Child Psychology - IntroductionChild Psychology - Introduction Psychology 333 Dennis Karpowitz

Stop staring at me!

I’ll be there for you.I’ll be there for you.

Why Study Children?Why Study Children?

1. Maximize children’s development – Society’s future

2. Increase effectiveness as parents and teachers

3. Understand children

4. Understand adults – The present is informed by the past

5. Understand the process of development

DiscussionDiscussion

Which reason for studying children is most meaningful to you?

Why?

The History of ChildhoodThe History of Childhood Periods of enlightenment & ignorance Medieval times - miniature adults Reformation - Harsh, restrictive parenting 1632 Locke - “tabula rasa” 1712 Rousseau - noble savages

Scientific BeginningsScientific Beginnings Anthropometric lab

G. Stanley Hall

Baby biographies

Mandatory education

Binet and the testing movement

Norms and Longitudinal StudiesNorms and Longitudinal Studies

Gesell Institute – Norms

Bailey studies of intelligence

McFarland/Honzig studies of personality

Oakland growth studies of adolescence

The Role of Personal The Role of Personal AssumptionsAssumptions

Thought through or automaticThought through or automatic Linked to feeling and actionLinked to feeling and action

Think about your own personal Think about your own personal assumptions. How might they affect assumptions. How might they affect your understanding in this class?your understanding in this class?

Some of My AssumptionsSome of My Assumptions

Psychology is both art and sciencePsychology is both art and science Psychology has limits as a disciplinePsychology has limits as a discipline Human behavior has multiple causesHuman behavior has multiple causes Psychology is preparadigmaticPsychology is preparadigmatic Psychological theories have:Psychological theories have:

• Range of usefulnessRange of usefulness• Point of maximum applicabilityPoint of maximum applicability

An Example of Three Theories

My Assumptions ContinuedMy Assumptions Continued

All actions have consequencesAll actions have consequences Human beings have limited freedomHuman beings have limited freedom Life involves struggleLife involves struggle Children are robust and vulnerableChildren are robust and vulnerable Family is powerful (+ & -)Family is powerful (+ & -) Human beings are uniqueHuman beings are unique Growth can be continualGrowth can be continual

What are your assumptions?What are your assumptions? How do your assumptions effect your How do your assumptions effect your

view of children? view of children? Parents? Parents? Teachers? Teachers?

Compare and contrast your Compare and contrast your assumptions with mineassumptions with mine

What evidence is there for your What evidence is there for your assumptions?assumptions?

Methods of Child StudyMethods of Child Study

ScienceScience

Observation and measurement - The Observation and measurement - The ChallengeChallenge

ReliabilityReliability ValidityValidity

Basic Methods of ResearchBasic Methods of Research

Case studyCase study Systematic naturalistic observationSystematic naturalistic observation Correlational methodsCorrelational methods Systems approaches Systems approaches Experimental methodsExperimental methods Small-n approachesSmall-n approaches

Time Strategies ** DevelopmentTime Strategies ** Development

Longitudinal strategiesLongitudinal strategies Cross-Sectional strategiesCross-Sectional strategies Sequential strategiesSequential strategies

Risk researchRisk research

Retrospective designsRetrospective designs Prospective designsProspective designs

Epidemiologic ResearchEpidemiologic Research

Prevalence or incidencePrevalence or incidence

Multiple MethodsMultiple Methods

Each method has strengths and weaknessEach method has strengths and weakness

Combining methods adds strength to the Combining methods adds strength to the

findingsfindings

Ethics in ResearchEthics in Research

IntegrityIntegrity OpennessOpenness Awareness of research effectsAwareness of research effects

Theories of Child Theories of Child DevelopmentDevelopment

BricksBricks

Brick HomeBrick Home

What is a theory?What is a theory?

Organizes dataOrganizes data Allows us to see some things more Allows us to see some things more

clearlyclearly Hides other things from viewHides other things from view

Classical Theories 1Classical Theories 1

Psychoanalytic perspectivePsychoanalytic perspective Theorists: Freud, Erickson, MahlerTheorists: Freud, Erickson, Mahler BasicsBasics Organismic (active)Organismic (active) Discontinous (stages or periods)Discontinous (stages or periods) Nature Nature andand nurture (bio. & environ.) nurture (bio. & environ.) New developmentsNew developments

Classical Theories 2Classical Theories 2

Social learning perspectiveSocial learning perspective Theorists: Skinner, Pavlov, BanduraTheorists: Skinner, Pavlov, Bandura BasicsBasics Mechanistic (passive)Mechanistic (passive) Continuous (no stages or periods)Continuous (no stages or periods) Emphasis on nurture (environment)Emphasis on nurture (environment) New developmentsNew developments

ClassicalClassical Theories 3Theories 3

Cognitive Development Cognitive Development Theorists: Piaget, FlavellTheorists: Piaget, Flavell BasicsBasics Organismic (active)Organismic (active) Discontinuous (stages or periods)Discontinuous (stages or periods) Nature Nature andand nurture (bio. & environ.) nurture (bio. & environ.) New developmentsNew developments

More Recent Theories 1More Recent Theories 1

Information processingInformation processing BasicsBasics Organismic Organismic andand mechanistic mechanistic Continuous (no stages or periods)Continuous (no stages or periods) Nature Nature andand nurture (bio. & environ.) nurture (bio. & environ.)

More Recent Theories 2More Recent Theories 2

EthologyEthology Theorist: LorenzTheorist: Lorenz BasicsBasics Organismic (active)Organismic (active) Continuous Continuous andand discontinuous discontinuous Nature Nature andand nurture (bio. & environ.) nurture (bio. & environ.)

More Recent Theories 3More Recent Theories 3

Ecological systemsEcological systems Theorist: BronfenbrennerTheorist: Bronfenbrenner BasicsBasics Organismic (active)Organismic (active) Nature Nature andand nurture (bio. & environ.) nurture (bio. & environ.)

More Recent Theories 4More Recent Theories 4

Sociocultural/Linguistic ApproachSociocultural/Linguistic Approach Theorist: VygotskyTheorist: Vygotsky BasicsBasics Organismic (active)Organismic (active) Continuous (no stages or periods)Continuous (no stages or periods) Nature Nature andand nurture (bio. & environ.) nurture (bio. & environ.)

More Recent Theories 5More Recent Theories 5

Dynamic systems theory (family Dynamic systems theory (family systems)systems)

BasicsBasics Organismic (active)Organismic (active) Continuous (no stages or periods)Continuous (no stages or periods) Nature Nature andand nurture (bio. & environ.) nurture (bio. & environ.)

EndEnd