Behaviourist Theory Cognitive Developmental Theory, And...

The theories/approaches established by historical and contemporary pioneers provide valuable insight, underpinning the understanding of how children develop, allowing teachers to enhance the holistic development of every child. This essay will analyse the: behaviourist theory; cognitive-developmental theory; and socio-cultural theory. Behaviourist Theory Behaviourists regard behaviour as a response to a stimulus; pioneering the belief that internal cognitive processes are unnecessary when explaining behaviour. This view is supported by the behaviourist John Locke who proposed that children are born as ‘blank slates’ (‘tabula rasa’) whereby children are shaped by experience (Neaum, 2010). The behaviourist approach assumes that the process of learning is the same in all species; therefore concluding that human and animals learn in similar ways. Early behaviourists include Edward Thorndike, Edward Tolman and Edwin Guthrie conducted experiments on animals, under carefully observed conditions (Collin, 2011). However the three theorists, most associated with behaviourism are: Ivan Pavlov, John Watson and B.F. Skinner. These theorists identified two types of associative learning: classical and operant conditioning; these methods underpin the behaviourist perspective. Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) was a Russian psychologist who inadvertently discovered classical conditioning; a way to view the functioning of the nervous system, this remains his greatest psychological contributionShow MoreRelatedSocio Cultural Theory And Piaget s Cognitive Development Theory1493 Words   |  6 PagesThe two theorists that I have chosen to compare are Vygotsky for his work on the socio-cultural theory and Piaget’s Cognitive Development theory. The socio-cultural theory focuses on how norms, culture, beliefs and values are passed onto the next generation in a society (Berk, 2007). Piaget was the first psychologist to study cognitive development and described his work as genetic epistemology. He was concerned with how essential concepts such as the idea of time, numbers, justice etc. arose (SieglerRead MoreChildren Are Wearing Christmas Hats And Doing Cooking797 Words   |  4 Pagesof childhood so that children are given time and space to participate in different activities and learning. In this imaging of the child, we allow children to participate in cooking which can promote their fine motor skills and cognitive development. From the developmental perspective, cooking is one of the ideal activities that benefit children to engage in as it stimulates all the senses and each area of development (Beaver Brewster, 2002, p.39). In the image, children are using a rolling pinRead MoreExplain the Principal Psychological Perspectives Applied to the Understanding of the Development of Individuals7716 Words   |  31 Pagespsychological perspectives applied to the understanding of the development of individuals * D1 Evaluate the principal psychological perspectives applied to the understanding of the development of individuals There are numerous debates in regards to developmental psychology. One of the main debates to begin with is nature vs nurture; some individuals believe that we are products of our environment while others regards us while others believe that we are products of our genetics. John Locke believes thatRead MoreNormative Development3160 Words   |  13 Pageslaws were devised, and objective and quantitative measurements of isolated variables analysed. Theories of development emerged and have continued throughout history, providing organization, and â€Å"a lens through which researchers can interpret and explain any number of specific facts or observations† (Sigelman amp; Rider, 2012, p. 32). In postulating what is seen as ‘normative’ development, these theories provide a model or map from which science and society are largely influenced. Normative developmentRead MoreThe Main Components Of Language Development981 Words   |  4 Pageslanguage s sound system and the importance of certain sounds for conveying meaning†. Maturationalists state that language occurs when the child has reached biological readiness, unfolding in a predetermined fashion (Fellowes Oakley, 2014, p. 50). Behaviourists believe children learn to understand language through classical conditioning, children learn to associate objects or actions with words within their environment. When repeated, links are formed assisting the association with speech (Fellowes Read MoreThe Processes by Which Genes and Environment Operate Together to Influence Development1597 Words   |  7 Pagesor environment. The British philosopher John Locke (1632 –1704) proposed one of the first theories in the seventeenth century. Locke believed that a child was born with an empty mind, tabula rasa (meaning â€Å"blank slate†) and that everything the child learns comes from experience, nothing is established beforehand. Years later, Charles Darwin (1809 –82) brought forth his theory of evolution, which argued that human behaviour is best understood through knowledge of itsRead MoreTo What Extent Do the ‘Grand Theories’ Discussed in Book 1, Chapter 2 Take Account of the Role of Social Experiences in Child Development?2467 Words   |  10 Pageswhat extent do the ‘grand theories’ discussed in Book 1, Chapter 2 take account of the role of social experiences in child development? Ask any parent about their child’s development, and they’ll often talk about speech and language development, gross motor skills or even physical growth. But a child’s social development—her ability to interact with other children and adults—is a critical piece of the development puzzle. Children’s Development is a social and cultural as well as a biologicalRead MoreInclusion Of Children With Disabilities1979 Words   |  8 Pagesaffected by the way we approach our working lives with the children, the community and the families. Many educators have their own theories, some will be based by Montessori (Developmental), Piaget and Vygotsky (Psychosocial Developmental), Steiner (Developmental), Bowlby, Erikson (Cognitive) Bronfenbrenner (Socio-cultural), Rogoff (Socio-Cultural), Skinner (Socio-Behaviourist), Habermas (Critical) or Focault (Post-Structuralist). All of the mentioned above theorists have a different outlook or meaningRead MoreLiteracy Is The Foundation Of Every Student s Learning Essay1956 Words   |  8 Pages comprehensive, integrated, and dynamic, in that it empowers teachers and specialists to respond to the individual assessed literacy needs of children as they relate to their appropriate instructional developmental levels of decoding, vocabu lary, reading comprehension, motivation and socio-cultural acquisition, with the purpose of learning to read for meaning, understanding and joy (as cited in Nugent, Gannon, Mullan O’Rourke, 2015, p. 9). A balanced literacy approach to reading requires that studentsRead MoreFirst Relationships Essay1804 Words   |  8 Pagesinfant. Meshing can be seen to have strong links with behaviourism because of the influence of the environment. The mother reinforces and the child’s actions are rewarded, praised and encouraged to some extent and this is a major theory of behaviourism. Behaviourism sees the importance of the child being tutored as in meshing when the mother tutors her child. Although behaviourism does not explain the internal processes of learning on the part of the child’s own interpretation