DIFFERENT THEORIES OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT

 What are the main theories of child development? 

Child development theory is the study of children's cognitive, emotional, social, physical, and behavioral growth over time. Theories help us understand how children develop and learn. This is used to predict future behavior and guide training methods.

There are many different theories of child development, each with its own unique beliefs and assumptions. Some theories are based on scientific evidence, while others are not.

Some theories include Piaget's theory of cognitive development, Kohlberg's moral stages, Jean Piaget's theory, Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, and Lev Vygotsky's social learning theory.Each theory offers a unique perspective on child development. Each theory has strengths and weaknesses. Which theory you use will depend on your goals and needs.

In recent decades, many theories have attempted to explain diverse and complex aspects of child development. This applies to areas such as cognitive theory, behavioral theory, psychosocial and psychosexual theory. All of these are designed to help you understand how to promote your child's growth from one stage to another and give you the tools you need to optimize your child's development.

This is a topic full of complex, interconnected ideas that cannot be explained without each other. This area of ​​study helps us understand why children behave in certain ways, and digging deeper allows us to understand how behavior is related to family, age and individual nature. Developmental psychologists seek to explain, understand, and predict behavior at various stages of a child's life.

Prerequisites for child developmentDevelopmental theory provides a framework for thinking about individual growth and learning. So why study human development? Can we learn anything about the psychological aspects of development? If you're one of those people who wonders what the human mind is and why people think and act the way they do, exploring the theoretical concepts can give you insight into human development. changes in our understandingHistorically, the cognitive abilities of children from birth to adulthood have never been given much importance. Interest in child development began in the 20th century, but focused more on deviant behavior. Other topics of interest to the researchers were exposure and typical child development.

Understand the changesIs it important for children to learn about the growth, learning and changes they experience throughout life? Of course, this is very important. This helps us understand the emotional, physical, cognitive, social and educational growth that children typically experience from birth to adulthood.The grand theory that seeks to define each part of developmental theory through a holistic approach to the convergence period is the core theory of child development. Other theories are "microtheories" because they address only small parts of development, including social or cognitive development.‍the theory of psychosexual developmentSigmund Freud founded psychoanalytic theory. While treating mentally ill patients, he realized that unconscious desires and childhood experiences influence behavior. According to him, the conflicts that occur at each stage of development can have a permanent impact on human behavior. He thus proposed one of the most well-known basic theories of child development.

Freud's theory of sexual psychology explains that a child's development occurs in a series of stages centered around different pleasure zones throughout the body. At each stage, children face dilemmas that play an important role in their development.Freud suggested that libidinal energy is directed to different erogenous zones at specific stages, such as the oral and genital phases. If a child fails to progress at a certain stage, the blockage at this point in development can affect his behavior as an adult.What if my child is not fully developing at a certain stage? According to Freud, every successful step leads to the development of a healthy personality. To avoid obsession, it is important to resolve the conflicts that arise at each stage. Because it can affect the child's personality. Other theories of childhood suggest that personality continues to develop throughout life. Freud believed that early experiences play an important role in determining development. He believed that a person would be identified before the age of five.‍

 Theory of psychosocial developmentIn the early 20th century, psychoanalytic theory was highly influential. Freud expanded his views and as a result inspired many who began to develop their own theories. Erik Erikson's ideas, following the neo-Freudian model, became popular. It is an eight-stage theory that explains change and growth across the lifespan, focusing on the connections and social encounters that occur at different stages of development.Interestingly, although Erikson's theory shares some common ideologies with Freud's theory, it is in many ways incomparable. Instead of focusing on sexuality as the driving force of development, Eric believed that social interactions and experiences played an important role.

The eight-stage theory of human development describes the process from birth to death. In all ways, people face developmental conflicts that affect their functioning and further development.Unlike early developmental theories, Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory emphasizes human growth throughout the lifespan. At each stage, both adults and children face structural crises that mark important turning points. Effectively addressing challenges at each stage can provide lifelong psychological benefits. ‍‍Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial developmentErik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development‍‍Behavioral theories of child developmentAt the beginning of the 20th century an entirely new school of thought called behaviorism emerged, which rapidly developed and dominated developmental psychology.

 Psychology was once considered to be a scientific discipline that required only the study of observable and quantifiable activities. From a behavioral point of view, all human actions have an impact on the environment. Many behaviorists, including B.F. Skinner and John B. Watson said that relationships and reinforcement processes are the only way to learn.Behavioral theory emphasizes how environmental interactions influence behavior, and John Ivan Pavlov, B. F. Skinner and B. Watson. Theories only concern observable things. Growth is viewed as a response to stimulation, reinforcement, reward and punishment. This theory differs significantly from other theories of development in that it does not take into account an individual's emotional or thinking development, but rather focuses only on how experiences shape personality.

This method of child development has given rise to two major learning methods known as operant conditioning and classical conditioning. Operant conditioning uses punishment and reinforcement to change behavior, while classical conditioning involves learning by combining previously neutral stimuli with naturally occurring stimuli. ‍‍https://www.structural-learning.com/post/carl-jungs-archetypesImportant theories of child development‍Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive developmentOne of the most important ideas about child development is the work of Jean Piaget. Swiss psychologists dominated the field with their theories of cognitive development. This theory focuses on children's cognitive development or thinking processes. We explore how these thought processes influence our interactions and understanding of the world around us.

 One of the most famous theories of cognitive development was proposed by the theorist Jean Piaget. This suggestion may sound familiar now, but it helped change the way we think about child development. In other words, children think differently than adults. This cognitive theory aims to describe and explain how mental processes and states occur. It also explores how different ways of thinking affect how we perceive and interact with the outside world. intellectual development of the childIn his study of child development, Piaget described the stages and sequences of a child's intellectual development. 

Development stages:

Sensorimotor Stage:

 From birth to age two, a child's knowledge of the world is limited to motor activity and sensory perception. Simple motor responses triggered by sensory signals constitutes all behavior.

 Preoperational stage: Between 2 and 6 years old, children learn to use language. At this stage, children do not yet fully understand logic and cannot process information mentally.

Practical operational stage: Between the ages of 7 and 11, this is when children begin to understand certain mental processes. They begin to think logically about physical events but have difficulty understanding unrealistic or imaginary concepts.

 Formal surgical period: the period from age 12 to adulthood. This is a time when people develop their ability to understand abstract ideas. Deductive thinking, logical thinking and systematic planning also occur in this stage.

 ‍‍Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development‍Bowlby's attachment theoryJohn Bowlby proposed one of the first theories of social development. This theory explains how early relationships with caregivers play a critical role in child development and continue to influence social relationships throughout life

. Attachment theory stated that children are born with an instinctive need to form bonds. These attachments provide care and protection to help the child survive. These attachments are characterized by specific developmental markers and motivational circuits. Finally, caregivers and children exhibit behaviors that promote proximal development. Children tend to feel close and connected to their caregivers because they provide a safe haven and a starting point for exploration. Adolescent psychology researchers have expanded on Bowlby's original research to suggest that there are different attachment patterns. Children who receive reliable care and support form trusting relationships. 

Bandura's social learning theory

This theory was based on the work of psychologist Albert Bandura, who clearly believed that the processes of conditioning and reinforcement cannot adequately explain all human learning. For example, can conditioning processes explain learned behavior that is not reinforced by classical or operant conditioning? According to social learning theory, behavior can also be learned through modeling and observation.Children learn new skills and learn new things by imitating the actions of others, such as their parents and peers. 

Bandura's theory of development suggests that observation plays an important role in learning, but this observation does not necessarily have to take the form of observing a live model. Alternatively, people can learn by listening to verbal interactions how to perform certain actions. Observe fictional or real characters performing actions in movies or books.Vygotsky's sociocultural theoryAnother psychologist, Lev Vygotsky, developed a basic theory of learning that became very important, especially in the field of education. Like Piaget, Vygotsky believed that children are active and learn through life experiences. According to his sociocultural theory,

According to the theory, the development of higher order cognitive skills was the responsibility of parents, other adult educators, peers, and the culture at large. According to him, education is essentially a social process. Vygotsky's developmental theory also proposed the concept of the zone of proximal development, which is the gap between how a person can use help and what they can do without help. With the support of better informed people, they can gradually acquire and expand their skills and understanding. ‍‍Vygotsky's zone of proximal developmentVygotsky's zone of proximal development‍Draw conclusions about your child's developmentIt is clear that some of the most important theorists of psychology have proposed ideas that help explain and justify the various stages of child development. Although not all are recognized today, all of these assumptions have a significant impact on our understanding of child development. Modern psychologists typically use a variety of ideas and approaches to understand children's development, thinking, and behavior. These theories represent only a part of the various perspectives on child development.

 Psychological theories such as Carl Jung's Archetypes have attempted to explain personality development, while other theorists have often attempted to explain maturation through a cognitive lens. There are many different aspects that influence the positive development of children. Psychological, physical and emotional development are closely interconnected and important areas throughout childhood. A child's physical and intellectual development is influenced by genes, environment and the relationships between these factors.

Theory of psychosocial development

In the early 20th century, psychoanalytic theory was highly influential. Freud inspired many people who expanded his views and developed theories as a result. Erik Erikson's ideas, following the neo-Freudian model, became popular.It is an eight-stage theory that explains change and growth across the lifespan, focusing on the connections and social encounters that occur at different stages of development.

Behavioral theory

emphasizes how environmental interactions influence behavior and is a theory developed by John Ivan Pavlov, B.F. Based on the models of theorists such as Skinner and B. Watson. Theories only concern observable things. Growth is viewed as a response to stimulation, reinforcement, reward and punishment. This theory differs significantly from other theories of development in that it does not take into account an individual's emotional or thinking development, but rather focuses only on how experiences shape personality.

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development

One of the most important ideas about child development is the work of Jean Piaget. Swiss psychologists dominated the field with their theories of cognitive development. This theory focuses on children's cognitive development or thinking processes. We explore how these thought processes influence our interactions and understanding of the world around us.