Child Development Theories - 1560 Words

Child Development: An Examination of Three Theories There are a lot of theories regarding child development. Three of these theories are Bioecological Theory, Social-Cognitive Theory and Information-Processing Theory. This paper will discuss these theories by comparing and contrasting them. The first theory is the Bioecological Theory developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner. This theory is based on the nature vs. nurture idea. Bronfenbrenner believed development of a child was determined by the relationships among the environment or environmental systems around them. Within this environment there are five distinct systems which are related to a child’s relationship with the school environment, family environment and their†¦show more content†¦With the inclusion of these three theories among others, into the mental health care field one can see the similarities of these theories. All three of these theories deal with the environment of a child, the learning process by w hich the child was exposed, the development of the cognitive ability of the child and by the social development of the child. All three theories believe the environment plays an important part in the cognitive development of children. They each believe it has an impact on how the child learns and develops. They all agree when there is a disruption of the process such as the child being subjected to mental or physical neglect or abuse the child can grow to be developmentally challenged or develop a mental illness as a result. What may be harder to determine is the differences in these three theories. The outcome of each would seem to be the same. Each theory is based on cognitive development and the relationship the environment has on that development. What we may need to look at is how these three theories seem to think this development is attained. With Brofenbrenner’s theory of Bioecological development, he believed a child goes through five distinct systems and lear ns their cognitive ability within each system while being exposed to the environment whichShow MoreRelatedThe Theories Of Child Development2240 Words   |  9 Pagesmain theories of child development and discuss the main principles across all area of development. The assignment will also evaluate an observation conducted on a child and link their behaviour to relevant child development theories. The assignment will firstly highlight some child development theories from behaviourists such as Bandura, humanists such as Maslow and constructivists such as Piaget. Secondly the child’s observation will be discussed and evaluated here relevant link to development theoriesRead MoreThe Theories Of Child Development1084 Words   |  5 Pagesimportant values and beliefs within their culture. All of this provides the foundations for cognitive development. As trainee teachers, it is fundamental that we have a deeper understanding of how children learn and how we can support learning. In order to do this we must first look at some of the theories of learning. Theories Prior to the early 20th century little interest was paid to how a child developed; indeed most early research appears to be based on abnormal childhood behaviour (Oates etRead MoreThe Theory Of Child Development1053 Words   |  5 PagesArt educators that consider theories of child development when creating lesson plans, are more effective. As art educators, we understand that it is our responsibility to educate ourselves on the latest research of art development in order to better serve our educational institutions through providing a quality art education for the future generations of innovators in America. Piaget’s stages of cognitive development stages thoroughly explain the biological transition that occurs in elementary schoolRead MoreThe Theory Of Child Development858 Words   |  4 PagesSocial scientists have given us several theories on child development. There have been three influential theories that have really shaped how we look at the subject. Each one of these theories offers an insightful perspective that has been very influential in how we view child development. The first theory, we will delve into is George Herbert Meads Theory of the Social Self which focused on social interaction with developing human beings. Meads believed that, â€Å"a symbolic interactionist, saw theRead MoreThe Theory Of Child Development2414 Words   |  10 Pagesa sound understanding of theories of child development so they can offer activities that are appropriate for the child’s particular stage of development (Early Education, 2012). This essay will compare and contrast key features of developmental theories by applying them to a particular aspect of child development, the aspect that will be investigated is language acquisition. This essay will consider differing theories of language development such as the behaviourist theory proposed by Skinner (1957)Read MorePiaget Of A Child s Brain Development Theory1057 Words   |  5 Pagesare constantly learning about new theories and expanding the knowledge on those that we already know, about the physical and mental development of Children. Through past and present theorists, we are shown whole new aspects of how a child develops to make up the being that they become. Through Piaget’s ‘Congnitive development theory’ we are shown the stages of a child’s brain development with a strong focus on the ages newborn – 11 years onwards. Piaget’s main theory is that children are able to constructRead MorePsychology : Child Development Theories1094 Words   |  5 PagesPsycho logy: Child Development Theories According to Merriam-Webster, psychology is â€Å"the study of the human mind and its functions†. With psychology, we are able to understand and predict human behavior and overall understand how we think and process the world around us. In this research paper we will be discussing the most known theories of a specific branch of psychology, child development, then I will explain which theory of all I believe is right and why. Developmental psychology is the scientificRead MoreDevelopmental Theories Of Child Development3452 Words   |  14 PagesDevelopmental theory, with Piaget as the most prominent theorist, presents the idea that children actively construct knowledge as they manipulate and explore the world around them. Development is seen to take place in broad stages from birth through to adulthood, with each stage characterized by qualitatively distinct ways of thinking. However, some developmental theorists, in contrast to Piaget, place more emphasis on personal, socia l and emotional development rather than cognitive development and preferRead MoreThe Importance of Theory and Research in Child Development Essay898 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ The Importance of Theory and Research in Child Development JoLinda Freeman PSY104 Child and Adolescent Development Instructor Mark Kavanaugh April 4, 2015 The Importance of Theory and Research in Child Development In order for us to understand how a child develops we must conduct research on theories that we believe and others believe to be true. When we do understand the development of children we will be able to understand the skills and behaviors of children. This will help usRead MorePiaget s Theory On Child Development920 Words   |  4 PagesChildren are not simply small adults who are still growing; they learn differently and experience the world in a variation of ways that opposes adult reasoning. Piaget’s theory on child development asserts that there are four stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Piaget also suggested that human thinking is arranged into schemes, â€Å"organized mental patterns that represent behaviors and actions† (Feldman, 2015, p. 17). These schemes