Child
Development Theories
Child development that occurs from birth to
adulthood was largely ignored throughout much of history. Children were often
viewed simply as small versions of adults and little attention was paid to the
many advances in cognitive abilities, language usage, and physical growth that
occurs during childhood and adolescence.
Interest in the field of child development
finally began to emerge early in the 20th-century, but it tended to focus on abnormal
behavior. Eventually, researchers became increasingly interested in other
topics including typical child development as well as the influences on
development.
An understanding of child development is
essential, allowing us to fully appreciate the cognitive, emotional, physical,
social and educational growth that children go through from birth and into
early
adulthood. Some of the major theories of child development are known as grand theories; they attempt to describe every aspect of development, often using a stage approach. Others are known as mini-theories; they instead focus only on a fairly limited aspect of development, such as cognitive or social growth.
adulthood. Some of the major theories of child development are known as grand theories; they attempt to describe every aspect of development, often using a stage approach. Others are known as mini-theories; they instead focus only on a fairly limited aspect of development, such as cognitive or social growth.
The following are just a few of the many child
development theories that have been proposed by theorists and researchers. More
recent theories outline the developmental stages of children and identify the
typical ages at which these growth milestones
occur.
Psychoanalytic Child Development Theories
- Sigmund Freud
The theories proposed by Sigmund Freud stressed
the importance of childhood events and experiences, but almost exclusively
focused on mental disorders rather that normal functioning.
According to Freud, child development is
described as a series of 'psychosexual stages.' In "Three Essays on
Sexuality" (1915), Freud outlined these stages as oral, anal, phallic,
latency and genital. Each stage involves the satisfaction of a libidinal desire
and can later play a role in adult personality. If a child does not
successfully complete a stage, Freud suggested that he or she would develop a
fixation that would later influence adult personality and behavior. Learn more
in this article on Freud’s
stages of psychosexual development.
- Erik Erikson
Theorist Erik Erikson also proposed a stage
theory of development, but his theory encompassed human growth throughout the
entire human lifespan. Erikson believed that each stage of development was
focused on overcoming a conflict. For example, the primary conflict during the
adolescent period involves establishing a sense of personal identity. Success
or failure in dealing with the conflicts at each stage can impact overall
functioning. During the adolescent stage, for example, failure to develop an
identity results in role confusion. Learn more about this theory in this
article on Erikson’s
stages of psychosocial development.
Cognitive Child Development Theories
Theorist Jean Piaget suggested that children
think differently than adults and proposed a stage theory of cognitive development.
He was the first to note that children play an active role in gaining knowledge
of the world. According to his theory, children can be thought of as
"little scientists" who actively construct their knowledge and
understanding of the world. Learn more in this article on Piaget’s
stages of cognitive development.
Behavioral Child Development Theories
Behavioral theories of child development focus on
how environmental interaction influences behavior and are based upon the
theories of theorists such as John B. Watson, Ivan Pavlov and B. F. Skinner.
These theories deal only with observable behaviors. Development is considered a
reaction to rewards, punishments, stimuli and reinforcement. This theory
differs considerably from other child development theories because it gives no
consideration to internal thoughts or feelings. Instead, it focuses purely on
how experience shapes who we are. Learn more about these behavioral theories in
these articles on classical
conditioning and operant
conditioning.
Social Child Development Theories
- John Bowlby
There is a great deal of research on the social
development of children. John Bowbly proposed one of the earliest theories of
social development. Bowlby believed that early relationships with caregivers
play a major role in child development and continue to influence social
relationships throughout life. Learn more in this overview
of attachment theory.
- Albert Bandura
Psychologist Albert Bandura proposed what is
known as social
learning theory. According to this theory of child development, children
learn new behaviors from observing other people. Unlike behavioral theories,
Bandura believed that external reinforcement was not the only way that people
learned new things. Instead, intrinsic reinforcements such as a sense of pride,
satisfaction and accomplishment could also lead to learning. By observing the
actions of others, including parents and peers, children develop new skills and
acquire new information.
- Lev Vygotsky
Another psychologist named Lev Vygotsky proposed
a seminal learning theory that has gone on to become very influential,
especially in the field of education. Like Piaget, Vygotsky believed that
children learn actively and through hands-on experiences. His sociocultural
theory also suggested that parents, caregivers, peers and the culture at
large were responsible for the development of higher order functions.
