Modern Developmental Theory

1
Unit 1

• Chapter 2
• Modern Developmental Theory

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What is Development?

• Progressive changes in the Interaction between
  the person their enviornment that is the result
  of experience

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Interaction between person evnironment

• Behavior
• Not behavior by itself
• Behavior/environment relationships

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Development Change

• Development is everchanging - dynamical
• Progressive based on what came before

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Change Due to Experience

• Not maturation
• Change contributes to (affects) experience.

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Three Controversies in Developmental Psychology

• Structure vs. Function
• Description vs. Explanation
• Nature vs. Nurture

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Structure vs. Function

• Strutural knowledge
• What something is made of
• e.g., The parts of a computer
• The parts of cognition
• Functional knowledge
• How something works
• e.g., How to use a word processor
• How cognitive development occurs

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Structure vs. Function - Cont.

• Example of Structure vs. Function
• Air Bags ABS vs. Highway Safety

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Description vs. Explanation

• Desription - Gives a picture of
• What
• e.g.,
• Explanation - Tells the process
• How
• e.g.,
• Explanation Prediction Control

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Problems when Descriptions mascarade as
explanations

• Potential confusion
• False vs. Real Explanation
• Its not necessarily an explanation because it
  says because
• False Explanations are Circular
• Need independent, observable cause

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Nature vs. Nurture

• Nature Genetics
• Nurture Experience (Environment)
• This is A False Dichotomy
• Transaction (reciprocal interactions)
• 100 Nature 100 Nurture

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Criteria for Judging Developmenal Theories

• Accuracy
• Clarity
• Predictability
• Productivity
• Internal Consistency
• Parsimony
• Testable
• Productivity
• Self-Satisfying