the child's motivation for learning.

37. Erikson’s theory • Eriksons theory goes beyond Freud-more respect for the individual and his innate ability to meet the challenges of a dynamic society.

38. Goes beyond Freud • -more respect for the individual and his innate ability to meet the challenges of a dynamic society.

39. Erikson • Erikson believed that each stage does not lead to an embattled ego that mediates between the id and the superego. (Freud)

40. The ego • The ego is a positive force (Erikson) in development. At each stage the ego acquires skills and attitudes that allow individuals to become positive, functional members of human society.

41. Three positions:Different from Freud 1. Emphasized the ego over the id-instincts like death wish may have their role but less significant than the individuals capacity to adjust. • 2. Goes beyond child-mother-father triad-stress family and larger society • 3. Optimistic view-believes hazards in life and crises are conducive to growth

42. Basic Assumptions: • 1. Unlike Freud dreams do not provide signals to unconscious-play does...if you want to understand a child's ego look at play • -emphasis on qualitative research, psychoanalysis alone won't help-look at history, anthropology 

43. 2. Child unfolds biologically and psychologically from birth-child learns to survive and promote culture through the culture in him

44. Individual not evil (Hobbes, Freud) • 3. Each individual is bad- potentially good or badmust be prevented from being bad by democracy

45. 4. Believes in libido-but man not animal-discards Freud notion of dynasty of drives in favor of flexible modifyable-gives rise to his notion of styles of life • -One can manage inner and outer forces by adaptive skills-play, speech, though and actions.

46. Freud/Erikson agree on Libido • 5. Erikson accepts Freud idea that Libido influences all aspects of life…but Erikson believes id, ego and superego can balance through play in a child's development

47. Play teaches: • Play teaches: a. how to organize inner life in relations to the outer world.  • b. How to educate oneself and heal defeats and pains  • c. How to master tasks to deal with inner and outer world 

48. Play is particularly important when the child does not have language: it helps the child progress in developmental stages

49. Stages =End Point • InfantTrust vs MistrustNeeds maximum comfort with minimal uncertaintyto trust himself/herself, others, and the environmentToddlerAutonomy vs Shame and DoubtWorks to master physical environment while maintainingself-esteem

50. Preschooler • PreschoolerInitiative vs GuiltBegins to initiate, not imitate, activities; developsconscience and sexual identity