What is Child Psychology?- The study of the behaviors and mental processes from conception to adolescenceWhy study Child Psychology?- Parenting/Teaching/Government- Understand the impact of childhood on adulthood- Better understand ourselves- Helps parents, teachers, and others involved with childrenHow has the perception of children changed over time?- Medieval times (6-15th centaury)- Historical artifacts and paintings suggest that children were seen as separate from adults- Original Sin View (16th centaury)- Puritans (child born evil)- Born evil and stubbornparents responsible for fixing - Harsh, restrictive parenting- Tabula Rasa View (End of 17th centaury)- John Locke- Blank slate (tablet)- ExperiencesGood person- Spend time with child and help become a contributing member of society- Innate Goodness View (18th centaury)- Born knowing right and wrong- Inherently good- Little parenting monitoringharmed by adult training- Today- Kid clothing, kid menus, Child entertainment (Chuckie E. Cheese), Juvenile Court System, Child Labor LawsImportant Pioneers- Charles Darwin- Attempted to make parallels between child growth and human evolution- 1st to scientifically study children- Alfred Binet - French asked him to set up 1st intelligence test to decide which children could attend school- G. Stanley Hall- Paved the way for child psychology in the United States Did not believe in educating woman, proposed that as women’s brains got larger, from education, their uteruses, in turn, shriveled up (resulting in lower fertility rates). - Eric Erikson- Psychosocial stage model- Social focus- Sigmund Freud- Psychoanalytic theory - Psychosexual stage model - John Watson- Lab results went straight to radio- Behaviorism influenced thought on children, Little Albert Focus on learning- Jean Piaget- Stage model - Cognition - Children active participants in their development Important Terminology- Development- Pattern of change from conception to death- Biological processes- Changes in the body- Cognitive processes- Changes in thought, intelligence, language - Socio-emotional processes- Changes in relationships, emotions, and personality- Prenatal period- Conception to birth- Infancy- Birth to 18-24 months of age- Early Childhood (Preschool years)- 2-5 to 6 years of age - Middle Childhood (Elementary school years)- 6-11 years of age- Adolescence- 10/12-18/22 years of age- Emerging Adulthood- 18-25 years of age Three issues that child researchers deal with in their research-Nature-Nurture Issue Biology vs. Socialization-Continuity and Discontinuity Continuous development vs. Stages-Early-Later Life Experience Early life is more important to adulthood than later life experiencesTheories of Development:Psychoanalytic Theories- Unique history of child- Series of stages with conflicts that need to be resolved- Resolution or lack there of determines who you become as an adult{Sigmund Freud}- Victorian Age/ Rich white womenbiased results- Not much empirical backing of his works- Psychosexual Theory focus on unconscious and drives Sex and Aggression 3 PARTS OF PERSONALITY (THE THREE PLUMBERS): ID - gratification/wants/does not operate in reality EGO - seeks go moderate id and super ego/ tries to balance influences of the other parts of personality/operates in reality SUPER EGO - morals and virtues/conscience/restrictive/does not operate in realityPsychosexual Stages1) Oral (Birth-1 year) - Ego develops (born with Id)- Mouth is pleasure zone (Breastfeeding)- Fixated- term used to describe when one does not resolve stage2) Anal (1 year-3 years) - Potty training (learn to control bowels)- From this stage, the common phrase anal retentive is derived- OCD vs. Sloppy (Anal fixation)- Anal fixation- control issues3) Phallic (3-6 years) - Realization of genitalia (begin sex drive towards opposite sex parent)- Oedipus & Electra Complexes child develops sex drive and desires for opposite sex parent- Castration Anxiety fear that father will discover desire for mother and castrate him (seek to be like father to attract women like mother)- [Super Ego develops] takes on father’s morals- Women - Freud believes women have weak super ego (doesn’t develop)- Gender Identification4) Latency (6-Puberty) - Develop intellectually and socially5) Genital (Puberty-Onward) - Sexual desires return- Completion leads to successful relationships-{Erik Erickson} Psychosocial Stages- Focused on social affiliation with others Basic 5 stages as Freud Added 3 more stages that deal with adulthood (later life experiences)Behavioral & Social Cognitive Theories:- Ivan Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning Behaviorism- John Watson used Pavlov’s conditioning experiment= Behaviorism - John Watson- Tabla Rasa view- (Little Albert) Fear is learned- Behavior is learned- Environmental (Nature){John Watson} Video- Influenced solely by environment- Tabla Rasa view- Environment stronger than genetics Behaviorism{ALBERT BANDURA} Social Learning Theory Social Learning Theory Child models or imitates any behavior he or she saw Bobo the Doll (Aggression) Children imitate behavior Social Cognitive Theory Possible to model thought patternCognitive Theories key is conscious thought{Jean Piagnet} Cognitive Developmental Theory - Actively seeking out information- Schemas- cognitive categories that guide behavior- Assimilation - Take information and put it into categories or schemas that already exist- See yellow Labrador put into category for dogs-Accommodation - The new information doesn’t fit into the categories that already exist so you make a new category- See cow say doggy- October orangespumpkinsEthological Theory{Konrad Lorenz} Imprinting - Rapid, innate learning within a critical period- Attachment to 1st moving object seen- Early following behavior of baby birds{John Bowlby} Attachment Theory - Bond that forms with caregiver- Smiling, babbling, grasping, crying are built in social signals that encourage caregiver approachEclectic Theoretical Orientation- Selects and uses what is considered the best in each theoryThe Science & Study of Child development- Science is not defined by WHAT it investigates, but HOW it investigates it- Importance of research- The Scientific Method-
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