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Child Development Theories

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Child Development Theories
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Developmental Theories

Robin Woods

Psychology 104

Margaret Roberts

November 1, 2010

Child development is the scientific study of processes of change and stability from conception through adolescence. There are many different developmental theories that focus on child development. The optimal development of children is considered vital to society and so it is important to understand the social, cognitive, emotional, and educational development of children. Increased research and interest in this field has resulted in new theories and strategies, with specific regard to practice that promotes development within the school system. In addition there are also some theories that seek to describe a sequence of states
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Also called Social cognitive theory (papalia, p 28). The social learning theory introduced by psychologist Albert Bandura is one of the most influential learning and deelopment theory. Bandura believed that direct reinforcement was not th only way to learn. His theory added a social element stating that people can learn new things and behaviors by watching or modeling other p[eople. In order to learn like this, you need to focus on the following things: You need to pay attention, retain information, reproduce the behavior that oyu have learned, and lastley have the motivation to imitate the behavior that you …show more content…
Piagets Cognitive-Stage Theory states that cognitive development involves changes in cognitive processes and abilities. Organizaiton is when one creates ways of thinking with more of a focus on reality. These are called schemes and they are organized patterns of different behaviors tthat are used in different situations. Adaptation is how children hande information which invilves two steps: assimilation, which is the taking of new information and and using it, and Accomodation, which is when you change your structure to make room for the new informaion. Equilibration is stable balance. Children want that stability and so have to organize and adapt to new experiences in order to to so. Piaget also described cognitive development in four stages: Sensorimotor occurs from birth to 2 years and is when children experience the world through senses and actions such as looking and touching. Preoperational is from 2 to 6 years old and it is when the child can represent things with words and images but they lack logic. Concrete operational stage is from 7 to 11 years old and is when the child can think logically about concrete events and can solve problems logically. Last is the formal operational from 12 years to adulthood. This is when a person can think abstractly and think about

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